Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace

What is workplace diversity and inclusion?

Workplace diversity is understanding, accepting, and valuing the different characteristics composed within the organization’s workforce. These characteristics can include but are not limited to, race, ethnicity, gender, age, religion, disabilities, and sexual orientation. Additionally, this can also include differences in education, personality, and experience. Inclusion is the practice of building a collaborative environment that increases the participation and contribution of employees while supporting their diverse backgrounds.

With these growing changes in the workplace, people now have the opportunity to express their authentic self. We understand that it may be challenging for students who have a diverse background. Therefore, we have found some tips and resources to make your job searching process easier.

Using Legal and Preferred Name
Documents for job applications, background checks, social security documents, tax forms, and insurance forms will require the applicant to list their legal name. Applicants can use their preferred name on their resume and cover letter to show how they’d like to be referred. In addition, if the applicant wants to indicate that they have a legal name other than the preferred name, they can use initials or quotation marks to show interviewers.

Pronouns
There are several ways to share your pronouns:

Applicants can put their preferred pronouns below their signature.
Applicants can tell their potential employer about their preferred pronouns during the interview process, or you feel uncomfortable to address it in the interview, you can share your preferred pronouns in the cover letter and resume.
If there are no options to identify yourself, you can either check both “M” and “F” boxes or leave it blank. You can always explain to your prospective employer if the application process progresses.

Dressing for an Interview
Applicants should dress professionally for an interview while also feeling comfortable and confident in their clothes. If the students would like to ensure that they dress appropriately, they can conduct research about the company’s non-discrimination policy, insurance benefits for transgender people, and what the culture of the office is for transgender individuals.

Additional Resources: