Why your Business Needs LGBTQ+ Allyship Training

It is now expected that businesses take diversity and inclusion seriously if they want to succeed and grow. Employees want to work for a company they can be proud of and seeing them actively create a welcoming workplace culture is vital.

Recent research revealed that over two-thirds (66%) of university students and graduates would leave their job if they couldn’t be out at work, showing the extent to which not valuing inclusion can harm a business. We know employees, customers, and clients expect to see a business use LGBTQ+-inclusive language and respect diverse identities, but without extensive training, how can you be sure all employees and business leaders have the knowledge to do so?

This is where effective LGBTQ+-inclusion training comes in. There is a plethora of reasons to ensure you’re delivering LGBTQ+ allyship training; here are the essentials:

Raise organisational awareness around LGBTQ+ inclusion

As a growing business, the people you hire will all come with different knowledge and skill sets. Having extensive training on LGBTQ+ inclusion ensures that everyone has a foundation of knowledge on how to use inclusive language, welcome people of all identities and understands the importance of diversity in the workplace.

Too often, people want to lead with inclusion but fear saying the wrong thing. This ensures that everyone has the know-how to embrace diversity and inclusion.

Increase recruitment retention

People want to stay in a workplace where everyone feels they belong and can excel to the best of their abilities. On the other hand, when employees feel they are not respected, and their ideas are not valued, they are likely to leave. In fact, an inclusive workplace is one of the most critical factors in retaining talent.

Prospective employees will also often research the steps an organisation takes to create an inclusive environment. They may also ask about this during the interview, with your answers swaying the decision as to whether they want to work with you.

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Improve services and client relationships

You will likely have LGBTQ+ customers and clients, and you need to ensure your employees know to respect them. Effective training across your business lets you know your customers and clients are being welcomed with LGBTQ+ inclusion embedded into the company.

When designing services, it is also helpful to think about your customer's needs from a diverse viewpoint. Having a team with differing identities and experiences means they can tackle problems with a diversity of thought, all bringing unique ideas and perspectives to the table.

Increase productivity

People work better when they can be themselves. Not having to spend energy hiding parts of yourself, or pretending to be someone else, leaves you able to commit to the task at hand fully.  

Inclusion can also work as a catalyst for more engaged teams. In a workplace where everyone feels valued and welcomed, there is greater trust and connection, and employees engage with their work and co-workers in a way that boosts performance.

A diverse and inclusive workplace is better for business

Putting all these points together, it should be evident that a more productive, innovative team, with higher retention rates and stronger client relationships, means a more successful business. Research also backs this up, showing that companies that prioritise LGBTQ+ inclusion perform better on the stock market.

The business case for workplace LGBTQ+ inclusion training is stronger than ever, with countless benefits across the organisation. It’s vital though that the training is effective. Newly launched, myGwork Academy offers thorough training developed by experts with relevant and practical content.

Undoubtedly, decisions on diversity, equity and inclusion learning for your team will be some of your most important decisions.