At the heart of People Success is the understanding that if your people are able to bring their best selves to work, they will, in turn, do their best work. National Coming Out Day is the celebration of those in the LGBTQ+ community to do just that — be their whole, best selves with the support of their family, friends and colleagues.

Since the onset of COVID-19, belonging has become even more important to employees’ happiness than it has historically been. At the same time, leaders and teams alike are struggling to stay connected as they juggle uncomfortable working conditions, leading children through “Zoom school,” and a continuous undercurrent of uncertainty.

None of those elements has stopped one Glint customer, FIS, which has been named a Best Place to Work by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation for the past three years, from pushing the envelope to create an inclusive environment for its LGBTQ+ employees. Here are three critical ways the global financial services organization has doubled down on its inclusion efforts:

Building a globally oriented, structured LGBTQ+ inclusion network

The first step to creating an inclusive environment at FIS has been to create a space where members of the LGBTQ+ community and their allies can connect, provide support, embrace their diverse strengths, and share their experiences. The LGBTQ+ Inclusion Network at FIS has been instrumental in developing programming, learning opportunities and awareness-raising experiences across the organization.

Taking a virtual lens to Pride Month

While the challenges posed by the pandemic kept many organizations from participating in traditional Pride celebrations this past June, FIS leaned all the way in. Rather than shy away, the organization took the opportunity to connect its global workforce around supporting its LGBTQ+ colleagues.

FIS hosted a month-long celebration, using creative ways for colleagues to learn more about the LGBTQ+ community and virtually connect, including a focus on LGBTQ+ families, trans and non-binary colleagues, as well as LGBTQ+ allies. The month concluded with a 24-hour Virtual Pride Parade, culminating in a global showcase of videos, photos, stories, music, an external speaker, and an allyship webinar. During the Virtual Pride Parade, colleagues from around the world shared their stories, backed by the support of their colleagues across time zones, including voices from FIS’s senior leaders. Colleagues saw the event as a beacon of hope during a particularly challenging time, and commended the chance to embrace differences and celebrate proudly.

Holding the organization accountable for improving inclusion

A particularly data-driven organization, FIS is accustomed to holding itself accountable for measuring and improving its key performance metrics. Inclusion is no different. The organization has worked diligently to identify the mechanisms to measure the success of its inclusion efforts, including bringing several belonging metrics into its employee engagement survey approach.

In recognition of National Coming Out Day celebrated on Oct. 11, FIS hosted an “around-the-world” coming-out celebration, highlighting colleague and celebrity stories, and encouraging discussion on its internal communication platforms.

Interested in learning how Glint can help you foster an inclusive workplace? Learn more here.