Boston Consulting Group Endorses Ombuds for an Inclusive Workforce

In an article published this week, BCG recommended that employers designate a confidential Ombuds to create a more inclusive culture. (BCG is one of the world's three largest management consulting companies.) 

Excerpt:

Designate a Confidential Ombudsman

Many LGBTQ employees who experience an incident related to their identity receive a second insult when they report it and nothing happens. Worse than an individual incident, which reflects the uninformed or prejudiced mindset of a single employee, flawed reporting processes send an implicit signal that the company as an institution does not care. To improve, companies should create processes that put some “teeth” behind their intentions to build a more inclusive culture. More specifically, they should designate an ombudsperson along with anonymous procedures coordinated by HR. It is also important to consistently inform employees of these processes in order to signal that the procedures are important and effective.

The recommendation was included in an article about the LGBTQ workforce by Pierre Dupreelle, Managing Director & Partner in New York, and Gabrielle Novacek, Managing Director & Partner in Chicago. 

Novacek was previously the Global Ombudsperson for the firm. BCG's current Global Ombudsman is Jennifer Bratton, Managing Director & Senior Partner in Minneapolis. (BCG Publications; Novacek Profile; Bratton Profile.)