Unfortunately, a recent study found that more than 80% of nonbinary people feel that identifying as such would negatively impact their job search. This is a major concern, as research from Business.com shows that individuals with CVs containing “they/them” pronouns were less likely to receive job interviews.

These findings are particularly troubling for the approximately 1.2 million LGBTQ+ adults who identify as gender nonbinary. As one study participant explained, “I live in Florida, and coming out as nonbinary could cost me future job opportunities.” Another added, “It jeopardises my personal safety to be out. I wish it didn’t.”

While some individuals view disclosing their nonbinary identity as a way to identify inclusive employers, only 8% of nonbinary individuals say that their identity has had a positive impact on their work experience. In contrast, 51% say that it has had a negative impact. The situation is even more challenging for nonbinary workers who were assigned female at birth, as they are more likely to report negative work experiences than their counterparts who were assigned male at birth. This is because individuals who present as women or were socialized as girls during childhood may encounter dual discrimination due to their intersectional identities.

It’s also worth noting that over 64% of companies in the report were Equal Opportunity Employers (EEO), which means that they pledge not to discriminate in the hiring process. However, the research shows that much of the problem lies with the sentiments of hiring managers. Compared to CVs without any pronouns, researchers discovered that hiring managers felt that applicants with nonbinary pronouns were 7% less qualified for jobs. Among the comments by hiring managers about CVs with “they/them pronouns” were:

• “This person seems like a decent fit on paper, though I am not interested in the drama that a person who thinks they are a ‘they/them’ brings with them.”

• “Take off the pronouns; I would trash the CV for that reason alone.”

• “I find that personal pronouns are quite silly in a job situation. This is better reserved for social settings and not in a job setting.”

The bottom line is that hiring managers who make decisions based on pronouns are not educated on the fact that gender doesn’t influence work performance. Instead, they are applying bias, which is not a new problem in the hiring process. Just look at the research on job applicants with black names. Managers are using names and other indicators on CVs to make decisions about the people they want to work with, rather than the people who are qualified. Pronouns may be a new subject to managers, but bias isn’t a new topic for the candidates on the other side.

The study concludes that “despite increased legal protections and growing cultural representation of gender minorities, there is still much to be done to ensure fair and equal treatment in the workplace.” This is a call to action for employers to educate themselves and their hiring managers on the importance of inclusive language and to strive for a more equitable and just workplace for all.

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