Putting the LGBT+ in Diversity

15 Nov 2018

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We believe that diversity and inclusion make for a stronger workforce. Without inclusion, there is no diversity. Callum Simpson-Fryer is a Systems Engineer at Thales and one of the founding members of the new UK LGBT+ group at Thales.

Callum, tell us a little bit about your experience at Thales so far…

Personally, I’ve had a great experience joining Thales as an intern and a member of the LGBT+ community. I was open from the very start and when my team found out that I have a male partner, they were all very friendly and interested to know more. Although there may still be some changes to make, my experience has been positive and by setting up the LGBT+ group, I want to ensure that others have the same positive experience at Thales as well.

What purpose does the group serve?

The group is set up predominantly for networking and making friends across our UK businesses, but the committee that oversees the group’s activities is designed to instigate broader, positive change throughout Thales in the UK.

We have just launched the group at a recent employee fair at our Crawley site. Currently, we are recruiting members to get involved in social events and also running focus groups to collate the thoughts and experiences of Thales LGBT+ and Ally employees.

How did you work with your colleagues to set up the LGBT+ group at Thales in the UK?

Setting up the LGBT+ group began last year after I went to one of the Thales avionics business’ yearly reviews. The VP of the business was discussing diversity and inclusion and I felt that there was an opportunity for a greater focus on inclusion. I spoke to my manager to find out if there was an LGBT+ group at Thales in the UK and my investigation revealed that we didn’t have one.

We started researching how to go about setting up a group and attended some external LGBT+ events, including one at the Royal Academy of Engineering. We collected data and statements from similar companies in order to make an initial business case for setting up a funded LGBT+ group, focussing on the benefits both to employees (productivity, inclusion, wellbeing, etc.) and the business (improved customer relationships, improved recruitment and retention, etc.). We subsequently presented this to the UK VP of Human Resources to showcase the need for this group and to get approval for its launch.

After a short break from work to finish my degree, I returned to Thales as a graduate and discovered that other employees had also been looking to establish an LGBT+ group, so we started working together on setting it up.

As we began to establish the group, we were supported by Craig Stevenson, Director of Communications and Government Relations at Thales in the UK, who is also LGBT+ and was looking to get involved, consequently becoming our official sponsor and chair.

If Thales is to attract and develop the best people, we need to include those with different perspectives, lifestyles, experiences, opinions and expectations. I am delighted to act as sponsor for the recently established LGBT+ group at Thales in the UK, which will act as both a social network and a data source to help raise awareness and understanding.
Craig Stevenson, Director of Communications and Government Relations, Thales in the UK

Speaking of positive change, what aspirations do you have for the group?

Our goals are to raise awareness of what inclusivity means for the workplace, to host informal social events and also work with HR to ensure that policies are inclusive to LGBT+ employees. We also want to create a support network for our employees.