We’re sure you’ve all noticed a sea of rainbow painted brand logos on LinkedIn at the moment, right?
Yes, Pride Month is here! And taking time to celebrate our LGBTQ+ identities should be an essential for every business that prioritises diversity and their employee community. The question is, as we approach the end of June now, what happens when your business takes off its rainbow coat?
Although having a specific period to highlight LGBTQ+ matters is amazing, being considerate of different identities shouldn’t limit itself to one month. For a community that respects your business values, needs and priorities, it’s important to embrace their values too. By creating an environment in which everyone feels comfortable and treated equally, you’re creating a place where careers thrive.
We spoke to our bananas to share how we’re acting to consistently communicate equality, both internally and within our client experiences too…
“When planning reward initiatives, we always consider the potential dangers and difficulties for minorities. Some activities and destinations can put employees in vulnerable situations, so checking LGBTQ+ laws in locations we operate in and taking steps to ensure staff are protected if we do have to operate there, are simple but essential steps to ensuring that all employees feel valued, and most importantly, safe. For me personally, providing a work culture that encourages you to be you at all times, and never having to leave an element of yourself at home, should be a given in 2022. Years ago, I used to “tone it down” a bit while at work, but these days everyone should feel comfortable and safe to be themselves in every situation.” – Endellion King, Incentives Account Director
“To quote Laverne Cox ‘there are lessons in everything. The bad, the good. Our job is to listen, and continue to learn, so that we get better.’ This is something that I whole heartedly believe in and will continue to advocate for our teams. A basic human need is to understand and be understood, and the first steps to achieving this is by listening, learning and embracing all our differences. We are not carbon copies of each other, it’s essential that we create a safe environment for everyone to have a voice. At Top B, we have adopted a culture that is non-judgmental and embraces diversity. This has been a focal point in our leadership training but also through our well-being initiatives. Our teams can share feedback confidentially, and we foster a culture where we trust our ability to understand and learn from each other. As one of our values is being authentic, it’s vital we provide ample opportunities to educate different ways to overcome unintended biases for our teams and future talent. We are constantly informed, confident, and more importantly inclusive so we can continue to celebrate our vibrant, diverse group of creative and talented people.“ – Jamie Banton, Group People and Talent Manager
- We get it, it can be challenging.
If incorporating LGBTQ+ and inclusivity practices into your internal comms is new or unfamiliar to you, we understand that introducing change can feel daunting when communicating on a broader scale. With most of our clients highlighting the importance and value of this communication, and their dedication to getting it right, here’s our biggest tip – just try!
Making sure you’re always doing your part to promote equality will ensure your teams feel valued and respected. It’s not a gesture or a token, it’s a given, and what is most important is that you’re authentic and honest. Although, if you’re really unsure? Just ask! If you’re not sure on a person’s pronouns, or maybe how they’d best like to be introduced to the wider team, showing that you’re approachable and that their feelings are important to you and the business is of the upmost importance to maintaining healthy relationships with your employee base.
- Be authentically you.
For us, the people at Top Banana make us everything we are. And just as Jamie so rightly said, we value every single one of our team, so creating a culture where they can express their fantastic, unique selves is the way for them to always feel their best when with us. Creativity has no bounds and certainly no gender, so we we’ll continue to show up, celebrate everyone’s skills equally and individually and always go the extra mile to create incredible experiences for everyone.