Barclays is one of the first big global companies to launch a
smartphone app to support lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender
staff.
The new Barclays Spectrum app will help staff stay in touch and is
free to download from the Apple App Store and Android Marketplace.
Staff can access an exclusive members area, which provides details
of upcoming events, news articles and links to Spectrum's social
media presence on Facebook and Twitter.
Barclays Spectrum is an award winning network for LGBT staff - but
to date active membership has been centred around the company's
largest employment 'hubs' such as Canary Wharf, Northampton and
Radbroke in Cheshire.
However over 18,000 Barclays staff are also spread across the
country working in branches and contact centres and who don't
necessarily have access to a PC or Spectrum's intranet site at
work, which is where the new app can help.
Antony Jenkins, Chief Executive of Barclays Retail and Business
Banking said: "Barclays is proud of our work to support LGBT staff
because we can only be a great business if talented people from all
sexual orientations are contributing to our team.
"We have already been rated the top financial services employer in
the UK by Stonewall - and with the new Spectrum app staff right
across our branch network will be able to interact, stay informed
and find out what support is available to them."
Natalie O'Donnell, Barclays Demand and MI Manager and Midlands
Regional Lead for Spectrum, led in the development of the app, and
said: "It was a huge challenge, but we wanted to embrace technology
to enable greater and easier access to Spectrum for colleagues. I'm
incredibly proud of how Barclays has supported this project and our
ongoing commitment of bringing innovative ideas to our diversity
and inclusion strategy."
Barclays Spectrum is the company's network for LGBT staff and was
named Employee Network of the Year at the annual Stonewall Awards
announced in January 2011. The app is launched as Barclays Spectrum
marks its 10th anniversary this year.
Barclays was also named one of the top three UK employers for LGBT
people in the Annual Stonewall Workplace Equality Index in January
2012. The index assessed more than 370 public and private
organisations on a number of measures, including how they implement
equality policies and their performance on recruitment and
mentoring.
By pioneering this new app Barclays aims to become not just the
best financial services company in the UK but the employer of
choice for LGBT people.
The new app follows hot on the heels of the highly successful
Barclays Pingit app - the UK's first service that allows people to
send and receive money simply by knowing each other's mobile
number, without the need for bank details.
