Pronouns in the workplace

HRNZ’s Professional Standards and Development Manager, Amy Clarke, explores the use of pronouns in the workplace and how we can develop more inclusivity by using them correctly.

What are pronouns?

Pronouns are used in place of a proper noun, like a person’s name, and we use them all the time, often without even thinking, for example, “where is Amy? I don’t know, I think she’s in a meeting”. In this instance, she is the pronoun.

More often than not, people will assume someone’s pronouns are based on how they look or what their name is, rather than asking what they might be. Most of us do this; it’s a natural part of our unconscious bias and isn’t necessarily wrong, but it can be hurtful and harmful to assume someone’s gender.

Why are pronouns so important, and why have they become so popular recently?

In English, gender forms the basis of our most common pronouns, for example, she, her, him, he. For many gender nonconforming, trans or gender diverse folk, the male–female pronouns may not feel right for them, don’t describe who they are, and can cause stress and anxiety when used by others to describe them.

Pronouns, therefore, are a way of signalling to others who you are and how you’d like to be identified.

Many workplaces have made a considered effort to become more inclusive in the past few years, particularly in the public sector, with programmes of work like Papa Pounamu providing milestones for public sector agencies around diversity and inclusion. These milestones have increased and started to normalise conversations about several different ways to be inclusive (and how many practices are currently exclusive). Information about pronouns and their importance has been a big part of these initial conversations.

Can I ask someone what their pronouns are?

This is a bit tricky, but my advice, if you weren’t sure of someone’s pronouns, would be to identify what yours are and then offer the opportunity for the other person or people to share theirs. If they’re not forthcoming, it doesn’t mean you’ve done anything wrong, they might not want to share them. We shouldn’t expect everyone to be comfortable sharing their pronouns, for a variety of reasons, but normalisation of the use of pronouns will help to create a greater sense of safety and inclusivity and, with effort, will change this.

In this case, using gender-neutral language when referring to them is far better than imposing your own assumption of their gender. Examples of this are using their name, using they or them, or using terms like ‘folks’ or ‘team’ when referring to them in a group.

How do I go about introducing pronouns into my workplace?

The best place to start if you’re thinking about introducing pronouns into email signatures or in-person introductions in things like meetings, particularly with external people, is to engage with your internal rainbow community. If you have one, ask your Rainbow Network, and if you don’t have a formalised one, find a safe way to ask people in your organisation who identify as part of the broad umbrella of LGBTQI+ community for their thoughts and whether they would be interested in leading or having input into a piece of work like this.

Creating spaces where everyone feels comfortable to come together, or giving people the opportunity to provide anonymous feedback, are great ways to start this conversation.

I’m not a member of the Rainbow community. Why should I have pronouns in my email signature? And is it okay to have them when I’m not a part of the community?

It’s all about being an ally. Having your pronouns proudly on display as someone who is cis (someone whose gender identity is the same as their sex assigned at birth) is more about creating safe and inclusive spaces for others (those who identify as trans, non-binary and so on) than it is about yourself. And, yes, it’s absolutely okay to include them in your email signature as a person outside of the community. Doing this normalises the use of pronouns for everyone, so the burden isn’t placed solely on our trans, nonbinary, takatapui whanau, and creates less of a ‘spotlight’ on those who need to use them to be identified and gendered correctly when they are used.

What are other things I can do to be inclusive in my workplace that don’t cost us money?

Giving people the opportunity to share their pronouns before coming in for things like interviews and confirming the name they would like used, if this differs from what might be on a passport or another type of ID, is a great and free way to be more inclusive.

Something else that’s great to consider, particularly if you’re thinking of updating or reviewing any policies, is to review them with a specifically inclusive lens in mind. Check to make sure that documentation or policies you have include gender-neutral language like ‘they’ or ‘them’ rather than ‘he’ or ‘she’. Again, if you’re doing work like this, check in with your internal rainbow folk or ask some of the incredible organisations like InsideOut, that do great work to help organisations become more inclusive.

Inclusive spaces and practices, like including pronouns in email signatures, will benefit everyone, not just our minority communities.

Where to learn more?

Te Kawa Mataaho – Public Service Commission website here:

• pronoun use in email signatures

• including pronouns in email signatures helps remove anxiety for LGBTQIA+ community in workplace.

Speak directly with Amy via amy.clarke@hrnz.org.nz

National rainbow organisations:

OUTLine NZ Confidential, free, LGBTQI+affirming support line and face-toface counselling.

Ph 0800 688 5463 (0800 OUTLINE) www.outline.org.nz

RainbowYOUTH Support and referral services, dropin centres, peer-support groups and resources for queer and gender diverse youth and their wider communities across Aotearoa. www.ry.org.nz

InsideOUT Resources, education, hui and tools to produce safer schools and communities for young people of minority genders, sexes and sexualities. www.insideout.org.nz

Gender Minorities Aotearoa Information about gender-affirming healthcare and changing ID documents, a free binder project, access to free facial IPL, drop-in shop and centre, a database of community support services around the country, and an online peersupport group, based on a kaupapa Māori approach. www.genderminorities.com

Amy Clarke joined HRNZ in July 2021 and has a broad background in generalist HR across the private and public sector. At the 2020 NZ HR Awards, Amy was a finalist for the HR Generalist of the year category, Winner of the Leadership Award and named HR Person of the Year for 2020. Amy has a passion for diversity and inclusion and supporting the LGBTTQI+ community. As the Manager, Professional Standards and Development, part of Amy’s role is overseeing the professional standards and development framework and ensuring HRNZ delivers good quality content to its members through all its channels.