Rob Hudson and Paul Barker discuss their new networking group for LGBT professionals in the Midlands and the importance to the property sector of maintaining a focus on diversity, exclusivity and authenticity
The property, real estate and construction sector has the power to make significant changes to the lives and prospects of people and businesses. Creating visible impacts to the landscapes and the built environment around us, it is an obvious signifier to everybody that the world around them is transforming and evolving. It is a fast-moving and dynamic arena to work in.
Yet, for a sector brimming with energy, spearheading change and development, it is still one steeped in traditions, codes and unwritten conventions. With few property-related organisations making it into lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) rights charity Stonewall’s Top 100 Employers 2016, it is clear that, when it comes to embracing change, one area in which the property sector has lagged behind is diversity. Much more progress has been made in other sectors, such as banking, finance, technology and law, when it comes to actively embracing inclusivity and alternatives from the mainstream, and celebrating diversity.
Being yourself at work
Most young people – and the new life, ideas and fresh approaches they bring to the workforce – will live happily open and “out” lives while studying at university. However, once they graduate, if they are uncertain that they will be readily accepted for who they are in their chosen industry, profession or career path they will retreat back “into the closet”. This is a particular problem in traditional sectors such as property and construction.
Stonewall’s research (see below) demonstrates that bringing “your whole self to work”, knowing that you can be open and honest about who you are without fear of discrimination or bigotry overshadowing your career prospects or your work, is very good for business. People perform better when they can be themselves. But the LGBT community working in property has traditionally kept a low profile, with many not “coming out” to colleagues and employees until relatively recently, and many more still not having done so.
Without realising it, most people talk about their sexual orientation and gender identity at work on a daily basis. It might be by sharing a family picture, discussing an engagement, or a conversation about the weekend’s activities. For an employee who feels they need to be cryptic and veiled in their descriptions about their home life and what they did at the weekend, the use of gender-neutral pronouns to describe “their partner” is a lonely and anxious place to exist. They are worried about saying the wrong thing and how it might affect a deal, a project, or how they are thought of by peers and superiors.
All of this has very real consequences for the workforce, our organisational reputations and the bottom line.
Midlands LGBT
Just as the property sector has lagged behind others, large organisations outside London have struggled to connect with their LGBT employees on diversity issues. The Midlands is no exception.
The Midlands is at the heart of the country, the birthplace of the industrial revolution, and has a number of significant conurbations, with an approximate population of over 10 million. It is well provided for by connections and services and Birmingham is the UK’s second city, with an extremely diverse population that is the youngest of any European city. Over the past few years it has seen huge investment and high-profile redevelopments which are evolving the city’s landscape.
It is also a place with good provision for LGBT people generally. Most major private and public sector organisations based in the city and region have an internal LGBT network of some description, and there are dedicated cultural and arts festivals for the LGBT community, above and beyond the mainstay of Pride events.
There is still much work to be done though, particularly in the property sector. In marked contrast to London, there are relatively few openly LGBT senior leaders in the region’s firms and organisations and there is little visibility for LGBT employees working in property.
It doesn’t have to be like this though.
OpenLand
Freehold – an organisation for LGBT professionals working in the sector – has been successfully operating in London since 2011. It has seen its membership grow to over 800 and holds frequent networking events that demonstrate it is okay to be out and work in real estate, in addition to offering mentoring services and engaging with employers.
The aim of OpenLand is to replicate in the Midlands the good work and progress that Freehold has shown can be achieved.
OpenLand’s mission centres on addressing the equality gap experienced by LGBT people in the sector. With a regional reach across the Midlands, it plans to accomplish this through peer support, low-level advocacy and visible leadership.
It provides a safe, inclusive and confidential space for sector professionals to meet, share and discuss developments, experiences or concerns. It will provide a platform where LGBT individuals working in real estate, property and construction can promote their achievements and raise their profile. By linking up with other LGBT networks and groups, OpenLand will facilitate opportunities for its members to forge new networks and contacts – while demonstrating the valuable contribution made by LGBT people to our sector.
OpenLand officially launches on 13 July at an event sponsored by KPMG and featuring keynote speaker Andy Street, managing director of John Lewis Partnership and chair of the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership, who will share his perspectives on the diversity and inclusivity agenda.
LGBT professionals interested in becoming a member of OpenLand or finding out more can visit www.openland.org.uk, or follow the group on Twitter @OpenLandLGBT. The launch event is welcoming people from all sectors and anybody interested in attending can sign up via the event page on the website.
LGBT in the workplace: findings from Stonewall’s Top 100 Employers 2016 report
- 7% of lesbian, gay and bisexual workers are not at all open to colleagues about their sexual orientation, 13% are not at all open with any of their managers or their senior colleagues, and 30% are not at all open with customers, clients or service users.
- Gay men were more likely to be out to all colleagues, managers and customers or services users (33%) than lesbians (23%) and bisexual people (12%).
- Lesbian, gay and bisexual employees who are comfortable being completely out at work are 71% more likely to be satisfied with the support they receive from their manager, 65% more likely to be satisfied with their job security and 67% more likely to be satisfied with their sense of achievement.
- 26% of trans workers were not comfortable disclosing their gender identity to any colleagues, 36% were uncomfortable disclosing to any managers or senior staff, and 49% were not comfortable disclosing to customers, clients or service users.
- Trans employees who are comfortable disclosing their gender identity to everyone at work were 77% more likely to be satisfied with their job security, 67% more likely to be satisfied with the support they receive from their manager, and 68% more likely to be satisfied with their sense of achievement.
Click here to access the report >>
THE FOUNDERS SPEAK
The co-chairs of OpenLand share their hopes for the group.
Rob Hudson: “I returned to the Midlands last September, and I have been hugely encouraged by the amount of senior interest from my LGBT peers in the sector to make a positive difference for our colleagues in the area.
“We should be proud that we are already changing attitudes and that we now have a platform to continue to make this happen. We want people to be themselves. People spend most of their time at work, thinking about work and trying to do their best. Supporting and promoting inclusivity will help everybody in the sector to do this.”
Paul Barker: “By simply being visible and providing senior role models, we hope that OpenLand will help LGBT people across the sector to feel comfortable being open at work and to gain confidence to be themselves. In particular, we would encourage women to join and attend our events, as they tend to be under-represented in most LGBT networks.
“While OpenLand has a serious goal at its core and hopes to change the reputation of the sector as one which lags behind others, we want it to be a network where people can come together, be themselves, share insights and stories and also have fun.”
Rob Hudson is group finance director at St Modwen Properties and Paul Barker is a partner and property litigator at Higgs & Sons
