HP’s latest Reinvent Mindsets chapter welcomes LGBTQ community with Proud Portraits
HP has been a leader in diversity in the workforce through actions and messaging, and its latest effort welcomes the LGBTQ community to be ‘Out in Tech,’ both at home and in the workplace.
In a new spot and blog post, the tech company uses family photos as a catalyst for acceptance at work, and an accompanying video, ‘Proud Portraits’ drives home the message that everyone has a right to be who they are, no matter where they are, and that includes proudly displaying photos of their families, no matter what their makeup.
The blog post states: “Think about your work space. Whose photos surround you? Family, friends, special moments in your life and career. But what if you felt you couldn’t share your most important people and connections? HP understands that some individuals simply don’t feel safe bringing their whole selves to work. Long a leader in the diversity and inclusion space, the company continues to work to change this experience for all people. In support of that effort, HP is launching Proud Portraits, the third spot in the Reinvent Mindsets campaign.”
The blog goes on to explain that “31% of closeted employees fear losing connections with coworkers, that 23% fear they might not be offered development or advancement opportunities, that nearly one in 10 LGBTQ employees have left a job because the environment was unwelcoming, and that more than one-third of LGBTQ employees had hid their personal lives at work, according to cited research.”
HP stated that it is working hard to “create an empathetic, inclusive environment where employees feel so supported that they are empowered to come out to their friends, family, and coworkers.”
The company, with this third video effort, is building on the Reinvent Mindsets campaign with the message that the company is hiring and, as chief diversity officer at HP, Lesley Slaton Brown, states at the end of the video, “talent is the only criteria.” The new spot joins Let’s Get in Touch and Dads and Daughters.
Lisa Gunning, director of the spot, said: “I’m incredibly proud to be a part of this inspirational project. The LGBTQ community is made up of truly courageous people and it’s our hope that pieces like this will honor their courage, respect their pride in their families, and instill additional confidence in themselves. People trust the HP brand, it’s a household name. So, when HP demonstrates its commitment to all families, it catalyzes real change.”
To further the company’s commitment to become the employer of choice among the LGBTQ community, HP has become an exclusive matching sponsor for Out in Tech’s Fall Fundraising Campaign, Technically Equal. Out in Tech’s mission is to unite the LGBTQ and tech communities by providing resources, support, and connections to new opportunities.
Andrew Lowenthal, executive director, Out in Tech, stated: “We love how HP works to Reinvent Mindsets by amplifying underrepresented voices in tech, and by joining forces we will leverage the expertise and passion within both of our communities. A few years ago, five friends who were “out” and “in tech” went to a bar – now we’re nearly 15,000 members and growing. We look forward to scaling our organization and impact even further in 2018 with HP’s generous support.”
The agency for the campaign is FF NY, formerly known as Fred and Farid.