Transgender and non-binary employees often face additional challenges when seeking employment. Inclusive hiring practices can mitigate some of these challenges, and also provide your organization a competitive advantage in an employee's market.

Posting a Job Listing

Posting a job listing is your first opportunity to make sure your organization is being inclusive to all applicants.

Questions

  • Is the job description itself inclusive?

    • Does it use any gendered language that can be made non-gendered?
    • Does it pass the Joblint test for issues with sexism, culture, and expectations?

  • Does your application process allow for good faith applications by transgender and non-binary individuals?

    • A applicant's legal name may differ from the one they use on their application. They are not trying to hide anything from you, but rather provide an application that reflects who they are.
    • Do not ask for pronouns on your application if gender identity is a protected class in your area.
    • What could go wrong if you assume an applicant's gender based on the information that they submit or their appearance?
  • Does your applicant tracking system support blind hiring (e.g. removing names before resumes are reviewed by hiring managers)?
  • Can applicants find information about your organization's inclusive policies and commitment to diversity online?

Interviewing

During the interview process, your organization has an opportunity to walk the talk when it comes to inclusion. However, it's often a concern that it's awkward or intrusive to ask a candidate their preferences when it comes to pronouns, etc. Instead, consider flipping the script and having interviewers introduce themselves with their own pronouns (example: "Hi, I'm Taylor, my pronouns are they/them/theirs"). This normalizes the exchange and gives the candidate a lead in to introduce their own pronouns.

Onboarding

You've found the perfect candidate and they've accepted your offer. They have now placed their trust in you to follow through on your commitments to inclusion.

Questions

  • Now is the time to officially ask for pronouns. Does your HR system allow this to be entered by a new employee and shared as part of the employee directory?
  • How would you handle a situation where a candidate has an accepted an offer and plans to transition at your workplace after they are hired?
  • How would you handle a situation where a new employee already has planned transition-related time off?