Achieving equity in the workplace: inspiration from Pride 2024

Hello and welcome to the Randstad Roundup.

Here at Randstad, Pride Month is a key moment in the year to celebrate the LGBTQI+ community. While efforts to make the world of work more equitable must continue all year round, it’s also important to take the opportunity to shine a light on the challenges individuals face. Throughout this month, we’ve shared new research and brought together leading voices to discuss the career experiences of LGBTQI+ talent.

Read on to uncover actionable insights and find new inspiration to help you build a more equitable workplace for all, now and in the future.

2 in 5 LGBTQI+ talent have faced discrimination at work

Our new Workmonitor Pulse research explores the career experiences of LGBTQI+ talent. The findings suggest that although there have been pockets of progress, there is still plenty to do.

While 51% of those surveyed feel their employer has taken meaningful action to create equitable workplaces for LGBTQI+ talent, 2 in 5 say they have faced discrimination at work.

It’s clear action needs to be taken, and our research also uncovered where LGBTQI+ talent feels the responsibility lies.

We were delighted to host a live event to discuss the research with leading experts. Sander van 't Noordende was joined by Erin Uritus , CEO of Out & Equal, and Allyn L. Shaw , EVP, COO, Consumer Technology at Wells Fargo. 

Together, they considered how we can work to turn the tide on the discrimination still faced by LGBTQI+ talent: watch the recording below (the event starts at 7.10).

Going the distance

And it wasn’t just Pride that inspired us this month. June 3 marked World Bicycle Day and over the following two weeks, 451 Randstad employees cycled a combined total of 27,501 km. To honor their achievement we were pleased to donate to World Bicycle Relief by providing women and girls from underdeveloped communities with funds for bicycles that ultimately enable them to access education, healthcare, and economic opportunities where distance is a challenge.

We’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who took part.

Reading and listening list

As we reach the midway point of 2024, many of you will be looking forward to taking a break. We’ve gathered some reading and listening recommendations for you while you’re away.

Closing the gender gap—According to the World Economic Forum’s Gender Gap 2024 insight report, the global gender gap score currently stands at 68.5% closed. That reflects just 0.1% growth in closing the gap since last year. Read the report to understand the scale of the challenge.

Leading on motivation—Productivity and talent motivation are often under the microscope these days. This Financial Times article explores steps leaders can take to boost engagement.

Supporting LGBTQI+ talent—Authenticity, consistency and respect all contribute to efforts to build a more inclusive workplace. This Fortune article—featuring an interview with our CEO Sander van ‘t Noordende—explores how.

How digital twins could reshape work—This podcast from the Financial Times unpicks key workplace stories. In this episode, host Isabel Berwick looks into digital twins, a GenAI technology that could help you be in two places at once.

Meet the Leader—Produced by the World Economic Forum, this podcast brings together leaders from around the world to share their experiences and advice. This episode sees nine high-profile executives offer insights for new graduates (including tips from our CEO Sander)

Pride Party 2024—If you’re marking the end of Pride with a party, this playlist has you covered. Filled with iconic pop classics it will help you celebrate in style.

That’s all from us this month, we’ll bring you our next round-up in August.