Pride@CGI: Living our value of respect every day

Respect is one of our core values. We strive to live this value every day by creating a safe, diverse, equitable and inclusive culture where all our professionals can thrive and feel they belong and are understood.

During the month of June, our professionals in the U.S. united in celebration and support of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and/or questioning and other identities that form the LGBTQ+ community* for Pride month. In addition to celebrating the progress made for LGBTQ+ rights and equality, we celebrated the sense of inclusion and belonging experienced by CGI professionals of the LGBTQ+ community.

“All human beings should be treated with dignity and respect and should be able to thrive in the workplace without fear—no matter who they are or whom they love,” says Ryan Parker, Vice-President and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) lead for CGI’s U.S. Commercial & State Government operations.

Raising awareness every day

Pride is not just a month at CGI; it is baked into our day-to-day philosophy. While Pride Month is the perfect time to celebrate diversity and have fun doing it, it is also an opportunity to think about how we support our LGBTQ+ workforce in a meaningful way all year long.

In our U.S. operations, through the Pride@CGI resources group, our professionals engage in numerous events and initiatives that use organization-wide governance and processes to raise awareness of and inculcate a culture of LGBTQ+ inclusion in the workplace. This includes panel discussions, workshops, book clubs, newsletters and collaborations with other LGBTQ+-focused charitable organizations.

As part of Pride month this year, our professionals in the U.S. also participated in a social media campaign to share personal stories and experiences, and highlight topics like code-switching.

Recognized in “Best Places to Work” by Corporate Equality Index

In 2021, our U.S. operations received the designation of Best Places to Work for LGBTQ Equality by the Human Rights Campaign. The 2021 results showcased U.S.-based organizations that promote LGBTQ+-friendly workplace policies in the U.S. It also highlighted those organizations with global operations that are advancing the cause of LGBTQ+ inclusion in workplaces abroad.

“Great organizations realize that cultivating organizational cultures where everyone belongs, feels safe, and can thrive, is directly tied to business growth,” says Parker. “We believe that people perform at their best when they can bring their total selves to the workplace. This leads to increased innovation, better business outcomes and higher workplace satisfaction. At a time, when organizations are being challenged to innovate to compete in the global market, this sense of belonging has never been more important.”

At CGI, we believe creating a culture of belonging and inclusion takes conscious and intentional effort and are committed to equity in our workplace across our global operations. Actively participating in the celebration of Pride, we lead by the power of our example in our industry, and in the communities where we live and work.

*“+” refers to all gender identities and sexual orientations that are not specifically covered by the acronym. An example is Two-Spirited, which is a pan-Indigenous identity.