In businesses and throughout the general population, we’re seeing an increase in awareness and acceptance of transgender issues. Whilst this is increasingly positive, there are still a number of hurdles to overcome in creating a truly Trans-Inclusive Company.
According to a study by Trinity Business School and Technological University in Dublin, transgender people were more likely to be unemployed or receive a lower wage in comparison to their non-transgender equivalents.
This study, along with many others, proves that although we’re taking the right steps to create a safe and inclusive world for transgender people, we, as employers, still have a number of hurdles to cross.
Hiring Processes
Our hiring processes are subject to unconscious bias, whether we know it or not. As employers, it’s important that we protect all of our candidates from any bias that could potentially affect a job application.
An example of this for a trans applicant could be the importance of protecting them from an unnecessary outing. This would require Human Resources to protect any I.D. documents that could hold a different name to the candidates’ current alias.
Many HR departments promote Blind Hiring as a way to eradicate this, but it’s also important to ensure that this remains protected and kept confidential through the candidates employment and thereafter.
Leadership Teams
Your leadership teams are a great place to start when developing a trans-inclusive company. Mia Weston a Queer, Transgender, Recruitment Marketer from Consult Energy Group says that “It starts with you, build a strong message of acceptance and openness which will, in turn, create a safe environment for trans colleagues. It’s all about allowing everyone to bring their whole selves to work, with the added protection of Diversity and Inclusion policies, such as the Equality Act 2010.”
This can be furthered by creating involvement within your teams by building LGBTQ+ Community Groups and monitoring Diversity and Inclusion reports for your organization, and your customers.
Inclusivity Training
According to an EU-wide transgender people report, over 50% of transgender respondents reported that they felt “discriminated against or harassed” in the workplace.
This calls for change and education to be built into company cultures, to ensure that all staff are educated and offered training to ensure discrimination and harassment against transgender colleagues are eradicated.
Inclusivity training should be a non-negotiable part of an internal training and onboarding process to create an environment that understands and accepts all people.
Trans inclusivity requires understanding and education and should be part of an overall business agenda, from hiring and selection and throughout an employees journey.
