Looking For An Inclusive Employer?

I was floored when I recently read this statement from someone I know in an online professional community:

“I just had a phone interview at an agency where the interviewer asked me my preferred pronouns. That is probably the first time I've heard that question at the beginning of an interview. That being said, this employer seems to place great importance on DEI based on what I've read about them. Have you had this interview experience before -either at all or more than once?

While it seems to be a recruiter practicing inclusivity, it is actually illegal. Among the very first things recruiters are trained on include questions (or lines of questioning) that are illegal to ask candidates at any stage of the hiring process. The very basics include anything to do with:

Sex/gender identity and orientation, marital status, religion, disability, age, race/color/ethnic background/country of origin, health (including pregnancy status), family situation (children). Many states have also expanded laws to include past salary history as illegal topics. So asking someone their “preferred personal pronouns” is just another way of asking their sex/gender.

Let’s look at it from the other side. Many employers have conservative founders (and there have been enough lawsuits and articles in the last decade highlighting some of them). Let’s say one of them makes a practice of asking “what are your preferred pronouns?” and used that information to discriminate against anyone that did not self-identify as cis-gendered male or female applicants. (Don’t scoff…I personally know of at least one employer that HAS done it – a friend was a hiring manager there for a hot minute and he was told “certain types” of candidates were preferred-he left after less than a few weeks.)

So how can job seekers identify truly inclusive companies?

• Look at their LinkedIn employee profiles, and see how many of them voluntarily include their own pronouns on their profiles
• Check out their social media channels, check for employer-sponsored diversity celebrations that include activities like Pride, Black History Month, holiday celebrations outside the Judeo-Christian calendar
• Research where and on what topics their employees are delivering keynote addresses or speaking on industry panels
• Look at press releases and announcements – notice who is being celebrated in terms of ethnicity and gender
• Peruse their “about us” pages to see if they list affinity groups
• Read blogs of people that have worked there in the past and look “between the lines”
• Check to see if they have been audited and fined by the EEOC
• Look at Glassdoor reviews
• Check the HRC Corporate Equality Index
• Reach out to the EEOC in which the state is headquartered to see if there have been formally filed complaints against them

Make sure a company is “putting their money where their mouth is” in terms of diversity and inclusivity. You may have to do some digging, but if DEI is important to you personally, it is worth the time to research.