One year anniversary for the Pride@Maersk network

24 三月 2023

Celebrating 1 year anniversary for our Pride@Maersk Network

Last week marked a special day for members of the Pride@Maersk Network, as we celebrated that one year has passed since Pride@Maersk was launched. Since the launch, our network has flourished and grown across the globe; uniting allies who identify as LGBTQ+ and colleagues who support the cause. In 2022, the network was present in 8 prides globally engaging >500 employees, hosted >3 social events engaging >100 employees, and released 12 educational pieces to raise awareness. The network fits precisely within one of our company’s four differentiators: ”We are people driven” – explaining why we need, and have, a Pride@Maersk Employee Network.

During the year, we have spoken to several Pride leads in the company, and it has become clear that the network does not only create value to us as a workplace – but also to our customers.

The importance and necessity of Pride@Maersk network

A network like this helps colleagues feel safe and welcome as themselves. In many places in the world, there is no protection against employment discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. This creates a certain fear for people in the LGBTQ+ community about being authentic in the workplace and this in turn negatively impacts their performance.

Our network is a non-judgmental space for allies and LGBTQ+ employees alike, where connections can be made while knowing that everyone is accepted for who they are. The network is especially important in promoting allyship, which is crucial in building trust and promoting inclusion among all colleagues. The network also in turn supports the company to create more inclusive policies and ensure we all can bring our full selves to work.

For those who identify as LGBTQ+, it is important that there is a safe space in the office to interact and this is why the Pride@Maersk network is important, because it offers this concrete space with others who they can relate to, be safe around and perhaps share similar lived experiences. In other words, it facilitates and gives colleagues a better opportunity to bring their full selves to work.

The bigger picture – connecting to our Strategy

Not only is our Pride@Maersk network helping people to bring their full selves to work, but it also helps the company to integrate our Strategy and meet the needs of our customers. This is through two key facets: talent attraction, and diversity of thought.

First, it is the ability to attract the best talents in the market and to more easily do so. Having a Pride network showcases to candidates that the company supports diversity and inclusion. Nearly 80% of workers in the most recent CNBC/SurveyMonkey Workforce Survey say that it is important to them to work at an organisation that prioritises diversity and inclusion, and in fact more than half (53%) consider it to be “very important” to them. Our commitment to inclusivity, as demonstrated by the Pride@Maersk network, broadens the pool of diverse candidates seeking job opportunities with us.

Second, we know that the wider the diversity of the group around the table, the wider the solution space. But diversity can only create value when there is inclusion and people are invited to speak and share their thoughts openly.

By ensuring we have a Pride@Maersk network we make our commitment to building this inclusivity – which in turn helps colleagues feel confident to bring their full selves and their full set of lived experiences to the table. The more diverse we are, the more we represent our diverse customer group.

查看所有新闻