Image: Danske Bank employees participate at Copenhagen Pride 2022.

Over the summer, Europe’s largest LGBTQ+ organisation, Stonewall, published a new ranking that both assesses workplaces for their LGBTQ+ efforts and shares ideas on how companies can become even more inclusive.

Danske Bank was ranked in top 100 for its efforts in the area over the past 12 months and was only surpassed by HSBC in the international financial sector.

“We are proud of our ranking, as we aim to be a bank where everyone has the same opportunities and can feel free to be the person they are. This is both because it is the ethically right thing to do and also because it makes sound business sense to be able to attract and retain skilled employees who reflect the society we are part of and who therefore can contribute to developing the best customer experience,” says Karsten Breum, Chief People Officer at Danske Bank.

Ranking criteria
Companies are scored by a number of experts in the LGBTQ+ area based on seven criteria:

1. Does the organisation have policies that support opportunities for LGBTQ+ people to be the persons they are? 
2. Which LGBTQ+ network groups does the company have? 
3. How does the company support leaders and others who can drive change for LGBTQ+ people?  
4. What does the company do to attract and develop different talents? 
5. How are LGBTQ+ employees protected when travelling?
6. How does the organisation work with different suppliers?
7. Are LGBTQ+ efforts geographically aligned with the areas the company has activities in? 

Among other initiatives, Stonewall highlighted Danske Bank for having a diversity and inclusion policy and an instruction for transgender persons who undergo a transition at work. 

They also noted the Danske Rainbow Network and that LGBTQ+ colleagues have a safe space where they can swap experiences and seek advice and sparring, while the bank also actively supports the LGBTQ+ agenda via various events – for example, by celebrating Pride both externally and internally.       

Solid basis for further work 
Danske Bank has just completed a very comprehensive survey to strengthen inclusion more broadly, the results of which will be used as a basis for our work going forward.

“While we are proud of our ranking, we can still do better. We look forward to digging down even more into Stonewall’s feedback and the results of the survey we have just completed – and to working further on strengthening diversity in the bank. At the same time we will continue to form partnerships and alliances with networks and organisations both within and outside the bank,” says Karsten Breum.