Seeing pronouns on people’s social media profiles and email footers is no surprise. The practice has actually become increasingly popular as a way to show support for the LGBTQ+ community, specifically for transgender and non-binary people.

Adding pronouns such as she/her, he/him and, they/them to your profile, resume, or email is not only a great way to show support for members of this community but also makes for a more inclusive space/environment. Inclusiveness is a super important part of any workplace and this is just one, simple way to emphasize it.

Why?

Utilizing pronouns has an array of benefits for everyone. You don’t have to be Transgender or non-binary to put them at the end of your emails or on your LinkedIn. As a matter of fact, everyone SHOULD add them as a way to normalize gender discussions. Even if you are cis-gendered, which means you identify as the sex you were assigned at birth, utilizing pronouns make transgender or non-binary individuals more comfortable to use the pronouns they prefer and speak up about it.

Additionally, if you are transgender or non-binary, adding pronouns to your resume, email, or social media profile eliminates the issue of misgendering, which is referring to someone as a gender other than what they identify as. This is an awkward situation for both sides, so simply utilizing pronouns and encouraging others to do so as well can prevent this and make everyone’s identifying gender known. It also takes away the hassle of having to announce to everyone how you identify.

A Better Workplace

Encouraging the entire workplace to make their pronouns known can lead to a huge cultural shift. By normalizing the conversation about gender, eliminating the issue of misgendering, and raising awareness for members of the LGBTQ+ community, you can make the workplace more diverse and inclusive.

Transgender, cis-gendered and non-Binary individuals all deserve to feel comfortable and respected in the workplace. Creating not only a diverse but inclusive workplace also increases camaraderie and productivity tremendously. Utilizing and raising awareness of gender pronouns also signals to others that your company opens its doors to anyone and does not discriminate. Not only does this help your company’s reputation, but is also a factor when drawing in new employees since there is discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community every day.

Adding pronouns to identify gender is not solely for transgender people to identify themselves. It is a way to bring awareness to the issue of LBTQ+ inequality and discrimination and support those who have dealt with such. It is about normalizing identifying as transgender, non-binary, or any other way and coming together to make everyone feel comfortable about their identity.

For more on inclusion and diversity in the workplace, check out our blog, Diversity Hiring: Strategies to Implement.