Creating A Safer Workplace Beyond The HR Cubicle

Manisha Dubey from Accenture writes about the measures recruiters must adopt to creating a more diverse workforce.

Pride means more than representation. What can you do to make your workplace more inclusive?

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The discussion around Diversity and Inclusion is often restricted to the different stages of the hiring process.

Firms often forget that hiring candidates from across the spectrum is only a stepping stone. But solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community also means building a safer, acceptable, and a more inclusive ecosystem. In her article, Manisha notes that organizations struggle to put a framework for such policies in place.

Our inclusive hiring practices at Accenture are only the first steps to ensure this. We’ve found that when our recruiters and trainers undergo bespoke sensitization programs that use tools such as storytelling, they become more mindful of intersectional identities, and the need to be inclusive of people in all their diversity.

Furthermore, Accenture has also learned that creation of Employee Resource Groups encourages people to network and help each other in their journeys. Manisha discusses the multiple opportunities under the umbrella of their Inclusive Internship Program.

I appreciate how Accenture’s steps in this direction precede hiring itself. Our Inclusive Internship Program does more than just bring in transgender people, people with disabilities, and women from economically weaker sections into the workforce. Even as our employees embrace the interns as peers, the interns are encouraged to develop the skills and acumen they need to access opportunities and grow their careers, within and beyond Accenture.

But they can only be successful when mentors acknowledge the lived experiences of persons who identify as LGBTQ+. What are some ways in which recruiters can actively engage with their employees and how can they ensure their physical, emotional and mental well-being?

Visit here to read Manisha's entire article and learn what are the other ways in which you make your workplace truly equal and inclusive.

[This article was authored by Manisha Dubey, Global Business Transformation Lead for Procurement, Supply Chain & Talent/HR at Accenture. It is re-published in association with The Quint as part of the #PrideAndProgress campaign.]