Ashley Thomas, Client and Leadership programmes Manager
Talent is a huge part of everything we do at Stonewall. From our work tackling homophobia at primary school right through to creating gay-friendly workplaces and developing senior lesbian, gay and bisexual executives at the Stonewall Leadership Programme, talent is one of the clearest threads connecting all of our campaigning work.
Our chief executive has a vision of Britain where every young person grows up to secure every ounce of their potential. Creating this careers guide is just one way in which we aim to help each of you do exactly that. Stonewall, and the employers featured in Starting Out know that ‘people perform better when they can be themselves’. Your sexual orientation is absolutely part of what makes you who you are – how can you be yourself at work if it seems necessary that you remove it from your workplace identity?
Starting Out presents hundreds of employers, all competing to attract the very best talent in the UK. All of them want gay people to develop careers in their workplaces. What makes these employers different – and why we think they’ll take your talent further – is their commitment to providing an inclusive environment where gay staff feel valued and are supported in their personal and professional lives. Whether you’re a graduate or an experienced professional, use this guide to help you decide which employers in your chosen field best deserve your talent.
Each of the profiled organisations is a member of Stonewall’s Diversity Champions programme. They benchmark how well they’re performing as a gay-friendly employer, seek Stonewall’s expertise in improving their workplace culture and focus on developing diverse talent. You can find more detailed information about Diversity Champions and the Workplace Equality Index on page seven. In short, our Diversity Champions won’t expect you to leave the ‘home version’ of you at the door when you arrive at the office, or even when you arrive for an interview.
Finding a new role in a highly competitive market means you have to stand out. By the time you get to interview stage, the recruiter already thinks you might have the technical skills, relevant qualifications or suitable experience for the role. The missing piece
of the puzzle is bringing the best of who you are to the interview. Trying to minimise your difference as an LGB person may seem like an intuitive way of deleting characteristics you think an employer won’t like. However, it’s clear that the energy you spend concentrating on this (faulty) strategy will leave your mind in knots and impede your ability to think quickly, inhibit your personality and make an already stressful situation even more difficult. Whatever happens, your talent won’t shine through at its brightest.
And, anyway, why would you want to go somewhere where you’re expected to give everything to the job but can’t be yourself? Make sure, whichever stage of your career you’re at, that the employer you choose has the right attitude about your sexual orientation. Give yourself the chance to be you – and watch your talent take you to great places!
