Mr. Schuurman

Diversity Issues

The Importance of a Gay & Lesbian Employee Network

By Darrell Schuurman, Co-Founder, Canadian Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce

I think that if you ask any senior executive of almost any company today, "What's your most important asset", they'll say their employees. Especially within the tourism industry, employees play the most important role in the services that you deliver. But in today's competitive industry, good employees are hard to find, and equally hard to keep. I'm not going to profess to be an HR expert, but employers that want to attract and retain employees have to understand and diversify their employee base and provide incentives that are of value to them.

Having a diverse work force is extremely important for any business. A diverse work force is able to respond to your diverse clientele. They have a better understanding of your customers, while bringing new ideas and creativity to the workplace. Successful companies are also understanding that diversity must include lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans-persons (LGBT) employees, and that programs, opportunities and incentives must be put into place and exist for them as well.

Incentives such as bonuses and wage increase are important, but more and more employees are looking for reasons that speak specifically to them, that are of personal value. What you're seeing now is the establishment of employee resource groups (ERGs), which provide a group of employees an opportunity to create an internal network based on common attributes. What these groups do is encourage and establish a sense of diversity within the workforce. Examples of common ERGs include Women, Latino, and African American groups. And now, you're starting to see a growth in groups for the LGBT employees, often referred to as Gay and Lesbian Employee Networks (GLEN).

More gay and lesbian employees are living openly gay lives, and demand to be fully open and accepted at work. Unfortunately, in some countries it is still legal to be fired for being gay, so companies that are seen as embracing and empowering their LGBT staff, and where everyone can be open without fear, are seen as progressive and inclusive companies. The establishment of a GLEN is one way for companies to achieve this, and in turn stand a better opportunity to attract both employees and customers.

According to the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), more and more big companies are creating gay and lesbian employee groups. From a survey of 400 large companies last year, 63% of them have a GLEN. Technology and financial-services companies have typically been quicker to introduce these groups, like IBM and Wells Fargo, but in the tourism industry there are also good examples like American Airline's GLEAM and Kimpton's K-GLEN.

So what is a GLEN?

In general, a GLEN's main role is to promote a positive, safe and open working environment for employees, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. Different GLENs have different goals. Common goals include communications (to provide a sense of community within employees of the company and to provide information and resources on LGBT issues affecting employees), education (to promote the importance of diversity within the workforce and within the customer base), marketing (to assist in reaching new business within the LGBT market), and outreach (to participate within various community and corporate initiatives). A GLEN is typically a group that also acts as an informal advisory group on workplace issues, such as ensuring its company's non-discrimination policy includes sexual orientation, and continually monitors and works with the company to continue to improve opportunities for gay and lesbian employees.

Most GLENs are initiated by employees. It is important that they have the support of the company. Groups that are endorsed by management will have greater opportunity to succeed, as others within the company will see the importance and value the company puts on it. Ultimately, the goals and mission of the GLEN should be in line with that of the company's goals of productivity and profitability. The GLEN must realize that there is a business component to its operation.

So how do you get a GLEN started? Well, as mentioned, many are initiated at the grass roots level. But talk to your employees that you know are out in the workforce and get their thoughts. Then ensure you let them use all internal communications to promote the GLEN and its activities, including newsletters, bulletins, etc. It's important to keep in mind that not everyone that participates in the GLEN will be out, so you need to have secure ways to communicate with them. Let them use just a first name to sign up, create an anonymous email address. It's also important that you provide them a contact person in management that they can talk to that supports their initiative, and that all members would feel comfortable approaching and talking to.

For more information on creating a GLEN for your company, a great resource to start with is the Human Rights Campaign (HRC). They have information on Employee Resource Groups, along with other workplace topics that pertain to LGBT issues. www.hrc.org.

Let me leave you with one great example of a successful GLEN in the accommodation industry: Kimpton Hotels. Their gay and lesbian employee network, called K-GLEN, is comprised of approximately 20 members from all regions of the country. They formed the group to advise the company on both employee and community outreach issues. When Kimpton began the program, they "heard from the GLBT employees that they wanted to get involved, to be part of a program that would not only reach out to the community for greater business opportunities but also provide a means for them to feel good about themselves and positively impact the employee base, the guest base and the suppliers." K-GLEN coordinates all aspects of the GLBT outreach efforts, including adding more employee training and increasing local community involvement.

For Kimpton, their GLEN is just one component of their LGBT commitment. In addition to various LGBT efforts and activities within their marketing and product line, Kimpton realized that they needed to also focus internally. This is important for you to understand as you and your company enhance your efforts in the LGBT market, as a GLEN directly speaks and impacts your main asset - your employees.

For the accommodation industry, GLENs can prove to be a valuable tool in improving company morale, decreasing employee turnover, assist in attracting and recruiting new talent, and increasing the bottom line. It's worth the investment.

Darrell Schuurman is co-founder of the Canadian Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, and is Director of the tourism program. He is responsible for improving opportunities for gay and gay-friendly tourism-based businesses through research, market development, and promotion of Canada as a gay travel destination. Darrell has worked in the accommodation, transportation, tourism, and travel sectors of the industry. He now works with Canada's national passenger railway, VIA Rail, as Manager of Market Development. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce concentrating in Tourism from the University of Calgary. Mr. Schuurman can be contacted at 416-761-5151 or darrell@cglcc.ca Extended Bio...

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