How to use gender pronouns in email signatures

Guest post by Robyn Woods-Child, MD of Parrot Digital

As the world opens up to the idea that gender equality goes beyond male or female, it is becoming increasingly common to see gender pronouns in people’s social feeds, business cards and email signatures.

Want to get involved but wondering where to start? We’ll cover why it is inclusive to include gender pronouns in email signatures, examples of commonly preferred gender pronouns, and how to add pronouns using a central email signature management solution.

What are gender pronouns?

Gender pronouns are words used to identify a person’s gender identity. He, she, they – these are three common examples. They are someone’s means of expressing their gender, and a way of asking others to acknowledge and respect it.

Here are some examples of gender pronouns:

• He/Him/His: For a person who identifies as male.
• She/Her/Hers: For a person who identifies as female.
• They/Them/Their: For a person who identifies as gender-neutral; these pronouns can also refer to those who don’t identify as either male or female.

There are quite a few more, but the three above are some of the most common. Some individuals even use mixed pronouns, such as he/they.

Why are gender pronouns important?

Gender pronouns are a sign of respect, as well as inclusivity. Including these preferred terms in email signatures can make someone feel equal. This may seem small, but for many people in the gender-diverse community, this acknowledgement is very important.

At this point in time, as gender pronouns are still considered new, mistakes are inevitable. Understanding and the willingness to learn are the best positive approaches to move forward.

Is it necessary to include gender pronouns in email signatures?

Adding pronouns to your company email signatures removes any ambiguity as to how to address and respect someone’s identity, and provides clarity to how people can address you as well.

Of course, it also shows that your company is trying to be inclusive and wants to support the gender-diverse community, even with the simplest gesture such as recognising their preferred gender pronoun. Because you send and receive emails every day, this support will be evident to employees, clients, suppliers and anyone else your company comes into contact with – and you never know who may really appreciate that your business cares.

Let your staff know it is optional – not compulsory.

Some will quickly accept the use of gender pronouns in their email signature, while others could still be getting used to the idea. Everyone moves at different speeds and that’s OK too.

Open a conversation with your staff, hear their thoughts, and gather feedback. You can explain that you feel it’s a positive step towards inclusivity and a way for them to show support to their peers, friends or customers/clients, and they can let you know if they want to opt-in or out. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing, so you can have some staff who display their pronouns and some that don’t.

From here, if you’re using a central email signature management solution, it will be relatively easy to assign preferred pronouns to those that want them displayed.

Examples of gender pronouns in email signatures

Here are a few email signature template samples of where you could place your pronouns. As you can see, they can be quite seamlessly blended.

Example 1: It could appear next to your name such as the below:

Example 2: Or it could be right after your job title

Example 3: Another option is a line after your name

How to set up gender pronouns in Rocketseed email signature software

Rocketseed has been designed to be user-friendly and easy to manage, even if you have a staff of 20 or 20,000. It works perfectly in customising your company’s email signatures, whether it’s on Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365), Google Workspace (formerly G Suite), and Microsoft Exchange, where you simply add preferred gender pronouns as required.

One important feature is its ability to implement new email signature template company-wide changes with just a few clicks. Below is a quick demo of how the pronoun changes are applied using Rocketseed email signature software.

Need help? Rocketseed Email Signature Solution is here for you

Our local implementation team can help guide you through setting up gender pronouns or answering any other related questions.

Not sure about the design aspect? Our talented graphic design artists can help build pronouns into your company email signatures while maintaining your brand identity. Book a demo with Rocketseed and discover how we can help your internal and external branding.

Parrot Digital is the exclusive partner of Rocketseed in Australia and New Zealand.  Are you in Australia or New Zealand? To find out what Parrot Digital can do for your business, or to receive a free quote, get in touch today.