What’s a name got to do with inclusion? Reducing name-based discrimination through active allyship.
LinkedIn has just introduced a new feature to enable users to record how to pronounce their name. Given that I have a difficult name to pronounce, this is indeed a welcome feature. My name is certainly ‘foreign sounding’ — I get that. It has been distorted in so many ways by many outside of the global Indian diaspora that I have stopped counting. I went through high school actively choosing to cut it down to ‘Nima’ because it just saved me from constantly cringing at hearing the mispronunciation of my name. As a teenager, I used to wonder why my parents picked that name for me of all names and chose to spell it that way — it could have been spelt Purnima which would have made things easier.
When I moved to Copenhagen, my name became more than just a name. It became very much a part of my identity and defined who I was. Of course, it always was my identity, but in a city where I am clearly a minority, my name says so much about who I am. It tells the people I meet and interact with that I am ethnically Indian, and for those who know a little bit more about India, the way it is spelt tells them that I am from the South of India. It starts conversations about the meaning — Poornima means full moon — I was born on a full moon day and my paternal Grandmother suggested the name. For those wondering why a full moon would be special — in Indian mythology and culture, a full moon is regarded as being an auspicious day, a day where there is positive energy and vibrancy. Over time, I have come to accept the sound of my name in many versions, and as long as it is said with respect, I don’t get bothered. In fact, I really appreciate those who have asked me how to pronounce my name, even if it is for the third or fourth time and am more than happy to engage with someone curious enough to ask me what my name means or where it originates from. My name is a reminder to me and those around me of my rich heritage, the colour of my skin, my culture, my background, my family, and in all this — my identity.
This makes for a good story about my name but what does a name have to do with inclusion?
When we meet someone for the first time or when we look at a new job application, the person’s name is the first identifier that enables us to connect with them but also, consciously or unconsciously, it can lead to stereotyping and at times discrimination based on our biases. How often have you met someone for the first time and upon hearing their name made mental associations about where they are from, or the kind of person they are based on your past interactions with someone with that same name, or written them off because their name was simply too difficult to remember or pronounce?
“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” ― William Shakespeare (from Romeo and Juliet)
It turns out that Shakespeare may have got that supposition wrong with research showing that name-based discrimination runs deep and has significant implications on the diversity we see in organisations. A 2017 study published in the journal Sociological Science by S. Michael Gaddis, a sociology professor at UCLA titled “How Black Are Lakisha and Jamal? Racial Perceptions from Names Used in Correspondence Audit Studies” showed that when names like Lakisha and Jamal are used, they send signs about a person’s social class and race. This study supports the findings in a 2004 study published in The American Economic Review titled “Are Emily and Greg More Employable than Lakisha and Jamal?”. The answer is unfortunately a ‘yes’ with those having more “black-sounding” names needing to send out 15 resumes before receiving an interview vs. those with “white-sounding” names needing to send out just 10 resumes before receiving an interview. A similar study conducted in Denmark in 2015 showed that applicants with Middle Eastern names like Mohammed had to apply for 52 percent more positions to be called for an interview than someone with a Danish sounding name like Mads.
Name-based discrimination is certainly not limited to the hiring process. Micro-aggressions related to a person’s name are so commonplace that those with “different” sounding names sometimes do not even notice them — it so normalised in our world. You might be surprised how often someone with a “different” sounding name gets asked “That’s a difficult sounding name, can I just call you Kate”. I have had numerous instances where friends and colleagues have asked if there was a shorter form of my name that would make it easier for them (which in my younger days led me to going by “Nima”). Other micro-aggressive questions include “That is a very unusual name, you obviously aren’t from here — where are you actually from?”.
So yes, a name has a lot to do with the diversity we see in organisations, and more importantly how inclusive our organisations are to those who are different from the majority. How many “different” sounding names do you notice in your team? While having employees from a variety of backgrounds is really an opportunity to leverage the benefits of a cognitively diverse workforce, what we need to ensure is that our organisations are being inclusive in creating a sense of belonging where every employee can bring our whole selves to work — including our difficult-to-pronounce names and feel fully accepted.
How do we achieve this? Through active allyship where each one of us:
· makes genuine efforts to pronounce another person’s name the way they would pronounce it
· gives those with a different name a fair chance
· shows a real interest in the other person’s background and culture without making them feel like they are different or do not belong
The next time you meet someone new or when you look at that job application of a person with a different sounding name, keep in mind that it is your first chance at being an active ally — one who is respectful, equitable and genuinely open-minded.
Originally published at https://talented.dk on July 14, 2020.
