In the past few years, companies large and small have ramped up their focus on diversity and inclusion initiatives. Being prepared to employ transgender employees should be part of any robust diversity strategy. Making sure the approach to attracting and retaining transgender employees is appropriate and accomodating takes knowledge and dedication.
It’s no secret that transgender individuals are often the victim of discrimination and sometimes violent hate crimes. Discrimination in employment for transgender individuals can be rampant. This history of discrimination makes education for employers even more critical.
Wynne Nowland knows firsthand the delicate balance of integrating transgender employees into the workplace. An insurance industry CEO, Nowland is also a transgender woman. At 56, Nowland came out as transgender to her entire company via email. The email stated, “You’ve all known me as Wayne, but tomorrow morning I will arrive at work as Wynne.”
Acting on instinct in a largely unprecedented situation, Nowland blazed a trail for future transgender leaders to show up as their authentic selves in the workplace.
How can companies prepare for including transgender employees when hiring? Nowland passes on some knowledge and direction for other leaders who want to fling the doors open and welcome transgender employees with open arms.
Companies Are Getting Better at Inclusion
Even as recently as a decade ago, the full inclusion of transgender individuals in the workplace was still taboo. According to the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) studies, more than one in four transgender individuals have lost a job due to bias in the workplace. Transgender individuals face hiring refusals, sexual discrimination and harassment, and privacy violations. Statistics show a large amount of unemployment among transgender people, twice the rate of the population as a whole.
It was a headline-making event for Wynne Nowland to come out to her employees. But, in the past few years, diversity and inclusion has been pushed to the forefront of important considerations for companies large and small.
“I think in general, larger companies are being more proactive with respect to DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) procedures and initiatives than smaller ones,” says Nowland.
Nowland cautions against thinking that just because larger companies are being proactive with diversity initiatives towards transgender employees, they are better at such initiatives. Talking about initiatives and executing them correctly are two different beasts. Nowland acknowledges that grassroots efforts by smaller companies may do a better job at addressing the disconnect between initiative and execution.
Fighting History and Precedence
Sadly, but likely not surprisingly, location plays a role in hiring practices for transgender people. Traditionally conservative/red states fall behind in hiring transgender employees. A landmark case in transgender rights, Bostock v. Clayton County, decided in 2020 that federal law prohibits anti-transgender discrimination in employment. Despite this ruling, anti-transgender bias still runs rampant, especially in places like the Bible Belt. Before the July 2020 ruling, it was completely legal to fire an employee for being transgender.
Businesses looking to turn the tide of bias need to actively court transgender employees. Nowland encourages businesses to use national and local advocacy groups chapters to reach potential employees and spread the word about equal-opportunity employment initiatives.
Nowland cautions against simply “talking the talk” concerning diversity initiatives. Walking the walk is imperative to right the wrongs of past discrimination.
“I think the biggest litmus test for ‘walking the walk’ is to engage the advocacy groups in meaningful discourse, to see how they feel society is doing in giving the folks they represent a true, fair shake,” says Nowland.
Transgender and Job Hunting
When hunting for a job, being a transgender individual may add an extra layer of anxiety to the applying and interviewing process. Even though the world is becoming more accepting, many companies still have a lot to learn in terms of fair hiring practices.
Nowland emphatically cautions against believing that the interview process should be different for transgender people than for anyone else.
“It’s not incumbent upon us to make our gender identity a factor in the hiring decision,” says Nowland, “As with other underrepresented groups, it simply shouldn’t be in the mix.”
Transgender men and women should prepare for interviews the same way non-transgender potential employees do: present yourself the best you can, come prepared with a knowledge of the company you are interviewing with, and discuss how your talents can help the company achieve its goals.
True equality comes when transgender men and women are not treated differently from non-transgender applicants.
Preparing to Welcome Transgender Employees and Leaders
Businesses large and small should focus on welcoming transgender people as new employees and preparing to support current employees who transition after already being employed.
When Wynne Nowland was preparing to come to work for the first time presenting as a woman, she put a lot of thought and effort into doing so in the best way possible. She decided a personal approach was warranted.
“I sent an email out to our entire team prior to them seeing me for the first time presenting as a woman. I went into a fair amount of detail as to what was going on and why and asked for their support,” says Nowland.
Nowland also assisted her company’s HR department in researching best practices for accommodating transgender individuals in the workplace. This preparation included being proactive about any questions that may arise from Nowland presenting as a woman at work.
This intimate, personalized approach is one Nowland applied to all areas of her life, at work and outside of work. She even sent messages to her local butcher and dry cleaner, letting them know about the transition.
“It’s a tactic I think that worked extremely well,” says Nowland.
As time goes on and more transgender men and women like Wynne Nowland share their experiences, the equity gap will begin to close. Transgender people have a lot to offer the working world in all industries. Employers can do their part by applying best practices towards attracting and retaining transgender employees.
