How Not To Scare Away Transgender Employees and Job Seekers

Before we even apply

During a recent phone interview, the recruiter used incorrect pronouns for me. I include my pronouns in my email signature and on my LinkedIn profile, so it’s not a great start, but a graceful recovery can go a long way.

However, when I corrected this recruiter by stating, “I use he/him pronouns,” she did not understand what I was talking about. I repeated my pronouns. After a long pause, she slowly and condescendingly said, “Oh, I am sooooooo sorry about that.” I cannot remember the last time I received a more passive-aggressive apology.

I cannot remember the last time I received a more passive-aggressive apology.

Later in the interview, I asked what demographics of clients her organization serves. She didn’t understand what I meant. I repeated the question. She still didn’t understand, so I specified “gender, race, etc.” She replied that she would never have thought of this question because of course we serve everyone.

Right.

I had just experienced what “serving everyone” meant, and I will never recommend this organization to anyone, either as a customer or a potential employee.

This type of experience is far too common for transgender, gender nonconforming, and intersex (TGI) people. It’s almost guaranteed to happen if your organization hasn’t specifically thought about creating inclusion for us. Unfortunately, this is a space where your good intentions don’t matter if you can’t back them up with intentional, inclusive, and respectful actions.

In an ideal world, supporting TGI employees falls under a comprehensive DEI strategy. In reality, organizations often find themselves scrambling to adapt when a trans employee is hired into the organization or transitions on the job.

Because of the diversity within the TGI community and the wide range of industries and available job types, there is no one set of guidelines that will cover everyone’s needs. That being said, here is a set of recommendations for attracting, recruiting, and onboarding employees based on my own experience. I welcome additional insights in the comment section.

Attracting employees

The TGI community faces significant barriers to employment due to discrimination. (1) These barriers are even more significant for people who cannot or choose not to “pass” as either male or female and for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. (2) TGI employees want to work, but they (rightfully) fear harassment and discrimination at the workplace. Without good information about which organizations truly affirm TGI people, TGI job seekers rely on clues to determine whether they want to work for an organization.

When assessing how much work an organization has done to create a culture of inclusion, here is a set of questions that TGI job seekers may ask.

• What sort of reputation does the organization have within the TGI community?
• Does the employer appear on the HRC Corporate Equality Index?
• Does the employer advertise on LGBTQ+ or TGI-friendly sites and recruiting events?
• What reputation does the organization have on sites like GlassDoor and the news media?
• Does the employer have a TGI employee resource group or social group?
• Has the employer created a policy detailing how they support TGI employees?
• Does the employer specifically include TGI people in their nondiscrimination policy?
• Better yet, does the employer publicly support TGI people and the causes that are important to them?

Recruiting

Potential employees get a closer look at the organization during the recruiting phase. Based on what TGI people see during this stage, they may decide not to apply no matter how qualified they are for the position.

• Does the job application allow job seekers to share their authentic names and pronouns?
• Do the people the candidate interacts with use their authentic names and pronouns? If they make a mistake, do they recover respectfully and gracefully?
• If one’s legal name is required to apply, does the organization explain how this information will be used and who it will be shared with? Many TGI people’s legal documents do not match their correct name or gender, and they may fear being outed to the hiring manager or their future coworkers and peers.
• Does the organization know how to run a background check without outing the candidate to previous employers?
• Does the employer partner with organizations that support TGI job seekers? Examples include Trans Can Work and TransWork.
• Does the company have bathrooms and changing rooms that the candidate can safely use?

Onboarding

To retain any employee, an organization must invest in good onboarding processes. In addition to helping new employees learn how the organization works and the technical skills needed to succeed in the role, a good onboarding plan helps them build the relationships and social ties they need to feel welcomed and included. (3)

Having allies is especially important for TGI employees as many people are unfamiliar with how to interact with them. It’s essential to bring people along with training and coaching where possible and to set firm boundaries on appropriate behavior when necessary. I offer training on how to be more supportive of TGI employees, as do many other organizations, including the Transgender Training Institute and local Pride organizations. Providing employees with information and guidelines on appropriate behavior can go a long way in creating inclusive environments and creating much-needed allies.

When training alone is not enough, I remind people that managing differences and conflict is not new to organizations. Companies employ people from varied political persuasions, religions, nationalities, and ethnic groups, many of which are involved in long-standing, deep-rooted historical conflicts. Organizations have negotiated these conflicts and set expectations for respectful behavior in the workplace for decades. We all have personal feelings and deeply held beliefs, but we must treat each other fairly and respectfully in the workplace.

Talking points that may be useful:

• When an employee transitions, this is a private decision with a public face.
• We judge people on their job performance and work ethic at our company, not their gender identity or gender presentation.
• Discrimination on the basis of gender identity is prohibited under Title VII. We are legally not allowed to discriminate, regardless of our personal beliefs.

The steps discussed in this article help get TGI people into an organization. However, if the organization is not genuinely affirming and inclusive, TGI employees will not be able to use their strengths fully. Like any other employees, TGI people are less productive, less empowered, and more likely to leave the organization when they experience discrimination. (4) I will share my thoughts on the second half of the employee cycle (development, retention, separation) in an upcoming article.

References

1. Pizer, Jennifer & Sears, Brad & Mallory, Christy & Hunter, Nan. (2012). Evidence of Persistent and Pervasive Workplace Discrimination Against LGBT People: The Need for Federal Legislation Prohibiting Discrimination and Providing for Equal Employment Benefits. Loyola of Los Angeles Law Review. 45. https://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/llr/vol45/iss3/3
2. Grant, J. M., Mottet, L. A., Tanis, J., Harrison, J., Herman, J. L., & Keisling, M. (2011). Injustice at every turn. Injustice at Every Turn: A Report of the National Transgender Discrimination Survey. https://transequality.org/sites/default/files/docs/resources/NTDS_Report.pdf
3. Curucci, R. (2018). To Retain New Hires, Spend More Time Onboarding Them. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2018/12/to-retain-new-hires-spend-more-time-onboarding-them
4. Dupreelle, O., Novacek, G., Lindquist, J., Micon, N., Pellas, S., Testone, G. (2020). A New LGBTQ Workforce Has Arrived — Inclusive Cultures Must Follow. Boston Consulting Group. https://www.bcg.com/publications/2020/inclusive-cultures-must-follow-new-lgbtq-workforce

Kai Stowers is a consultant, Professional Certified Coach (PCC), and has a master’s degree in Organizational Psychology and Change Leadership from Columbia University. He partners with organizations to help leaders build high-performing, engaged, and inclusive teams. Learn more at kaistowers.com.

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