BMG | Berlin, 12/07/2023

BMG Listed In ‘Pride Index’ Again

After already being included in the 2022 “Pride Index” last year, this year BMG has once again been recognized as one of “Germany’s most LGBTIQ+-friendly employers.” The music company was ranked among the Top 3 mid-sized companies.

BMG has been recognized as one of the most LGBTIQ+ friendly employers in Germany for the second year in a row. While BMG ranked in the Top Five among mid-sized companies in 2022, this year it has moved into the Top three. BMG is the only music company in the entire ranking. The results were published as part of the annual LGBTIQ+ Diversity Performance Index (PRIDE Index), a recognition based on an assessment of LGBTIQ+ initiatives in the workplace by the Uhlala Group, a social enterprise. It evaluates the commitment of companies, organizations, and public institutions in Germany to their lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and queer (LGBTIQ+) employees. It aims to map the LGBTIQ+ diversity management of employers, highlight the potential for further development, and serve as a tool for comparing the commitment of companies in this area.

“To be recognized as one of Germany’s most LGBTIQ+ friendly employers is the result of a lot of hard work by committed LGBTIQ+ team members at BMG as well as a reflection of our unwavering commitment to diversity and inclusion. Creating a positive and inclusive work environment for all is a key part of BMG’s culture.”, said Pierrot Raschdorff, Senior Director Global Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at BMG. Paul Schäfer, BMG representative of Bertelsmann’s be.queer network, said: “This certification is a great achievement and reflects our company’s spirit. In times where queer rights are constantly under threat, we are happy to contribute to and shape a more positive working environment for our LGBTQIA+ employees through our be.queer network by representing and educating.”

‘A valuable benchmark for employers’

This year, BMG offices all over the world realized a variety of Pride-themed events, including a “Pride Week” at the Berlin headquarters; a shared parade float with other Bertelsmann divisions via the be.queer network for Berlin’s official Christopher Street Day parade; a performance by the multi-talented fashion and cultural icon Bimini in London a ‘Gender Identity 101’ talk in New York; a Pronoun Party in Nashville, and many more. In the Pride Index categories “Organizational Structure” and “Communication and Visibility” in particular, BMG scored even higher than in 2022, achieving a full 100 percent in the latter category.

Markus Jeroma, Director Global Talent Acquisition at BMG, said: “The Pride index serves as a valuable benchmark for employers. We are pleased that we were able to further increase our score, with last year’s great results as an additional driver for our LGBTIQ+ initiatives.”

More than 70 companies of all sizes and across all industries took part in the PRIDE Index 2023. As part of the index survey, the participating companies and organizations completed a comprehensive questionnaire outlining their LGBTIQ+ diversity commitment and efforts. The questionnaire provides a comprehensive insight into the status quo as well as identifying potential for improvement.