If you work in corporate communications you know that the pen is mightier than the sword. So, when trying to connect with your audience, you must wield your words with care.
Just as the right words can unite, the wrong words can divide. Understanding and using inclusive language is a first step to create a sense of respect and connection from which an authentic relationship can grow.
“Inclusive language is effective language – it is respectful, accurate and relevant to all,” says the Diversity Council of Australia.
Chances are, you already know inclusive language is important, but you’re also aware there’s a lot you don’t know. How can you educate yourself – or your organisation?
A good corporate communications team or agency will help you in two ways, firstly, by helping your organisation understand and value inclusive language, and secondly, connecting you with resources and capability to help you get it right.
There are also some handy online resources such as the Australian Government Style Manual. As well as language advice it provides context for why words matter and guidance for how to navigate situations that are not as simple as “say this, don’t say that.”
Even if you know all about pronouns and person-first language and everything in between, it’s also important to recognise that language is constantly evolving to reflect cultural changes. So staying up to date is important.
Here are some pointers to get you started in the right direction.
Gender and sexual diversity
Understanding inclusive language will help you know when to use gender neutral language and when to accurately and respectfully refer to someone’s gender identity. Most of us know you don’t place a job add for a policeman these days, versus a police officer. But there’s a lot more to inclusive language than that.
Using a person’s preferred pronouns and title shows respect. When LinkedIn introduced the option to add pronouns to your profile in 2021, it reflected the value of gender identity in the workplace.
“For many of us, expressing our authentic self is also about our pronouns,” LinkedIn wrote at the time of the change. “They are core to our identity and how we want to be seen.”
It went on to cite that 70 per cent of job seekers and 72 per cent of recruiting managers viewed acknowledging gender pronouns as important and respectful.
Gender and sexual diversity is an area where language changes reflect cultural changes. For example the evolution of the acronym LGBT to LGBTIQA+ reflects growing recognition of different gender and sexual identities over recent decades.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
A starting point for inclusive language is recognising that there is no single Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander identity. First Nations people span a multitude of nations, cultures and languages across mainland Australia and the Torres Strait.
For this reason, it is important to consult with the traditional owners or local elders of the First Nations people you wish to engage. It’s their guidance, protocols and preferences that matter.
Age diversity
Understanding inclusive language as it relates to age is critical for all workplaces, particularly as Australians are increasingly working to older ages. Workforce participation for Australians aged 65 years or older more than doubled to 15 per cent in the 20 years to 2021, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
A key question when communicating with or about older audiences is to determine whether age is in fact relevant at all? For example, age may be relevant if writing a customer testimonial of a superannuation product, but arguably not relevant if writing a customer review of a new restaurant.
There are many other contexts in which you’ll need to know and understand inclusive language, including cultural and linguistic diversity and disability. Knowing when to refer to the person, versus when to refer to characteristics of the person, can take a nuanced understanding of the individual or community. Relationships are key.
Whenever you’re communicating with, or about, diverse audiences (which is pretty much always!) the first step is to do your research. Use the resources available to you, seek help from your corporate communications team or PR agency, and ask your audiences respectfully how they wish to be engaged and what protocols and language preferences matter to them.
Need some help with an inclusive engagement strategy? Contact us today for advice.
