More LinkedIn users are adding preferred pronouns, despite DEI backlash

• LinkedIn has seen a 29% increase in users mentioning their preferred pronouns this year.
• The platform added a pronoun in March 2021, reflecting societal gender shifts.
• The increased use of preferred pronouns indicates that this practice is becoming part of the office culture.

Opponents may see it as woke, but more professionals are weighing in with their opinions favorite pronouns on their LinkedIn profiles.

Globally, about 38 million people on the platform now list their pronouns on their profiles, a 29% increase since January, a LinkedIn spokesperson told Business Insider.

LinkedIn added space for users to include their preferred pronouns in their profiles in March 2021. The spokesperson said the platform has seen a “steady increase” in adoption since then.

The growth in the number of people revealing their pronouns comes as some employers downplay or pull back on their diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. Major companies, including Lowe’s, John DeerAnd Harley Davidsonhave reduced or eliminated their DEI efforts after criticism from a conservative activist.

To some extent, the increased use of preferred pronouns on LinkedIn indicates that the practice is becoming an inconspicuous part of office life, researchers who have written about gender issues told BI.

The proliferation of pronouns on LinkedIn, which has about 1 billion users, comes as it has become increasingly common to include such information in email signatures and on business cards. Displaying pronouns has also remained an issue political flashpoint.

An easy decision for some

Michael West, who works on public health and social policy issues in Australia, wrote about it in a recent LinkedIn post use of he/she pronouns.

“Publicly stating my pronouns also creates space for others to think, discuss, and consider what feels best for them,” West wrote. He added that “mentioning your pronouns is a small but powerful action that can make a significant positive difference for many other people.”

A survey conducted on behalf of LinkedIn around the time the platform added the pronoun feature found that 70% of job seekers thought it was important that recruiters and hiring managers knew their gender pronouns. Seventy-two percent of hiring managers agreed.

The online survey, conducted in late February and early March 2021, involved approximately 2,100 adult U.S. job seekers and approximately 1,000 hiring managers.

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A tool for efficiency

Kathryn Bond Stockton, a distinguished professor of English at the University of Utah, told BI that even for people who identify as non-binary, trans or genderqueer, pronouns are not an ideology or “an identity in and of themselves.”

Instead, she said, many people in the workplace have come to view preferred pronouns as a navigation tool.

“A lot of people now see listing and respecting pronouns in that light — as a kind of friendly, efficient way to refer to each other instead of people having to ask that question,” Stockton said.

She said specifying them in professional settings should remain optional and not something prescribed by employers. However, with respect for some people Doing specifying should be required, she said. Stockton identifies as genderqueer, but said that in her case, she doesn’t care what pronouns others use to describe her.

“They’re all equally right or wrong for my life trajectory. So, you know, go with it,” Stockton said. She said that because most people understandably have strong feelings about their pronouns, others should respect that.

Stockton added that many of us already colloquially use “they” in a singular sense, so using alternate pronouns for others isn’t as difficult as some people might fear.

She said that in her experience, the people most likely to protest the rise of people sharing their preferred pronouns would “potentially feel the most offended if their pronoun was disrespected.”

Ultimately, Stockton said if people don’t want to specify their own pronouns in the workplace or in other circumstances, that should be respected as well.

The overall response to the pronoun was positive, the LinkedIn spokesperson said. The spokesperson said the platform cannot currently share insights about industries, regions and other characteristics where users tend to display their preferred pronouns most often.

Minjae Ormes, VP of marketing at LinkedIn, wrote in one Post from 2021 that a person’s profile is “more than just a career highlight.”

Ormes added that allowing users to add their preferred pronouns is “another form of self-identity and expression that plays a fundamental role in recognizing and celebrating what makes us strong together.”

We don’t always use pronouns

Davina Cooper, research professor of law and political theory at King’s College London, told BI that the increase in the number of people posting favorite pronouns on a platform like LinkedIn or in email signatures partly reflects societal shifts toward recognizing diverse gender identities.

Cooper, who said she does not indicate preferred pronouns, said that for some people, sharing their pronouns can be a sign of support for marginalized groups.

But as a practical matter, mentioning pronouns may not have much impact in, say, an email correspondence, she said. That’s because when she writes to someone, she won’t address the person in the third person.

“So in many contexts it’s more about someone saying something about where he or she is in a debate,” Cooper said. “When they say ‘they/them’ they communicate a political commitment, including a commitment of solidarity.”

She said she respects the importance of people “feeling validated” and the value of developments that change traditional views on gender.

“This allows societies to evolve and have shared conversations about what gender should be about,” Cooper said.

She said that while some people find comfort in sharing their preferred pronouns, what that says about a person may ultimately be limited.

“At some point, is it like knowing someone’s name?” said Cooper. “It’s, ‘I’m John,’ but what it means to me to be John can’t be applied to anyone else.”