From 7fdae76543ff6f1d736d9d129aa647480f718248 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Xe Iaso Date: Fri, 1 Apr 2022 19:44:34 -0400 Subject: [PATCH] blog: suggestions for recruiters Signed-off-by: Xe Iaso --- ...ecruiters-correct-name-2022-04-01.markdown | 118 ++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 118 insertions(+) create mode 100644 blog/recruiters-correct-name-2022-04-01.markdown diff --git a/blog/recruiters-correct-name-2022-04-01.markdown b/blog/recruiters-correct-name-2022-04-01.markdown new file mode 100644 index 0000000..9b59998 --- /dev/null +++ b/blog/recruiters-correct-name-2022-04-01.markdown @@ -0,0 +1,118 @@ +--- +title: "What To Do As A Recruiter When A Gender-diverse Person Asks You To Update Their Name" +date: 2022-04-01 +--- + +[I really wish this was an April Fool's post. I had a few ideas planned, but +maybe you will get to see them next year.

As a reminder, I am +speaking for myself and not for my employer.](conversation://Cadey/coffee) + +This post is directed at all of the recruiters that are reading this blog. This +is a scenario that many of you may not have dealt with. After having an example +of this with a recruiter recently I figure it's a teaching moment. + +I am speaking up about this because I know many others who have gone through the +same kinds of problems and have not felt safe to speak up about them. I am not +speaking for those people in this post, but I want to use my platform as a +blogger to amplify the sentiment of what I have heard over the years. + +## To Recruiters + +As a recruiter, if you are cold-emailing someone, please do the research to get +their name correct. If you do not and someone asks you to correct it, do it. + +When gender-diverse people like me get an email that references an out of date +name, it is seen as a sign that the person sending that email has not done their +research before sending that email out into the void. + +When you correct that name in your system also make sure to cancel all outgoing +automated emails to that person. The caching layer of the recruiting system may +have already drafted those emails based on a template. If they go out, this will +be seen as a _massive sign of disrespect_. It will also make the person +receiving that email question if you _actually corrected_ the name in that +system or not. It may make the recipient also question if you are just giving +them lip service to save face instead of making a genuine effort to ensure that +the recruiting system has accurate information in it. + +This is not a good way to foster the kind of trust needed for a gender-diverse +person to want to choose your employer as the single point of failure for access +to medication, food and regular medical checkups. For many gender-diverse +people, changing jobs can mean an interruption of access to life-saving +medication. + +You may get a slightly angry reply if you send out emails with incorrect +information. This can happen because gender-diverse people are likely to feel +like society really doesn't care about them and that they are not being +respected to have agency over their identity. To some this is a fact and not +a feeling. And with +[all](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/mar/10/idaho-bill-trans-youth-treatment-ban-passes-house) +[of](https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2022/03/17/texas-trans-child-abuse-investigations/) +[the](https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-politics-and-policy/alabama-bill-seeks-ban-hormone-treatments-trans-youth-rcna18512) +[actions](https://www.hrc.org/press-releases/breaking-2021-becomes-record-year-for-anti-transgender-legislation) +governments have been taking to directly attack the freedoms and rights to +self-determination that gender-diverse people like me rely on, you can't blame +them for being fed up with the situation. It is not fun to feel like your very +existence is made out to be some black mark of doom on Western civilization. It +is even less fun to be reminded of that when reading your email inbox. Please +understand that we mean well, society is just broken in general. + +The least you can do is ensure that you do _any amount of research_ to ensure +that you are using the correct name. It may be a good idea to add the following +text to your recruiting emails (before you brag about fundraising is probably +best, I tune out about then): + +> If I got your name incorrect, please let me know what name/pronouns you would +> like me > to update our system to use. I got this name from $SOURCE. + +Adding the source of where you got that name from can help make this less +stressful for gender-diverse people. People's names are spattered everywhere +across the internet. Letting people know where you got that information from can +help them know what to fix if a fix is needed. + +Some chosen names may seem "weird" due to societal biases that serve to ensure +that the primary way that people use to refer to eachother in particular are not +chosen by the people being referred to. Trust that the person on the other end +is being honest about their identity. The truth requires no belief. + +If they ask you to update their pronouns, respect that and ensure you use them +without failure. Using the wrong pronouns can be seen as an even worse +disrespect than using the wrong name. You do not want this to happen if your +goal is to find people to hire. + +## To Gender-diverse People + +Yeah, this situation sucks. I can't disagree. You really do need to assume good +faith as much as you can. Most of these recruiter systems rely on ["data +enrichment" APIs](https://clearbit.com/) and potentially outdated mass scraping +of LinkedIn and people's blogs. + +It can help if you make publicly available posts like +[this](/blog/xe-2021-08-07) that unambiguously say what you want people to call +you by. Keep it updated in case journalists decide to compare your chosen name +to mercenary groups. + +Try to be as polite and direct as possible. Here is an example of how I have +asked recruiters to update their information in the past: + +> Please update your files with the name "Xe Iaso" (capital I). I am +> slowly moving away from "Christine Dodrill" as the name I use to +> represent myself professionally. + +If you are moving away from a "dead name", you may want to use something like +this: + +> I have no record of a "Christine Dodrill" at this email address. You may want +> to look elsewhere. If you would like to proceed with me instead, here is +> information about me: https://christine.website. + +Throw in your pronouns too to be safe. + +[I really need to change this blog's domain, but I have such amazing SEO that I +really don't want to break it.](conversation://Cadey/coffee) + +Also consider deleting the email and not replying to them. That's totally valid +too unless you are in desperate need for a new employer. + +You do not need to justify speaking up about an employer having the wrong name +for you. The truth requires no belief. Speaking the truth to power is the +essence of valor, which is one of the highest forms of love.