Job applicants with non-binary gender pronouns in their resumes are less likely to receive a response, let alone get invited for a job interview by prospective employers, even if the business calls themselves an ‘Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE),’ according to new research.
Business.com created two identical applications and sent them both off to 180 unique job opportunities explicitly open to entry-level candidates. The name used was “Taylor Williams” so as to be as ambiguous as possible about the sex of the applicant and half the CVs featured “they/them” pronouns under the header.
The CVs with the pronouns listed explicitly received “8 [percent] less interest than those without, and fewer interviews and phone screening invitations.” Moreover, 64 percent of the companies called themselves EOEs – companies that commit to “not discriminate against employees based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetic information” – yet decided to reject the candidate.
“We found that hiring managers had fewer positive impressions of the resumes that included gender pronouns. Managers perceived these resumes less favorably…” explains Business.com.
Notably, a number of employers gave feedback to the researchers on why they rejected the non-binary candidate. One argued, “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.”
“I would first take off the “they/them” pronoun reference. 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,” said a second employer.
“The pronouns are offputting and unnecessary. Get rid of the pronoun nonsense. You’re either a ‘he’ or a ‘she,'” added a third.
