Those she/her/hers at the end of email messages are more than a passing trend

“At the end of May, TIAA, the financial services and investing giant, rolled out new gender-identity awareness guidelines for its client-facing consultants. The guidance included: “Never assume someone’s gender identity” and “Be aware that a person’s pronouns can change over time. They may also change based on context.”

More remarkably, it stated: “Create the space for gender inclusion by asking for a client’s preferred name and pronouns and/or by sharing yours (‘Hello, my name is Jane and my pronouns are she/her. It’s very nice to meet you.’)”

Corie Pauling (she/her/hers), TIAA’s chief inclusion and diversity officer, says this style of introduction is a way of indicating that the client should feel welcomed, that “your desire is to include them.”

Arguably, it’s also one of many signs that the corporate world is waking up to the power of inviting everyone—customers and employees of every gender identity—to explicitly state their pronouns and be seen for who they are.”