#iBelong: How people engage at work to build a community of pride
Comfortable, connected, contributing: Bringing people together matters
When you hear the word “community,” what comes to mind? Maybe it’s your neighborhood or town or your local team or club. But what about the workplace?
In today's workplaces, people want to feel a sense of belonging – to be part of a close-knit professional community with a common purpose. We want a space where we feel comfortable and connected and can contribute, no matter how we identify, where we come from, or our gender, abilities, age, experience, or beliefs.
It’s also no secret that diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) can make a difference for business: An inclusive and equitable workplace is better equipped to face the challenges of today’s global market.
That all sounds great, doesn’t it? But how does that happen?
The answer: passionate people committed to bringing their colleagues together to share experiences and make an impact.
Alliances@DHL Group: Voices that matter. Impact that lasts.
What started as many grassroots networks around the world has now become a global initiative. If you’ve heard of employee resource groups (ERGs), you know the concept. At DHL Group, we call them Alliances@DHL Group. The DHL Pride Alliance is one of our first.
Alexander Scheithauer, Head of Alliances@DHL Group, shares how Alliances and the Pride Alliance, in particular, came about.
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Our Alliances@DHL Group journey has only just begun. This means that together, we want to gain cross-divisional experience to better and consistently understand how Alliances@DHL Group will become a sustainable part of our corporate culture.
When the question of where to start this journey came up, our central DEIB team was in close dialogue with the global DEIB teams of all our Divisions and Group Functions within DHL Group.
Together, we saw in the already existing LGBTQAI+ networks a great starting point for evolving them from a network into an Employee Resource Group, or Alliance, as we call it at DHL Group.
Furthermore, we are strongly committed to creating a more inclusive and equitable working environment day by day. The 2024 study “LGBTIQ equality at a crossroads - progress and challenges” by the European Union Agency For Fundamental Rights reinforces the need for action. Across Europe, 45% of those surveyed say they hide their queerness at work for fear of discrimination.
This and other reasons led us to start our Alliances@DHL Group with the launch of Pride Alliances. -
Alliances@DHL Group create a safe space where people can talk openly about their experiences in their private lives and at work. An Alliance is open to all community members and people interested in DEIB who want to support their colleagues as Allies.
But that's not all. Alliances help us identify processes and behaviors that need to be adapted and improved to create a working environment in which everyone feels that they belong, feel connected and comfortable, and are enabled to contribute to shared and meaningful purposes.
In addition, our Country Alliance Leads offer various activities to inform, involve, and inspire all participants.But don’t take my word for it. Here’s what some of our participants have said:
“Feeling valued and connected. Our Pride Alliance provides a forum for employees to feel connected, heard, and accepted. It also allows a safe forum to share stories and challenges. For those who join as allies, listening to these stories helps them better understand the challenges that the community sometimes faces and better understand how to best support our LGBTQ+ colleagues.”
“Colleagues sharing their stories, being in a room where I truly feel like I belong and don't feel judged.”
“Being part of the Alliances gives me a heightened sense of belonging. On the days when I sit in the office feeling like I shouldn't be here or everyone here doesn't want me here, I remember that I am part of something bigger. I am part of Pride Alliance, and we are trying to make things way better for people like me who are yet to join DHL; this fills me with joy and makes things that much better.” -
Like any network, community, or program, Alliances live from its members and especially from its committed and passionate leaders.
These people have the experience and knowledge to best reflect what each Alliance stands for and identify room for improvement. As individuals, we often lack the ability to see our surroundings from other points of view.
Additionally, employee-led Alliances often garner greater trust and credibility within the workforce. Initiatives originating from peers rather than management are more likely to inspire engagement and support among colleagues.
It is important to remember that all these people, especially the Country Alliance Leaders, do this voluntarily.
Published: June 2024
