Last Friday, I was fortunate to be able to attend the LGBT+ in Facilities Management network meeting at the ISS offices in South Quay Plaza. If you are unsure as to what this network is: it was founded in 2016 with the mission to make the facilities management sector the most attractive, inclusive and supportive industry for the LGBT+ community in the UK and Ireland.
There were members from ISS, Sodexo, Pareto FM, Vinci, ISG, Construct Rainbows, IFMA and BIFM / IWFM. Technically I do not work in the FM space; however, Boden Group is one of the leading recruitment partners for FM companies. Therefore we should try and be more involved in making FM the most diverse and inclusive industry to work in. We are the ones that speak to candidates daily and compile shortlists for our clients; therefore, we should be asking ourselves what are we doing to encourage diversity?
Diversity and Inclusion is becoming a huge part of the working life, some might argue that in most companies the diversity of Director and Board level is minimal, and therefore it is up to hiring managers/ recruitment companies to try and capture the diversity of our candidates. This might mean asking our candidates to tell us of their background but without causing any offence or upset, and making sure we are clear as to why we are asking for this information.
The big question is, how do you make this industry the most attractive to work for in the market? The answer is simple; be supportive of everyone.
We still have a long way to go in terms of where we want to be; however, if we all just took one small step, we are going to make a huge difference!
If this topic is something you are passionate about and want to learn more, then please follow the network on social media.
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/LGBTinFM/
Twitter – @LGBTinFM
