About This Resource

Finding a workplace where you can be openly LGBTQ+ and truly supported isn’t always straightforward. Many companies signal inclusion, but that doesn’t mean they follow through. While it can take effort to sort through what’s real and what’s performative, workplaces do exist where LGBTQ+ employees are valued, supported, and able to thrive. The key is looking beyond branding and representation to see how inclusion is actually embedded in policies, leadership, and workplace culture.

This guide is a tool to help you go beyond surface-level signals and evaluate whether a company truly prioritizes LGBTQ+ support and inclusion. It will help you spot patterns, ask the right questions, and assess whether a company’s commitments are backed by meaningful actions, policies, and workplace culture.

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Note: While this content was designed with a U.S. audience in mind, we hope our LGBTQ+ friends around the world will still find inspiration here*.*

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How to Use the Guide

This guide is structured into two sections, Before You Apply and After You Apply, to help you evaluate LGBTQ+ inclusion at every stage of the hiring process. Some indicators, like company policies and public commitments, can be researched early on, while others, like recruiter interactions and workplace culture, become clearer later. Understanding what to look for, and when, can help you make informed decisions about where to invest your time and energy.

This is a tool, not a checklist. Your priorities and values will shape how you use it. Whether you are looking for strong public advocacy, gender-affirming healthcare, or simply a workplace where you can feel safe and respected, you deserve an environment that aligns with what matters most to you.

Quick Links

• Before You Apply
• After You Apply
• Additional Resources
• Help Us Improve This Guide!

Before You Apply

A company’s public presence provides valuable insight into its approach to LGBTQ+ inclusion, if you know where to look. Careers pages, job postings, social media, and employee reviews can show whether inclusion is genuinely prioritized or just performative. Taking the time to research these signals before you apply can help you make a more informed decision.

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Tips to Consider

• Focus on recent activity. A company’s long-standing reputation is not always a reflection of its current culture. Look at the last one to two years of policies, leadership decisions, and employee experiences.
• Consider individual experiences as data points. One person’s experience can be informative, but patterns over time and across different sources tell a more complete story. If you see recurring themes in employee reviews, policy changes, or leadership actions, that is often a more reliable indicator of workplace culture.
• Representation does not guarantee inclusion. Seeing LGBTQ+ people in an organization is important, but what matters most is how they are treated, supported, and able to thrive. Consider how visibility aligns with policies, workplace culture, and employee experiences.
• Look for progress and momentum, not perfection. No company gets everything right, but those that acknowledge gaps and take real steps to improve are often more committed to meaningful inclusion than those that claim to have it all figured out.
• Take signals as starting points, not absolute truths. Gaps in visibility or policies don’t always mean a lack of commitment, sometimes they reflect organizational priorities, capacity, or size. If a company seems strong in other areas but is missing certain indicators, consider asking about them during the interview process. </aside>

Pre-Application Signals

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After You Apply

A company’s hiring process can reveal whether its commitment to LGBTQ+ inclusion is genuine or just for show, and an interview is a great opportunity for you to understand whether a workplace is aligned with your needs and values. Pay attention to how recruiters and interviewers communicate, and use the opportunity to ask your own questions.

Post-Application Signals

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Reverse Interviewing

Interviewing is a two-way street; it’s a chance for both parties to assess for mutual alignment. Most interviews will conclude with 5-10 minutes at the end for you to ask questions, so treat this as an opportunity to be a “reverse interviewer” and gather more information about what matters to you. If there’s no time, you can always send a follow-up email to your interviewer afterward.