#LifeAtHireRight: What PRIDE means to our Team Members Pt. 2
The #LifeAtHireRight blog continues to recognize and celebrate Pride this month! Here is our second part of our blog series where we hear from HireRight LGBTQ+ colleagues and allies about their experiences around Pride.
Pride is more than revelry at parades. It’s more than floats and marches. It’s more than costumes and banners. It’s more than a month-long celebration. Pride is authentic, and it is an intrinsic part of the LGBTQ+ identity. It’s what holds our community together.
At HireRight, we celebrate a culture that is grounded in respect. Yet recently LGBTQ+ freedoms have been challenged, regressing years of stepping-stone progress stemming from Stonewall. As we celebrate Pride at HireRight, we’ve asked LGBTQ+ colleagues and our allies to tell us how we can be better supporters of the LGBTQ+ community.
Lindsay Watts, Account Coordinator Nashville, TN
What would you want people to know about how you are treated as a member of the LGBTQ+ community?
I would want people to know that being a member of the LGBTQ+ community means having to come out over and over again, every time you meet someone. It can be pretty stressful having to make quick assessments of everyone you meet and try to determine on the fly if this person would react positively or negatively to me sharing my full self with them and cater what I share to how I think they will respond. Although most people either react positively or don’t have any reaction at all, some people can react really poorly, asking invasive questions or saying hurtful things which can be difficult to navigate in work relationships.
How can our colleagues be better allies of the LGBTQ+ community?
Our colleagues can be better allies by making sure everyone is treated fairly and equally for who they are. This can start with making sure you treat everyone fairly and without bias, but also means standing up and saying something if you see another person treating someone poorly, or practicing bystander intervention. Bystander intervention can make a real difference in the way individuals treat others; they may not realize they are acting with bias so pointing it out can help them overcome it. It can also go a long way to help make team members feel safe and comfortable to know that others have their backs.
What does it mean to be committed to Pride at HireRight?
Being committed to Pride at HireRight means being supportive of our efforts to create an accepting and inclusive workplace and having an open mind to how we can make HireRight a place where everyone feels safe to be who they are. Being a member of the LGBTQ+ community can be extremely difficult, particularly if your friends and family are not accepting or don’t support you. No one should have to fear being rejected at work for who they are. Having fear and doubt about being able to bring your true self to work stifles creativity and potential, so it’s important for everyone to feel free to be who they are and know that their differences and their experiences are highly valued.
Olivia Melendez, Account Manager Remote Employee, U.S.
What would you want people to know about how you are treated as a member of the LGBTQ+ community?
As a long time, employee, and recently out member of the community it has been a positive experience with coworkers and colleagues.
How can our colleagues be better allies of the LGBTQ+ community?
I hope that our colleagues keep their experiences with their LGBTQ+ coworkers in mind when it comes to LGBTQ+ issues and people in their own local communities.
What does it mean to be committed to Pride at HireRight?
Being committed to welcoming people regardless of their differences in orientation or gender identity while remembering that we have more things in common than we do differences.
Be part of a diverse, global team dedicated to helping the world’s greatest companies – including your most loved brands – hire their talent with confidence.
At HireRight, our team members are innovating together to build the future of screening services and personal data. Experiencing #LifeatHireRight means working with great people on inspiring ideas to help employers get it right – every time, everywhere. Check out our opportunities across the globe at HireRight Careers today!
Release Date: June 22, 2022
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