This June, Robert Half and Protiviti are celebrating Pride Month, which recognizes the contributions of the LGBTQIA+ community around the world.
Why we celebrate
This month and all year long, we are uplifting voices, honoring history and culture, and supporting LGBTQIA+ employees through BELONG, Robert Half’s Employee Network Group (ENG), in collaboration with our global consulting subsidiary Protiviti’s ENG, proPRIDE network. Created and led by employees globally, these networks unite professionals with common interests and backgrounds.
“As an active member of BELONG, I feel safe and supported, allowing me to be my authentic self at work,” says Brian Smith, BELONG member at Robert Half. “We may think our stories don’t matter, but they do. Opportunities to have candid conversations are acts of healing, where we can share our voices and experiences.”
Pride month also allows for individuals who do not identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ community to offer their support as allies.
“I joined BELONG to become a better ally and to learn how to create, support and encourage safe spaces for everyone,” says BELONG member Kara Whittington Evans. “Being an ally means prioritizing compassion over comprehension, connection over comfort, and love over fear, and helping others do the same. I am lucky to be a part of such a diverse and vibrant community. The BELONG ENG empowers us to challenge ourselves and others to create purposeful change.”
Led by BELONG and proPRIDE, our company will elevate employee voices through a global event where employees will share their stories, discuss allyship and talk about issues impacting our diverse communities around the globe. We will also host a global charity walk event to benefit one of our strategic alliances, Out & Equal, a global nonprofit focused on LGBTQ+ workplace equality.
We asked BELONG members to comment on what celebrating the LGBTQIA+ community through the heritage month means to them. Here is what they shared with us:
- Brian says, “Pride means having the courage to express yourself freely, especially when faced with adversity. It means not carrying any shame about your identity but embracing and exuding your identity pridefully.”
- Kara says, “It’s about celebrating and embracing our authentic selves. Pride reminds us to take a moment to reflect on the roles that we play in fostering LGBTQIA+ inclusion every day. One way to do this is to be an active ally — to call out injustices and bias when they appear, to advocate for fundamental rights, and to choose action over complacency.”
- Goodwin McDowell says, “This month is about acceptance and celebration of individuality, which creates bonds within yourself and with others. Being active in BELONG has allowed me to be unapologetically proud, courageous and a part of a community that represents and embodies love, understanding, kindness, compassion and empathy.”
Celebrating Pride in June
Here are some ways that you and your teams can participate in celebrating Pride:
- Find a Pride parade in your area
- Read up on Pride and the LGBTQIA+ rights movement
- Add your pronouns in your Zoom or Teams, LinkedIn, and email accounts
- Look for matching gifts opportunities, if your company offers them, and donate to an LGBTQIA+ cause or organization
- Encourage employees to share stories, photos and artwork
- Host a panel event or Q&A with an LGBTQIA+ speaker
If you’re interested in working for a company that values DEI, view our current job openings here. Robert Half is an Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/Disability/Veterans.
