🤯 guess what day it is

Hi folks! 👋 

Mariam Mushtaq here from HR Brain Pickings, at your service! 🫡 

First off - Happy Pride Month!! Pride Month is a wonderful opportunity to recognize and honor the rich diversity within our teams. As HR leaders, it’s crucial to create a work environment where everyone feels valued. 🌈 

In This Edition:

With Pride Month kicking off, let’s chat about what companies can do—not just tips, but real, actionable steps you can take as an HR leader. 💼✨

What you can do for Pride Month in 2024 🏳️‍🌈

Every June, businesses come together to celebrate LGBTQ+ Pride Month, a time to shine a spotlight on the valuable contributions of LGBTQ+ employees. Here’s what you can do 👇️ 

1. Ask how to be supportive 🫂 

When you want to support someone, it's easy to make assumptions about what they need. But the best approach → just ask! 🤷 Open communication shows genuine care and respect.

Plus, you might discover that certain employees of the community prefer low-key recognition rather than public events. Others might want more visible support, like Pride flags in the office or educational workshops. Being aware of these preferences ensures your efforts are both respectful and effective. 👏 

2. Use your employees’ voices 🗣️ 

If your employees are willing - use social media or your preferred channels to share employee stories or experiences as members of the LGBTQ+ community, and how they are supported at work.

For example → “Jane Doe works as a Sales Ops Specialist at [Company Name]. This #PrideMonth, she shares how she can be her true and authentic self at work. Learn more about our employee resource group for LGBTQ+ staff and allies at [Company Name].” See this tweet for reference.

3. Establish a company statement ✍️ 

If you don't know where to start, the simplest way to celebrate Pride Month is by putting out a statement in support of the LGBTQ+ community. Or, run a video campaign with the founder or senior leaders stating how the company supports the LGBTQ+ community.

For example → “At [Company Name], as we celebrate Pride Month, we make a commitment to fostering a culture that embraces diversity and champions equality for all. Our strength lies in the unique perspectives, experiences, and contributions of our LGBTQ+ employees. Together, we strive to innovate, collaborate, and achieve excellence.”

Make sure you work with your in-house employer branding team for such a campaign. 👆️ 

4. Use your rewards platform 💸 

Give employees the option to donate to LGBTQ+ causes For example, with EngageWith, you can add custom rewards which include LGBTQ+ causes and encourage employees to contribute as a way of supporting the community.

5. Educate your workforce 📚️ 

Sometimes, even if people want to be allies, they don’t know how or enough about the community. Raising awareness is crucial.

• Host an in-house event with panelists from the LGBTQ+ community. Such events can help employees learn more about their peers and understand how they can be supportive.

• It doesn’t have to be all serious – have a fun trivia game on the history of Pride Month where employees can learn more about the LGBTQ+ community. Create a custom or pre-made quiz on Trivial.

6. Examine current business practices 📑 

Another way of investing in DEIB initiatives is by examining your company’s current business practices. Ask yourself and your HR team these questions to analyze your current diversity practices:

• Are we following laws and best practices that protect LGBTQ+ people from discrimination?

• Do we have policies that create a safe and welcoming working environment for LGBTQ+ communities? And are all our policies inclusive, if not can we make it inclusive?

• Are our LGBTQ+ employees paid fairly?

• Are we using inclusive language in our communications?

• Does our HR software let employees self-identify their gender or as LGBTQ+, select nonbinary pronouns, and list preferred or chosen names?

• Can we use this data to enable compliance with reporting laws and make DE&I, hiring, retention, and benefits decisions that support our LGBTQ+ workforce?

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Today’s HR Reads for You 📚️ 

1. 🏳️‍🌈 Pride month 2023 fiasco: How Target Found Middle Ground For Pride Month 2024 And Others Can Too

2. 📰 Catch up on the overtime rule that has been circling the news: 3 stories that explain the FLSA overtime rule — and how HR can prepare

3. 😺 Cat’s out of the bag: Recruiters tell all: Red flags, resumes and the 6-second rule

Facing AI Challenges in HR? Find Solutions Here ⬇️ 

If you are struggling to integrate AI into your HR processes - we have just the thing for you. The Shape of Work: AI x HR community is here to help you overcome these challenges with practical solutions and expert advice. 🧑‍💼 

Join us and turn your AI challenges into success stories!

Day 6: AI Insights Daily 🔍️ 

Let’s get technical. 🛠️ Today, Kartik dives into semantic search - what does it mean, how does it work, and why is it better? 🤔 

Case Study: Boosting Team Productivity with Albus 🤖

The Challenge: This company faced two significant challenges that Albus helped address:

1. Knowledge Silos: Despite having documentation, information was scattered across various apps, with no single source of truth for employees to reference.

2. Inefficient Information Access: Employees had to chase down colleagues across the company to find answers. This process hindered their ability to self-serve and access the required information independently.

Solution: ..read the full case study here

That’s a wrap for today!

Got any additional feedback for me? Let me know! 👇️