Gender Identity on Job Applications (What are the new terms)

Do you know that question on a job application where you identify your gender? It will be titled like this: Inclusion Diversity and Equity; some applications will just call it Gender others will have it under EEO (Equal Employment Opportunity) 

It is a great question, especially now because it shows we are going more into a diverse world with so much opportunity. 

The only thing with this is that it can get confusing because of terminology and not understanding what something might mean. I don’t believe these terms are enough for the majority to understand the meaning easily, so, in this blog, we will dive in deep with the words and their purpose.

Let’s talk about the nine main ones you might see on applications.

THE GLOSSARY

A gender / Genderless / Gender Neutral- Individuals that do not feel connected to nor identify with any specific gender. 

Cisgender- Cis describes a person's gender identity with what sex they were assigned at birth. 

You may see this in different ways.

Cisgender Female: Individuals whose current female gender identity aligns with the female sex assigned to them at birth.

Cisgender Male: Individuals whose male gender identity aligns with the male sex assigned to them at birth.

Bigender: An individual who fluctuates between traditionally “male” and “female” gender-based behaviors and identities. 

Non-binary / Gender Non-Confirming / Genderqueer / Genderfluid: Individuals who identify beyond strictly male/female.

Transfeminine: Individuals who were assigned male at birth but identify with femininity. 

Transgender Female: An individual who identifies with a male identity but was assigned the male sex at birth. 

Transgender Male: An individual who identifies with a male identity but was assigned the female sex at birth.

Transmasculine: Individuals who were assigned female at birth but identify with masculinity.

Two-Spirt: Individuals, often from indigenous cultures, who walk between genders.  

Passing: When an individual is regarded to be or “passes” as a cisgender male or cisgender female. 

Third Gender: An individual who does not identify with either male or female but identifies with another gender.

The Summary

There could be a bit more identifying key terms, but for the majority of job applications, it will consist of the ones that I provided. 

This is important to understand because as we evolve, with more diversity, opportunities, and so on, we need to know how to identify ourselves.

Also, someone who would browse through this for the first time may feel confused because it is new terminology within the professional environment. Not all job applications will have the meanings of the terms next to them. If you are actively applying, I recommend you tab this, favorite it put this as something that will be quick access to you so you can easily have your glossary of terms.

SHRM ( Society for Human Resource Management) has some great sources also that help you understand how processes are when being hired, how employers should be going about the hiring process, etc. 

Here are some great ones in addition, you can browse through:

Employing Transgender Workers: View article from SHRM

A Sense of Belonging: View the article from SHRM

These are great public sources for further reliable resources and knowledge. 

I hope that this was helpful. If you have been struggling with the job application process, I recommend you check out my latest freebie, which will help ensure your resume is optimized! CLICK HERE