With the recent historic Supreme Court ruling that protects LGBTQ members in the workplace, many companies are reexamining LGBTQ inclusivity. Many strides have been made in recent years in improving the experience of LGBTQ individuals employed in C-level support, but there is still more work that needs to be done to create an environment where everyone feels safe and accepted. Below are some ways you can increase LGBTQ inclusivity in the workplace.

Remove Bias from Hiring Practices

Even the most open-minded employers often have unconscious biases. If you can make sure the language you use in job descriptions, interview questions, etc. are neutral in regard to sexual orientation, you will not only attract more LGBTQ candidates, you will make your employees feel more accepted as well. It is also a good idea to highlight inclusivity as a value in your mission statement and throughout your hiring process.

Take a Serious Approach to LGBTQ Discrimination

You should issue a clear anti-discrimination policy for sexual orientation and gender identity. This policy should address hiring practices, promotion practices, and the day-to-day work experience. The policy should also communicate that bullying based on orientation is unacceptable and detail the repercussions for LGBTQ harassment and discrimination. Employees in the LGBTQ community need to know that they have the support of management behind them and that the company wants them to feel safe and accepted.

Consider the LGBTQ Community in Developing Benefits

Company benefits often unintentionally exclude LGBTQ. As a company, make sure that members of the LGBTQ community have the same rights as other employees, including parental leave and adoption leave. As with job descriptions, the language used in talking about benefits should be neutral in terms of both gender and orientation.

It is important to create a work environment where everyone feels valued and equal. Fair hiring practices, LGBTQ safe spaces, and a clear anti-discrimination stance can help everyone on your team to feel welcomed.

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The events of the year have shone a light on the importance of remote work. As we move forward, remote work has the potential to increase diversity in the C-suite. What companies need now more than ever are talented teams that have the ability to swiftly adapt to changes. Below we’ll explore how remote work is improving diversity.

Significance of Remote Work

In the aftermath of COVID-19, remote work is likely to gain in prominence. More companies now have the technology, resources, and policies necessary to support remote work as part of their culture. Companies have also had the opportunity to experience firsthand some of the advantages of remote work, such as improved flexibility, work-life balance, and access to a larger talent pool.

Remote Work and Diversity

One of the best aspects of remote jobs is they can be performed anywhere. As a company, having the infrastructure to support remote work gives you the opportunity to hire better talent because you are no longer limited by geographic restrictions. You have access to a more diverse candidate pool in terms of gender, age, ethnicity, and ability. There are also talented individuals out there who struggle in an office setting but excel in a remote environment.

At the end of the day, your company needs the best talent possible on its team. Having a compatible, high-performing team allows your company to grow. In the realm of the C-suite, this is even more important. When you have the ability to hire employees from anywhere in the world, it is easier to recruit a team that has the right balance of skills and personalities.

Benefits of Diversity in the Workplace

Diversity and inclusion in the workplace come with proven benefits. When your team members have a wide variety of experiences, they can approach problems from many different angles. Diversity on a team improves creativity, innovation, and problem-solving. Diversity also allows for increased flexibility. Teams can adapt to changes and challenges more readily when they have a wider range of skills and backgrounds. Diversity also helps contribute to a company culture that encourages people to feel accepted for their differences.

The pandemic has forced many companies to switch to working remotely. While this has caused some confusion, it also presents an opportunity for businesses to double down on their inclusivity initiatives and to continue to build teams that have diverse backgrounds and perspectives.

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As we approach the mid-year point, hours of daylight increase, outdoor activities and vacations are abundant, yet the demands at the office do not wane. The subject of providing an environment for work-life balance often resurfaces during the summer, but the topic is one that should be addressed on an ongoing basis within an organization.

Numerous management consulting companies have performed exhaustive research in this area and have found that over 40% of employees claim they do not have suitable work/life balance, and more than one in four dissatisfied employees plans to leave their employer within the next two years.

The Definition of Balance

There are many articles and books written about finding work-life balance in life, but while many discuss the need to find balance, most do not define exactly what this means or how each of us can find the right combination. In order to figure out our perfect balance, we must start with the definition of what areas make up the various facets of life. Possible domains include:

• Family
• Friends
• Spirituality
• Self-Development
• Self-Indulgence
• Physical
• Work
• Charity

Having a balanced life means ensuring that life itself is multi-faceted and those facets are defined. We need to apportion the correct amount of attention to each area. Prioritization is then determined by attention allocation rather than intention of attention allocation. In each area there are activities with varying degrees of urgency and importance; if urgency always rules decisions, one will easily feel out of balance. Important activities, while not immediately urgent, are frequently better uses of time than urgent ones. These eight areas compete for the one commodity we can offer, which is time.

Analyzing the Allocation of Time

There are 168 hours in a week. Removing the amount of time an average person sleeps leaves roughly 120 hours per week to allocate attention and focus. Think about your last week and ask yourself, “Where did the time go?” Did it go there because you planned it that way, or was it simply the result of going through the motions? If we can learn to plan the allocation of our most precious resource (our time), then we may value it more. Therefore, we must learn to become focused and productive while in one dimension, and still allow for enough time in other dimensions.

The following is an eight-step formula for implementing this process:

1. Determine if and why you care about each of the eight domains. What does it mean to you and how important is it? What are the consequences of the lack of quality time and what are the benefits of proper attention allocation?
2. Determine and quantify the gap between desire and achievement.
3. Create a specific action plan to close the gap.
4. Determine the amount of time needed in each area to achieve your desired balance.
5. Create an “attention plan” that details this time.
6. Identify potential hijackers and distractions of the plan and create solutions to minimize them.
7. Track and review periodically (once per week, perhaps).
8. Periodically re-assess, re-prioritize, and repeat.

Time and attention allocation are not the sole determinants, though, of work-life balance. Focus in that time is equally important. Multi-tasking is the curse of focus. We are most productive and fulfilled when we give our undivided attention to the domain we are in.

With 120 hours each week, plenty of time exists for quality in each domain. Life may go through periods where a short-term imbalance serves a long-term balance, but this is sacrifice. Some individuals consciously choose to dedicate all their life to one or two domains, while others do not want to be the world’s best sprinter or hurdler but want to be a decathlete. Start first with what you want, which is based on your “why.” When you know your “why,” you can begin building the bridges to close the gaps between desire and achievement.

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