John Pawley, talent selection manager at Reassured, speaks to Health & Protection about being bullied about his sexuality when he was younger, how his employer has launched D,E and I training as part of induction processes, and how a personal welcome from the company’s COO helped him feel he could bring his whole self to work.
What have been your own experiences with regard to attitudes towards LGBT communities in the sector?
Mostly good. Growing up, I had an experience that many other gay men have, people around me were aware of my sexuality and because of this there were times I did face bullying. You grow a hard skin but do not lose the fear of facing it again.
I came into insurance 10 years ago now, and naturally at first, I had a bit of fear due to the stereotypes around the industry of it being a heterosexual male dominated environment.
But I have found that this industry’s attitude has been widely positive, even more so since working at Reassured.
How have attitudes evolved in the sector?
When I first joined the industry, I wasn’t particularly aware of discussions relating to the LGTB community, it just wasn’t spoken about much. I have seen a huge change in attitudes since then, and most notably now, there is far more education around LGBT issues.
We recently launched D, E and I training at Reassured, which is also part of our induction process, so it’s something you learn about as soon as you start working for us. The quantity of content and education around this is the thing I have noticed evolve the most.
Companies seem eager to take diversify more seriously, and it is right that they should.
What is the sector doing well and where does it need to up its game?
The insurance industry is definitely getting better at educating its people on LGBT issues; however, it still needs to up its game by educating in the right way. People are talking about it more but sadly that can also mean more backlash in some cases.
As a sector, Pride is something we should be celebrating and discussing all year round, not just in June. It would demonstrate that it is valued and integral to the business.
I think as a sector we could be more intentional with our exposure to LGBT issues. I also personally believe trans stories and gender issues should be discussed and celebrated more.
Do you feel encouraged and enabled to bring your whole self to work?
Yes, 100%. I had been in the job at Reassured for six weeks when our chief operating officer, Laura Benton, welcomed me into the business and made me feel like I could be myself from the start.
For someone so senior to treat me like that was amazing.
One of our core values at Reassured is authenticity, and I really feel like I have grown further into my authentic self in my time here.