Not quite woke enough

Last night, I applied to a couple of positions at a notable tech company.

Notice in the application below, the form field labeled 'pronouns', a convention I've encountered previously and answered in the same, unfortunate way each time. 

Do I know what a pronoun is? Of course I do! Here's a quick slew:

He, she, it, we, you, they

And then around 5 am this morning, I quite literally woke up, recalling a string of gender pronouns festooning a young recruiter's profile (below), and thought back on my applications, eyeballs rolling hard up into my skull.

More about the Orr Fellowship from their Twitter:

For those who can relate to my WTF wild pronoun haymakers, the form field is inviting applicants to specify their preferred gender pronoun.

Oh well, either they'll think I'm an unapologetic smart ass or an inexcusable and intolerable dumb ass. Probably the latter, and worse. Yuk yuk!

I'm aware of the relatively new and sometimes controversial convention of preferred gender pronoun designations, and I respect people of all walks of life. But as a wild guess, I thought maybe they were testing to see if I could give examples of pronouns. Good Lord.

In the context of a job application, this form field for adding 'pronouns' without any reference to anything, including gender, was unexpected and a little trickier for those of us who are less than 'woke'. I just didn't think about of it.

This is actually not the first time I've seen an optional input for self identification in regard to gender orientation on a job application. Most corporate employers provide an entire section of straight forward, optional self identification for race, disability, veteran status, etc. and some also include and clearly label a method for stating gender, for example, a drop down menu offering the usual suspects plus options for 'not specified' or 'I do not wish to answer' (below).

I'll admit, a form field is superior to a drop down for allowing the applicant to state their identity in their own terms. But simply the label 'Pronouns'?

Yes, get hep, cat.

I recall a few other applications that have offered input fields labeled 'pronouns', but this particular instance marks my own personal dawning moment of realization about the nature of the pronouns to which they are referring. In the context of a job application.

While I'm busy incriminating myself, I'll also admit that well after my realization, I thought to myself how they could've at least included an asterisk to show that it wasn't a required field, only to find that they certainly did include an asterisk. Dammit! But that asterisk would have made no difference. I walked right into it, no excuse other than not making the connection in the given context, despite my awareness of the convention of gender pronouns, and despite being right under the section of personal identification.

It was intuitive to add input. But should I feel so silly and embarrassed, so self conscious and misrepresented, so deceived and vulnerable? Of course! I'm applying for a job! I'm making my first impression on a potential employer. What would user testing say?

User experience is renowned for it's design-by-empathy approach, and certainly corporate America is all about diversity and inclusion. But, in this instance, I would venture to guess that I'm probably not alone in my trip and fall over this pronouns form field. In fact, I would surmise the design was handled quite delicately and deliberately, opening myself to absurd paranoia and speculation as to why it was handled this way. 

Is the form field and label a litmus test of sorts by the employer, with their hipster office located in Ponce City Market on the beltline? Is it a way of showing their own attunement to the LGBTQ community?

In light of my mishandling, could it be misconstrued as somewhat preferential towards the enlightened, or even discriminating towards those who are out of touch?

Or was it added with such a preoccupation of bias towards a particular group that it doesn't consider how disconnected it comes across in a job application for the less-than-indoctrinated?

Don't understand this form field? Not to worry. Don't worry your pretty, empty head. You won't be hearing from us anyway.

Were they being bold in establishing a new standard? For a company that prides itself on crafting user experience, I would expect them to design for the lowest common denominator like we always do, accommodating for old and outdated technology and people - errr, less savvy end users. Might they recognize and expect that not everyone is aware, and I dare say - many or most, to offer a couple of non-binary pronouns - are out of touch with this convention. At least without the prompting of a few cues, or additional context. On a job application...

Relax. We were merely reflecting our company culture.

When I'm applying for a job, I'm not thinking about my gender, much less representation by my pronoun. Did I just get schooled? Will they graciously and generously excuse my howling faux paus, or toss out my application with scorn? Would I get ribbed at an interview, or would I be on indefinite social probation and an object of ridicule by the Finger Pointing Society in the work place? Do I need to tell some personal anecdotes of times I've been kind and supportive towards gender outsiders (ooooohhh, no he/him/his di'ent), or even round up some testimonials? Is this a new form of discrimination?

Possibly a sign of the length to which companies are willing to virtue signal at the expense of common sense, and in this particular instance, a surprising and exceptional blind spot from a usability point of view, especially by a company who designs communication solutions and prides themself on user experience.  

Ask Legal.

Gender? We didn't say anything about gender. We just added a form field, and labeled it 'pronouns'. What are you getting all upset about? There was no asterisk inside that form field. That was on you!

Aren't they kind of tiptoeing around the tulips? A bit 'wink-wink, nudge-nudge, say-no-more'. A bit 'don't ask, don't tell'. Or at least a little 'pssst...what's the password' for the disenfranchised, unemployed, midlife, binary, non-hipster. (: /

BTW, I learned that emoji from a friend's 20-something son, and I added the unibrow to personalize. Can I have a lollipop?

