Are you using 'they/them' in your resume? Your employment chances me be impacted, says a study

A study has suggested that job applicants who include "they/them" pronouns in their resumes face a higher likelihood of rejection by employers. The theory first emerged in March when it was published by Business.com, but recently gained prominence when world's richest man Elon Musk commented "interesting" in response to a tweet supporting the theory.

In March, a survey of 400 non-binary individuals revealed their they preferred using "they/them" pronouns on their resumes. To investigate the validity of the claim that non-binary individuals face fewer job opportunities, an experiment was conducted. Researchers sent out 180 job postings for entry-level candidates, with the only difference being the inclusion or exclusion of "they/them" pronouns in the resumes.

The results unveiled an 8 per cent decrease in interest and overlooked responses for resumes containing gender-neutral pronouns compared to those without them. The inclusion of such pronouns was deemed unnecessary and ineffective in a professional setting.


Ryan McGonagill, Director of Industry Research at Business.com and author of the report, emphasised that despite numerous efforts by several companies over the past decade, the results of this study, along with previous research, indicate a lack of proportional representation in most industries, not aligning with the overall population demographics.

Interestingly, more than 64 per cent of the companies where the resumes were submitted claimed to be Equal Opportunity Employers, raising concerns about the potential disparity between rhetoric and actual practices in promoting diversity and inclusivity.

The resurgence of this theory serves as a reminder of the ongoing challenges faced by non-binary individuals in the job market and highlights the need for further examination and improvement in creating truly inclusive work environments.