Lack of LGBTQ+ Support Hurts Businesses

�鶹ԭ�� News — Fri, 24 May 2024 07:21:18 +0000

About 94% of international LGBTQ+ business travellers experienced discrimination, and 82% changed hotels due to safety concerns, a 2023 survey by has revealed.

Although the travel industry is increasingly addressing inclusivity, research shows that business travel is lagging.

“The lack of inclusivity in business travel is troubling. It creates uneven playing fields for LGBTQ+ employees, limiting their career opportunities if they feel unsafe travelling. This hurts both individuals and organisations. Plus, it undermines a company’s diversity efforts and reputation,” says , GM of .

Smith adds that addressing the safety of LGBTQ+ business travellers can be difficult due to the rapid changes to LGBTQ+ rights and safety concerns worldwide.

According to the ’s��, Africa is the most risky continent to travel to for LGBTQ+ travellers, basing this on rights, laws, freedoms and public perspectives. Thirty-one countries in Africa have criminalised homosexuality, and many more display anti-queer sentiments. Other dangerous regions for queer travellers include the Middle East, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe, North Asia and East Asia.

Even in countries that are considered LGBTQ+ friendly, travellers can still face challenges, as 90% of business travellers reported that they still hid their sexual orientation during their trips.

However, this strategy does not always guarantee their safety.

Smith recommends training staff and using TMCs that will understand the unique risks and cultural sensitivities to accommodate and assist employees who do not conceal their sexuality. TMCs can do this by communicating with local tour operators and DMCs who are aware of establishments and accommodations that are queer-friendly or by consulting online guides for options such as . IGLTA offers lists of tour operators and accommodations that are tolerant of LGBTQ+ travellers.

TMCs can also offer pre-trip assessments that examine local laws and customs, the degree of social and cultural acceptance as well as outlying practices. An example of an outlier is when homosexuality is not illegal in a country, but specific ideas of public indecency that correlate with queerness can result in arrest.

Smith emphasises the importance by corporates to train staff on how rights vary in different countries, and who to contact in medical emergencies and for legal support if faced with assault, detention, imprisonment, or deportation.

Furthermore, by creating inclusive policies that adapt to destination-specific laws, sociopolitical changes, safety considerations and language usage, diversity, equity and inclusivity policies are validated. Additionally, it safeguards employees’ mental and physical health, improving work ethic and retention.

“An inclusive travel culture can improve morale and make staff feel valued by their employer,” concludes Smith.

This article first appeared on .

The post Lack of LGBTQ+ Support Hurts Businesses appeared first on �鶹ԭ�� Africa News Center.

Transparency, Empathy Key to Supporting Neurodiversity in the Workplace

�鶹ԭ�� News — Fri, 01 Mar 2024 08:51:45 +0000

Companies wishing to build more inclusive and diverse workplaces should prioritise transparency and empathy when hiring neurodiverse employees.

Photo by Lynette van der Bijl

This is according to , HR director at �鶹ԭ�� Africa, who says: “Introducing neurodiverse individuals into the business allows organisations to access unique skills and abilities that can bring immense value to the organisation.

“But this requires a rethink of hiring programs, recruitment processes, team management and greater flexibility to empower neurodiverse employees with career pathways that allow them to apply their unique skills and perspectives to tasks and opportunities.”

According to the , autistic professionals can be up to 140% more productive than a typical employee if they are properly matched to their job. However, studies have shown that up to 85% of adults with a college degree are unemployed, with companies’ hiring practices shouldering part of the blame.

Workplace program unlocks neurodiversity potential

To raise awareness and create work opportunities, �鶹ԭ�� launched an in 2013 to support candidates who fall into the various neurodiverse categories. Candidates are encouraged to apply to open roles of interest for which they are qualified.

Managers with open positions can then contact the Autism at Work local lead in their country to connect with candidates in the Autism at Work pipeline. Hiring opportunities are promoted through the local partner network in addition to traditional recruiting channels.

“As a business we believe that creating a diverse, inclusive and bias-free culture makes us a better company,” says Koolen. “Having a program that embraces neurodiversity enables us to find great talent that we’d otherwise potentially miss. It also enables us to leverage the unique abilities and perspectives of people on the spectrum to foster innovation.”

Koolen cites the example of Nico Neumann, an �鶹ԭ�� employee based in Buenos Aires in Argentina. Nico joined �鶹ԭ��’s finance team through the �鶹ԭ�� Autism at Work program in 2016 and designed a tool that automates the posting of complex invoices with multiple cost allocations.

“Prior to the development of this tool, accounts payable needed two to three days to manually process large credit card statements such as American Express with over 20 000 accounting lines,” explains Koolen. “Thanks to Nico’s innovation, that processing time has reduced to 20 minutes.”

Neumann’s solution won the , �鶹ԭ��’s highest internal award and accolade, and the highest honour or recognition an �鶹ԭ�� employee can receive.

“Today, our workforce has 215 colleagues diagnosed with autism across 15 countries, who all contribute to the success of the business. In line with our ambition to be the most inclusive software company in the world, �鶹ԭ�� aims to be an employer of choice for people who are neurodiverse and increase the number of colleagues with autism while maintaining our high retention rate of 90%.”

Two key actions for empowering neurodiversity at work

While stories such as Neumann’s are still rare, Koolen believes this is changing. “Companies are far more aware of the importance of building cultures that allow diverse employees to thrive, and have made significant changes to their systems and processes. While these efforts are not perfect, things are improving rapidly, in part thanks to greater understanding of neurodiversity.”

Koolen says companies seeking to build more inclusive workplaces where neurodiverse employees can thrive should focus efforts on two key areas.

Firstly, companies should train every employee – from top management to juniors – to understand and accept individual differences. “Regular awareness sessions help employees develop a deeper understanding of neurodiversity and encourage empathy with those who may view the world differently,” says Koolen. “Employees should also be encouraged to provide ongoing support to their colleagues to make it a company-wide effort, not just something driven by the HR department.”

Secondly, Koolen recommends companies relook their hiring practices to remove some of pressure that neurodiverse candidates experience during typical recruitment processes. “The traditional interview process can introduce immense stress to neurodiverse candidates and undermine their ability to convey their unique skills, competencies and aptitudes. By finding ways to relieve stressful situations, companies can easily allow neurodiverse candidates to display their full potential during the hiring process.”

Some of the ways companies can reduce stress during hiring efforts include training for interviewers to ensure they minimise unconscious bias. “Specialised skills assessments can also take the place of interviews, allowing companies to evaluate a candidate’s competence for specific tasks or roles,” says Koolen.

“�鶹ԭ��’s Autism at Work program also offers do-the-work try-outs instead of interviews, where neurodiverse candidates get to perform job-related tasks instead of face a barrage of interview questions. This has allowed us to identify individuals with the skills that will make our business successful while creating an environment in which unique individuals can bring their skills to bear.”