Championing equality: A Manager’s commitment to LGBTQ+ inclusion
Victoria Lacey (front right) celebrates Pride with her Professional Services team
Victoria Lacey is our Associate Director and leads the Professional Services team. Her story below discusses what she’s learned over the last year regarding LGBTQ+ inclusion, and how it’s enriched both her team and her own work life.
Recruitment is simply about finding the best person for the job. So for me, when hiring into our team and recruiting for our clients, I’m always trying to do just that and up until a year ago I always felt like I was. I’d speak to everyone in front of me and actively approach people regardless of characteristics.
Then one day, I looked around and realised all of my team were very similar. This was fine in that they’re all great recruiters; it wasn’t until Taylor joined our team that I realised what we were missing. Not only did he very quickly become a great asset to the business, he also brought with him a different dimension, and we wouldn’t be the same without him, which highlights the positive impact having a diverse team can have.
After Taylor joined, it felt as though we started to attract a more diverse candidate pool for the vacancies within our team. Julian joined us last year and then Caitlyn at the beginning of this year. Both are part of the LGBTQ+ community and the energy and enthusiasm they have bought with them has been fantastic – they both clearly have bright futures ahead of them! I believe people are more likely to be interested in a role and a company if they can see someone like them in the team/organisation and this was definitely true for us.
It’s really important at Insignis and STR as a whole that we are constantly striving to create an environment where everyone feels comfortable enough to be their true selves. We believe that by doing that, people feel empowered and that’s when they really flourish. As a manager, I’ve found the most important skill I can have is the ability to listen and understand. This has been key to making sure Taylor, Caitlyn and Julian felt heard and supported when joining our team and has enabled us to create a safe space where people can be themselves. This, coupled with strong HR policies and a zero tolerance approach to any sort of prejudice, has been key to supporting them. The creation of our EDI Board, of which Taylor is a member, really supported these values as it provided a platform for individuals to voice their own experiences and provide the company with insights as to how we can do things better.
I believe that as a company and also as an advisor to the companies we recruit for, EDI is paramount. The inclusion of LGBTQ+ team members has been so beneficial to our team and across the workforce. Having a diverse team can improve efficiency, effectiveness, and inclusivity by bringing together a range of skills, experiences, and emotional intelligence. I am immensely proud of the culture we have created and the support we provide. I look forward to watching our LGBTQ+ team members continue to grow and succeed!
If you’d like to work for a company that values you for everything you are and appreciates you for being you, give us a call!