Gendered language is everywhere. It’s in news media, television, streaming services, movies, radio, music, and other media we consume. It’s in daily conversations with family, friends, and colleagues and in our business language and documentation. Most of these terms are deeply ingrained in everyday vernacular, seen as gender neutral, and used with zero ill intent. However, the fact remains that words matter, and gendered terminology can help perpetuate unconscious biases in both men and women about the gender most suited for certain roles and positions. This is particularly significant in industries that have been or continue to be dominated by men, such as finance (fewer than one in five CFA charterholders are women¹), as it perpetuates the unconscious bias that men may be better suited to the industry. The impact of this unconscious bias may find itself in the hiring process, promotions, stretch projects, and in the less-represented gender, typically women, being less likely to seek these roles and opportunities in the first place on the assumption they are not for them. Unconscious bias training and gender-inclusive language can help companies not only attract and retain a gender diverse workforce but also help the bottom line, as a diverse company can ensure its products and services are inclusive of diverse clients and customers, increasing appeal and marketability.  

This article focuses on gendered terminology in business, but the topic of gendered language is multi-faceted and a broader discussion could cover areas such as the use of gendered adjectives in job postings, when discussing worker performance, and many other intersections.

Use of he/him/his when referring to an unknown gender

The masculine is often treated as neutral and inclusive of all genders. As a French Canadian, I grew up aware that the masculine “overpowers” the feminine. For those who did not have to suffer through French grammar (or similar languages that insist everything has a specified gender), the conjugation of a group of things/people is masculine with the inclusion of a single masculine item/person in the group.

While this is luckily not the case in English grammar, there are still many instances where he/him/his are used in job advertisements, work policies, and email as a generic pronoun. A more inclusive option is to replace he/him/his with they/them/theirs.³  

“Guys” is not gender neutral

I cannot count the number of meetings or conversations I’ve attended that started with “Hey guys” or included sentences like, “Is that enough time for you guys to finish this task?” This is said by both men and women to groups regardless of gender, and once again is done with no ill intent. However, intent does not always equal impact. How would the perception change if you were to replace “guys” with “gals” in these examples? Would you assume this article you’re currently reading was written for everyone if it had been titled “Hey Gals, Let’s Talk about Gendered Language in Business”? By addressing a group as “guys” it can minimize and erase the women in the room.

The English language may be partly to blame here, as it lacks a way to differentiate between the singular “you” and plural “you,” unlike other languages, such as French with “tu” and “vous.”  However, this does suggest an easy alternative: drop “guys” and simply use “you.” If that feels awkward, there are many terms that might work depending on the situation: all, y’all, you all, all of you, team, folks, you folks, everyone, each of you. When addressing small groups, you can use terms like: both of you, you both/three/etc., you two/three/etc.       

Alternatives for gendered terms

The table below provides a non-exhaustive list of more specific gendered terms along with their neutral alternatives.

Below are some responses to common rebuttals that can come up when discussing the topic of gendered language.

But I didn’t mean it as gendered/not inclusive

You are most definitely not alone in the assumption that these terms are not gendered based on their ubiquitousness and how ingrained they are in society. This article is not meant to attack anyone who has used these terms or who will continue to use these terms, but rather to point out these terms are in fact gendered and can perpetuate unconscious biases.

But no one has complained

It can be difficult and uncomfortable to bring these types of issues up with others, especially to superiors or those in positions of authority. Given how ingrained these terms are in everyday language, a person may have the valid worry they will be told they are “overreacting” or “being overly sensitive.” (While this is not the focus of this article, responses such as these are often used to downplay concerns raised by women.) As a gentle reminder, just because no one has brought it to your attention does not mean it is not impacting those around you and perpetuating unconscious biases.

If you are looking for suggestions for how to react if you are confronted about the use of gendered language: thank the person for bringing to your attention and listen to their reasoning. It can be very surprising to find out that the words we use daily have an impact on others that differs from our own experience. Try to understand instead of feeling defensive (which is such a difficult skill to achieve!).

But these terms are used everywhere, what can I do about it?

Start small. Start by recognizing when you use these terms. For many, it will come as a surprise how often they use these terms daily. The next step is to start replacing them with more inclusive alternatives.

If your company has a style guide for company documentation, do a review and update terms as needed, which can include creating a section on inclusive terminology. Make sure employees receive the updated version and are aware of the changes to ensure documents use only these terms going forward.    

If you manage a team or organization, set expectations about the use of inclusive language. Challenge everyone to replace gendered terms with inclusive terms and explain the importance of this for creating a more inclusive workplace and work relationships for employees, and servicing clients and customers. And most importantly: lead by example and set the tone at the top.

Conclusion: inclusive language is a step to better inclusivity

While gendered language is omnipresent and will probably be around for a long while, that should not be a reason to stick to the status quo and do nothing. Inclusive language can lead to several benefits, such as increasing inclusivity and reducing unconscious bias. In terms of business benefits, it can improve a company’s ability to attract and retain talent from the widest pool of candidates, and, when used in the company’s products and services, it can ensure the company is not excluding its diverse clients and customers.