If you identify yourself as a part of the LGBTQ+ community, here are 5 things to consider during the job interview stage of job hunting and how to handle them.
Fortunately, we have come a long way from the days when employers could openly discriminate against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other LGBTQ+ people in the hiring process and the workplace. However, if you’re LGBTQ+, you might still be wondering about whether your identity could impact your career in either positive or negative ways.
Here are a few things to consider at the job interview stage if you’re LGBTQ+ and some suggestions for how you could handle them.
How LGBTQ+ friendly is this company?
We highly recommend researching a company before you interview with them and trying to find out how LGBTQ+ friendly they are. Though discrimination on the basis of sexuality or gender identity is illegal in the UK, in reality workplaces vary widely in terms of how accepting and welcoming they are.
Here are a few things you might want to look out for:
- Does the company have a staff LGBTQ+ network? (This is most common in larger organisations).
- Are any current employees openly LGBTQ+ (for example, on their LinkedIn profiles?)
- If you can speak to any of them, what do existing LGBTQ+ employees say about the company and its culture?
- Does the company have an equal opportunities or diversity policy you can read? If so, does this make specific reference to sexual orientation and gender identity?
- Does the company openly support the LGBTQ+ community on its social media channels?
- Does the company have any recognition badges from organisations such as Stonewall or Proud Employers?
- Has the company been involved with any local Pride events or other LGBTQ+ community initiatives?
- Does the company’s written content generally use inclusive language?
- Do staff share their pronouns in their bios, email signatures, or social media profiles?
- Does the company have gender-neutral toilets at its premises?
The absence of any of these things is not necessarily a huge problem in itself. But if few or none of them are present, it’s a good idea to ask further questions before accepting a job.
You are assessing as well as being assessed
Many job candidates make the mistake of thinking of an interview as a one-way street: you want the job, and it is up to you to convince the prospective employer to hire you. But an interview is a two-way process in which you are also assessing whether this company and this role is right for you. Ask questions, pay attention to red flags, and trust your gut.
Remembering this can help you reframe any concerns. For example, “will it be a problem for me to be openly LGBTQ+ at work?” might become “will this employer make it safe and welcoming for me to be myself if I take this job?”
If you decide that working for this company is not likely to be a positive experience for you, you’re allowed to walk away.
Should I put LGBTQ+ related experience on my CV?
The point of a CV is to show off the relevant experience you have that qualifies you for the job you’re applying for. Some people mistakenly assume that experience directly relating to their LGBTQ+ identity is inappropriate to share in a work context, but this is not the case.
For example, when I first graduated, I included my position as Vice-President of my university’s LGBTQ+ society on my CV for several years. I used it to showcase leadership, organisational skills, events management experience, and interpersonal skills.
If you have run or helped out with an LGBTQ+ support group, raised money for a charity, volunteered for a local Pride event, or otherwise been involved with the community in either a paid or voluntary capacity, that can absolutely be considered relevant experience for many jobs. As long as you’re comfortable with “outing” yourself as LGBTQ+ on your CV, you should absolutely include this sort of experience.
Should I disclose that I’m LGBTQ+ at an interview?
You can, but you don’t have to. This is a completely personal choice and there is no right or wrong answer.
The main benefit of disclosing is that it potentially gives you a lot of information about how inclusive the company really is. If someone on the interview panel noticeably changes demeanour or treats you differently after you disclose, that’s a huge alarm bell. If they either treat it as a non-issue or use it as an opportunity to introduce the company’s LGBTQ+ friendly attitudes and policies, that’s a strongly positive sign.
If you do decide to disclose, how you do so is up to you. You might mention a same-gender partner in conversation, talk about voluntary LGBTQ+ community work you’ve done as relevant experience, or even use phrasing such as “as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, equality and inclusion is really important to me…” when answering an interview question.
What if I encounter overt discrimination at interview?
It is reasonably unlikely that you will encounter outright homophobic, biphobic, transphobic, or other direct discrimination at a job interview. At any reputable employer, people who sit on hiring committees have received extensive training in equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI).
Unfortunately, though, it does still happen occasionally. If you feel able to say something in the moment, then it’s fine to speak up. If you don’t, then you can consider sending a complaint to the company at a later date via official channels.
Either way, you do not have to tolerate discriminatory behaviour or language, and you can end the interview if this does happen. Simply stand up and, politely but firmly, say something like “It’s clear this company is not going to be the right fit for me, so I won’t take up any more of your time. Thank you for seeing me.”
You deserve to feel accepted at work
Job hunting as an LGBTQ+ person can feel like a minefield. But you deserve a workplace where you feel safe, accepted, and free to be yourself. Try to remember this at every stage of the interview process.
Happy job hunting!
Finding support
For more job hunting advice, explore our Finding a Job zone!
If you need more support as an LGBTQ+ young person to take your next steps, whether you know exactly what you want to do or you don’t have any ideas, you can explore everything you need to know with Stonewall Young Futures. It’s a digital platform to support LGBTQ+ young people taking the next step into education, training or work. It is made with LGBTQ+ young people, for LGBTQ+ young people!
