Fused Recruitment’s Jack Lane on finding the gay-friendly employer for you

After my sister had finished flicking through a well-known women’s glossy, I thought I’d have a quick read. Naturally, I was instantly attracted to their careers section, as I own and run a recruitment agency.

There was no doubt I loved the article, but it was very gender focused and it made me think, where’s the advice for gay men? So, I am absolutely thrilled to contribute to my favourite magazine and give my spin on the daunting world of careers.

In June this year – just days before the legalisation of same-sex marriage – I launched my own LGBT-proud recruitment agency, with my take on how the recruitment and job-hunting process should be delivered.

I adore everything careers, from creating a new opportunity for someone and climbing the ladder myself, to coaching people for interviews and dealing with the first day nerves. I’m passionate about it all, especially if I can get someone the money and recognition they deserve.

These days, a career is so much more than the place you go to earn money to pay the bills. We’ve all heard of those depressing facts: You know, that you spend 23 hours of the day at work and an hour with your friends and family – or something that feels as though it sounds like that!

As a gay man myself, when I’m discussing a new opportunity with my candidates many of them will ask me: ‘What’s the culture like?’ Translation: ‘Will I like the people there or are they all really weird?’ To be politically correct, I used to say: ‘It’s a mixed aged group, with a friendly atmosphere; they all seem really nice,’ but I quickly learned that this just doesn’t cut it – and why should it? People want more than that, and to get a successful match you need to know everything about both the candidate and the company.

Three of my five years spent working in recruitment were with a lady who was the most straight-talking, honest, successful and frank person I have ever met: I took a leaf straight out of her book when I started my own recruitment and head hunting agency, straight-talking my way to success.

Now I’ve put my own stamp on this industry (which, lets face it, can have a bad name at times – I think we sit side by side with estate agents) I love to say to my diverse, colourful bunch of candidates something like: ‘When I went to the client’s office, they were telling me about their staff. They have a few gays, mixed women and men, all age groups and love nothing more than diversity in their business – they have a dog in the office and also like a beer on a Friday – is that okay?’ Instantly, people have a clearer image of the people behind the brand.

Thankfully, I recruit across the ever-changing, vibrant fields of Creative, Digital and Media, so generally my clients are as liberal, forward and as sideways-thinking as the best of us.

My favourite moment working in recruitment was hearing that one of my candidates had met someone in the workplace, and just a year later was married and expecting a child. Perhaps a bit rushed I thought, but even so, I was happy and a bit taken back that I had introduced the two of them! It made me realise that where you work can actually become a place where a future is built, inside and outside of where you earn the money to live your life.

I’m not saying if I introduce you to my clients you’ll meet Bradley Cooper’s long-lost brother at the water cooler and fall in love, but I feel that whenever you’re thinking about making a move from your current role to the next, you shouldn’t be afraid to be open and ask who currently works there, or if you’d like them. Let’s face it, half the time people only leave a role because they can’t stand the people they sit next to, and just want the same job in a different environment.

If the agency you are working with really know you and get who you are, they’ll know straight away if it’s a good match, with their well-researched client base. I love a statistic and I’m proud that 75% of my placements are from a diverse pool – for example, LGBT or from an ethnic minority background. I think this is fantastic and it’s something I’m always monitoring.

I’m gradually mixing up the work place, injecting some colour and my clients adore it. For now it’s time for me to return to being the Cilla Black of the work place, but next time I’ll be covering the first stage interview: What to wear, the all-important handshake and how to seal the deal. It’s like a date, only a work date – or could it be both?

Follow Jack Lane on Twitter @WeAreFused or visit fusedrecruitment.com for more information.