Combating discrimination against 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals in the tech industry

(NC) Canadian tech workers who identify as 2SLGBTQIA+ still face a variety of barriers to workplace inclusion, from harassment to job interview discrimination, according to a new report published by the Montreal-based non-profit Queertech.

The report found that 35 per cent of respondents have been harassed at work due to their sexual orientation. More than half of the respondents, meanwhile, have been targeted due to their gender identity. These experiences can begin as early as the job interview process, where over 35 per cent of respondents say they experienced discrimination.

There is bias in the interview process, Queertech CEO and co-founder Naoufel Testaouni told Canadian HR Reporter in an interview. Eliminating bias and establishing a more inclusive hiring process is the first step to building a workplace where queer talent can feel welcome and treated equally, he says.

“Implementing comprehensive policies, including anti-discrimination protections and domestic partnership benefits, is crucial,” says Testaouni. “Explaining the hiring process is the first step to inclusivity, as it is that first barrier that many queer and trans people find difficult – or impossible – to surmount.”

Charlie Stableford, a senior user experience designer at TD, says they had a different experience when they were interviewing and later onboarding for their current role.

All Stableford hoped for was that the hiring panel would accurately use their pronouns. Stableford’s expectations were surpassed when they were connected to another nonbinary employee who could share their experience and help explain the bank’s inclusive practices and policies.

“I really needed to hear that from another person,” Stableford says. “And then I found out later that that same hiring manager had figured out all the bumps for me. She knew enough that she didn’t have to come to me and say, ‘Hey, what do you want?’”

Before they were onboarded, Stableford also learned their new manager had already ensured their chosen name would be used on all internal platforms instead of their legal name.

Most workplaces have diversity, equity and inclusion policies, according to the Queertech report, but only one in four of the respondents found them to be very effective. Employers are still lagging in areas such as supporting transitioning employees and developing clear gender identity and expression policies.

To make the hiring process more inclusive, Stableford and Testaouni suggest that employers focus on increasing the diversity of hiring panels and ensuring that hiring teams have the proper training to onboard 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals. In Stableford’s experience, the diversity, equity and inclusion training at their employer “didn’t feel like an afterthought.”

As a result, Stableford said they haven’t been put in a position to confirm their need to advocate for themselves. Their coworkers do it for them.

“I think that that is a really great framework, and kind of shows how TD is set up in a way that enables other people to advocate for you,” says Stableford. “I’ve never experienced that before in a company where I’ve worked.”