By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 15:47:52 +0000

I’m glad this topic was discussed. While the company I work currently does not have any religious groups, I feel strongly that it should be a part of diversity and inclusion training overall. Case in point from my own experience, I was selected to work in the area of D&I in addition to my normal 9-5 job for my office of 150 people. During my 2.5 years in this role, I dramatically increased participation from less than 50% to 98% participation in D&I events. I increased D&I groups from 1 to 5 active groups. A survey was taken of our D&I efforts amongst employees of several states. The responses from the office I led, was so favorable that it moved the entire index several points. I was recognized for my work and my D&I model was requested and adapted in other offices in an effort to increase their D&I efforts. This in turn led to an opportunity to interview for a top diversity position. Sadly, due to my personal religious beliefs, the LGBT/LGBT Allies groups here strongly opposed me even though I have never expressed them at any job related function including any of my D&I efforts. They opposed me based on their “assumptions” of how I “might” use my Christian beliefs not to support their community even though my past record gave no indication of that. They ignored the fact that I worked in not only their favor but of all people with differences thereby gaining the results that I did. They acknowledged my D&I record but felt a higher position was not something a “Christian” should have and voiced their concerns to me directly and to the leaders who were over the selection process. Needless to say I was not selected for the position and was told pretty much that was why I didn’t get it (and yes, I had an awesome interview). I felt hurt and discriminated against based on an “assumption” and felt that D&I did not apply to anyone with a religious belief and that, in fact, if you had a religious belief you were “excluded” instead of being “included”. This unfortunate incident was several years ago when we were learning how to be more diverse and inclusive. Today, we have grown as company and I believe we are ready to embrace the religious communities as part of our overall D&I structure and I hope to see it come to fruition in the near future. After all, we need understanding and compassion too.

Comments on: Ask DiversityInc: How Can Diversity Management Measure Religious Inclusion?

By: Anonymous