The Rainbow Network is Lloyds Banking Group’s forum for lesbian, gay and bisexual employees. They have placed communications at the heart of their strategy to engage and inspire a positive workplace culture for gay staff. Their regular monthly newsletter has been professionally designed to ensure it engages and attracts all audiences – to cut through the ‘noise’ of a communication saturated environment. The Rainbow communications team sets a strategy for content and purpose, and works closely with the external creative agency to ensure that each edition meets those strategic requirements. These include making specific provision for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender colleagues, straight supporters, senior colleagues, those who aren’t out and those who are looking for career support and development.
As an employer with a wide geographic spread, Lloyds’ intranet site allows members to connect virtually. They recognise that members often find it difficult, or do not wish, to meet face to face, or want to connect with others at times to suit them. Their sharepoint site provides this opportunity and is accessible to all members across the Group. It delivers timely news and more detail about Rainbow’s activities than is possible via the newsletter, and it also allows members to use discussion boards to connect or ask questions. Network members on the ‘green list’ have agreed to their details being shared on this site to enable people to connect with others locally, in their business unit or, indeed, wherever in the business they need to. It can be used to support ‘day jobs’ or development, or just for social connections. It also hosts a calendar of events both internal and external, and document libraries.