Ever thought about how sexuality affects productivity? Here are four reasons you should...

“There is a price to denying employees sexuality at work and it is directly affecting a company’s bottom line.?“

Diversity and inclusion is multi-faceted, and one of those facets is accepting and embracing the sexuality of your employees, co-workers and candidates. It may be a sensitive topic for some, but hiding who you are at work is far more damaging that many realise - damaging to diversity, inclusion and belonging, sure - but crucially damaging to overall productivity, focus and commitment of that individual to a team...and therefore that team's performance.

In the latest edition of the Inclusive Recruitment newsletter, one of the world’s foremost experts on sexuality and our connection to it, Courtney Boyer, sets out her argument on why it’s vital that this component of everyday life is not dismissed and four ways we, in the workplace, can make it work for us all.

“Courtney, please stay after class,” my trigonometry teacher announced right as the bell rang.

I looked at my friends, rolled my eyes and said to them, “See you at lunch.”

I waited until my classmates had left and walked towards the front of the room. My five foot, gray-haired teacher waited until everyone had gone until she said to me in a quiet tone, “I can see your bra straps.”

My 16 year-old self, confident as hell, quipped, “Of course you can. Because I’m wearing one.”

Concerned, my teacher took a step towards me and said, “You know that violates school policy. Please go to the office and explain the situation to the secretary.”

“I’m going to miss fourth period if I do that,” I protested.

She looked at me, crossing her arms and replied, “Maybe you should’ve thought about that before you came to school in such a distracting outfit.” Returning to her desk, she pointed to the door, signaling that this conversation was over.

Twenty-five years later, I still think about this interaction. Moreso, I think about the word she used to describe my presence-a distraction. How I was expressing myself through my clothing, how I took up space, those were supposedly distracting my fellow classmates. Apparently, it was preventing them from really focusing on finding the cosine. The fact that I was respectful, engaged, and a great student did not matter

I’d love to say that this was an anomaly. But it wasn’t. Despite my outstanding performances at school or at work, my enthusiastic engagement with classmates or colleagues, I was still judged for how I expressed my sexuality. For how I dressed. For how I communicated. For my presence. So I began to believe that I had to conform to be accepted. I had to suppress my sexuality to survive in the professional world.

That’s the message we receive. We need to dress a certain way. Fit a specific mold. All so that we can belong. Because even if you’re in a job you loathe, most of us still want to feel like we’re a part of the collective. It’s a biological tendency we are predisposed to, an evolutionary survival mechanism. So when we’re at a workplace where we feel like we can’t be ourselves, it forces us to disconnect from who we are. When we internalize the messages that expressing who we are isn’t safe, we hide the parts of us that put us most at risk. And what makes us the most vulnerable? Our sexuality.

When I refer to sexuality, I don’t just mean sexual orientation. Sure, that’s one component of it. But I also mean our gender identity, our femininity/masculinity, pleasure, body, and sensuality.

Here’s what a lot of people don’t realize.

Our sexuality is tied to our passion, creativity, and inspiration. So the more disconnected we are from our sexuality, the more disconnected we are from our passion, creativity and inspiration. And these are valued, even coveted, characteristics of an esteemed employee. Companies who are trying to stand out and have a competitive edge, crave employees who think outside the box. Who are critical thinkers. Who are tuned into the desires and needs of their ideal customers and clients. And who have a way of effectively communicating how their product can meet those needs.

When employees are divorced from their sexuality, when they are pressured to fit-in by dressing a certain way or expressing themselves within traditional gender roles, it prevents their creativity and passion from flourishing. It sends the message that who they are isn’t valued. Their presence isn’t important, but their production is. And sure, that’s a short-term strategy that will get you results. But in the long-term, you’re going to have a huge employee turnover. And you’re going to miss out on employees that can contribute to a robust and diverse corporate culture.

Need a hand attracting more under-represented talent to your organisation? Diversely can help. Reach out to us at Diversely + The D&Igest Podcast (an Access Company) to find out more about automated ways to improve your inclusive hiring approaches.

So how do you not miss out on attracting (and retaining) employees who positively contribute to a diverse workplace? Here’s four ways:

1. Encourage individual expression. Employees thrive when they show up to a workplace where their individuality is not only encouraged, but also celebrated. Doing away with a dress code and actively encouraging individuals to come to work in attire that allows them to express themselves is one way to accomplish this.
2. Diverse environment. Consider the types of pictures, posters, etc… that decorate your organization. Do they represent a diverse background of individuals? Ones where all body sizes, relationship styles, skin colors, and abilities are celebrated? If we only surround our employees with homogeneous tones and images, how do we expect creativity to be sparked?
3. Bold leaders. It starts at the top, they say. If employees see leaders confidently expressing themselves, it gives them permission to do the same. It sends an unconscious message that this company is committed to sexual diversity and welcomes people like them. When people feel safe, that’s when they can focus on thriving instead of surviving.
4. Mind-body connection. Offer consistent opportunities (ex: every Monday at noon) where employees can connect with their body (and allow their body to process stress). A five-minute mindfulness moment, a two-minute breathwork session before a meeting, a yoga class during lunch. When employees are encouraged to connect with their bodies, they are more easily able to tap into their creativity and inspiration.

When we embrace all parts of us, when we feel safe to express our full selves, all facets of our lives benefit, including our work. But we need managers and leaders to support the authentic expression of each person in their organization. Leadership that creates a safe space for people to show up as their full selves, connected with the part of them that can channel that inspiration and passion into work that reflects the creativity and ethos of the company. There is a price to denying employees sexuality at work and it is directly affecting a company’s bottom line.?

Thank you to Courtney for her perspective on this one - if you’d like to learn more about her work and how she can help you or your teams tap into their best performance, reach out here and check out our conversation with her on this very topic over on our podcast, The D&Igest.