But, I wasn't trying to avoid a form field. I was in the flow of completing an application, and you asked me for a pronoun. Did I fall for a dark pattern i.e. a deliberate method of exposing those who are in the dark? How many other applicants have done as I did? 

Is gender designation so important on a job application that they would risk creating confusion for so many? What's the value proposition? Are you only hiring people who are aware of this treatment so they will bring those values to the company? Does the company assume that a lack of awareness or regard for this pronoun convention is an indicator of a heartless and intolerant individual?

We simply want to project that our company is inclusive and non-discriminating.

Oh, okay. By adding this convention, they are inviting the person to declare their gender so that they feel understood. How thoughtful and empathetic!

More likely, it's relevant to avoiding a discrimination law suit if the person who they hire makes an issue of how they want to be addressed based on their sexual orientation.

Or less sinister, it's just a way of being respectful and friendly, so everyone in the office can refer to people in the way that they identify. 

Okay, fine. Yet, another way to put it, they are effectively asking the person's sexual orientation. Is this relevant to hiring? Is this a privacy concern? Could this be misconstrued as discriminatory?

That's why there's an asterisk, just chill out, you caveman. Let them take pride and revel in their inclusive culture.

Ahhh! Does this mean I'll get a pass for being out of touch? Errr, in touch, but not in the context of this pronoun field in a job application? They created an opportunity for those who want to self identify, but for the less-than-aware, they dropped a banana peel. If I move forward in the hiring process, I'll be struggling to regain my composure.

If this pronoun convention becomes a standard for accessibility and compliance, shouldn't it also be subject to the rigors of binary, yet highly tolerant users, like myself? Is that unfair? Is it reasonable to suggest that the convention itself is just a little confusing or even biased? 

Bottom line. The handling of this dangling 'pronoun' form field is awkward and vague at best, if not outright deliberate bias. If a company wants to include gender pronoun designation in a job application, they might be more inclusive by providing some common sense context so everyone understands. At the least, it would seem fairly obvious apart from whatever legal caveats I might not be considering to specify 'Gender pronoun identification' as the form field label, and include some examples inside the form field itself - 'e.g. she/her/hers'. Or would that open them to a legal liability? Or, would that kill their way hip and cool vibe? As though the batteries of thousands of electric scooters passing by their office would suddenly go dim and cause a pile up.

I'm not sure if I would have put my own pronouns if prompted, because frankly I'm not wild about making public declarations and relegating myself to a category of any kind, regardless of my own personal clarity. But at least I would have had a chance to think about it before submitting my application. Honestly, I would hope this was not supposed to be a trick question, but it was enough to put some bees in my bonnet.

Moreover, as companies take on these kinds of sensitive tasks, there needs to be room for honest dialogue. Who wins in the end? All users? Are companies who claim to value diversity and inclusion including everyone? As often is the question, who is actually running the user experience, UX or Legal? Can there be a reasonable balance of compassion and common sense for all?

Words account for a critically high proportion of most human interface. Esoteric language or emerging conventions such as the preferred gender pronouns can leave a lot to the imagination and become a barrier to entry, forming a club for a few and fostering far less a society, much the way organized religion can be exclusionary and hypocritical. Sometimes the best way to promote accessibility and invite others into the fold is to offer plain language and supportive context. 

Hey, jackass, it's now illegal to fire someone based on their gender identify or sexual orientation.

Duh! So, if I prefer to live alone and like to hump my pillow, can I make my own category and add it to a forrrrrmmmm fieeeeeeellllld? So, when my employer shows me the door, I can pull up my application and say 'No, no. I'm a hump-tee; and therefore, you cannot dump-me.'

How dare you!

(: D

P.S. since the writing of this entry, I was interviewed by a guy who immediately notified me of his gender pronouns and status as an officer in the company based on his gender preference. 

That's the first thing they wanna impress me with? Welcome to The Rizzo Widget Corporation, where I am first and foremost recognized and hold status as the resident knob gobbler.

Actually, I googled the company and learned they were paying out a hefty fine for a discrimination law suit based on a disproportionately low head count of a certain category of employees. So maybe they wanted to impress me, but, given that I grew up in restaurants and have been working with gay people since my early teens, I don't give a rat's ass. Is that okay? Or am I supposed to perk up and do jazz hands?

Or was I supposed to tout my preference and status, too? Um...some chics dig me on Tinder. 

I understand there are those who have experienced hostility and discrimination, but this insistence upon defining oneself through one's gender and wearing it on your sleeve is at least as annoying as the pushy religious people who may have oppressed them. It gets a little chip-on-the-shoulder-ish. 

To further illustrate the 'level', when I asked about culture culture, they told me how the company let them work from home because of COVID. No, I don't mean in what other ways is the company covering it's ass and pretending to care, offering glimmering generalities just like every other company. I mean, what's unique about your company culture. If that's all it takes to placate and make you feel appreciated, you guys are HR's dream come true. 

Maybe one day, someone will announce 'Open your mouth and close your eyes and you will have a big surprise'. 

You bunch of fourth-graders. You'll get your surprise alright, corporate never disappoints.