Why you should add your pronouns to your email signature and LinkedIn profile

Recently and in light of International Non-Binary People’s day, I decided it was time to put my pronouns on my email signature and on my LinkedIn profile.

I identify as non-binary. For me, this means I don’t identify with the label woman or man (although sometimes I identify more closely with one or the other) and I don’t use He/Him or She/Her pronouns, preferring instead to use the neutral They/Them. I’ve also started working an “office-type” job again recently, something I hadn’t done since before I fully embraced my non-binary identity. So, putting my pronouns on my email signature or my Linkedin was not something that I was very used to doing and I worried about what my colleagues and other people in the industry would think.

If you use they/them pronouns, more often than not when you share this information it sparks a lot of conversation. Most people are not used to using these pronouns to refer to people they read as a She or a He and some will even think (and tell you that) this is unprofessional information to share. However, knowing and using people’s pronouns is as important as calling them by the right name and it can go a long way in creating more inclusive workplaces as well as better professional relationships. If you identify as a cis person — someone who identifies with the gender they were assigned as at birth — you basically have nothing to lose by putting your pronouns in your email signature and Linkedin profile and a lot to gain. You’ll be demonstrating great allyship and promoting a more inclusive and welcoming image both for yourself and for your company. I can honestly say that I only gathered the courage to do it after seeing other people, especially cis people, doing it.

But how do you do it?

🏳️‍🌈 On your Linkedin profile, you can either add it to your last name like this:

🏳️‍🌈 Or you can add your pronouns to your headline as such:

🏳️‍🌈 On your email, you should add your pronouns on your signature like the image at the top of the article.

It’s super easy and. honestly, you will make someone’s day and, not only that, you’ll be sparking debate about inclusivity in the industry. So, don’t be afraid and show off your pronouns!