As part of Trans Awareness Month, we had an in-house chat with Kyran (he/him) – our Creative Consultant and Daniel(he/him) – Our ED&I Recruitment Specialist about what it means to be Trans and ways employers can make the workplace more inclusive for Trans professionals.
About Kyran
Kyran graduated from Staffordshire University gaining a First-Class degree in Computer Games Design (Hons), going on to specialise as a 3D Environment Artist. Fresh out of university, he found a taste of recruitment by joining Impact and is now loving every minute of it.
Outside work, you can catch him watching scary movies (most likely hiding behind a pillow), burying his nose in a good book, or volunteering.
Trans Journey
Kyran shared his personal experience around self-discovery, coming out as Trans to his family/friends and medical transition. He also added that despite the initial shock, he was lucky to receive an overall positive response from his family as he acknowledges not all Trans people are fortunate to be in this position.
When asked why many cisgender people may find it difficult to ask questions about the Trans experience in order to not cause offence, Kyran advised that doing some research on Trans topics/issues is a good starting point – as well as accessing the relationship and boundary with the Trans individual you’re trying to engage e.g. are you a close friend, an acquaintance or stranger – as answering these questions helps understand what kind of question could be deemed too private, unnecessary or inappropriate. Ultimately, having a genuine, non-malicious and open mindset always helps!
How Can Employers create a Trans-Inclusive workplace?
Employers play a huge role in making the workplace safe and welcoming for their Trans employees and this could either take an active or passive form. Active support looks like working with charities or having gender neutral bathrooms whilst passive support could be as simple as adding pronouns to email signatures to reaffirm a more inclusive work environment.
Kyran added “To create more inclusive spaces for transgender employees, it is important to understand the challenges that transgender people face not only in the workplace but outside it too. There are many practices, big and small, the working world can implement for inclusivity and support. It is also important to note that each person’s gender identity journey is bespoke to them; open and comfortable communication is vital.
Work can be stressful enough as it is, let alone adding additional weight by feeling the need to suppress or hide aspect of who you are. The more we can craft a safe and comfortable working environment for trans individual to express themselves, without fear of discrimination or mistreatment, the better we will be.”
A big thank you to Kyran and the entire Team at Impact and we look forward to continuing this important conversation in our upcoming events. You can contact him directly via Kyran.taylor@impact-london.com.
If you are interested in joining our future discussions, please email daniel.asaya@impact-london.com
Useful links and articles:
Getting started with trans inclusion in your workplace | Stonewall
Creating a Trans-Inclusive Workplace (hbr.org)