Adding Pronouns to your Office365 Profile

Correctly using someone’s pronoun is one of the most basic ways to show that we value being inclusive and respectful. When we are referred to with the wrong pronoun, it may make us feel disrespected, invalidated, and alienated. In a hybrid multicultural workplace, the simple act of using the right pronouns for one another can help build trust and improve communication among colleagues. If your administrator has turned on pronouns in your organization, you have the option to include them on your profile card.  Pronouns on your profile are visible to people at your work or school, including guest accounts.

What are pronouns?

Pronouns are the words we use to replace someone's name in a sentence, such as “he,” “she,” or “they” in English. 

Examples:   

• They asked for directions

• I told them the meeting is at 9 am

• This office is hers   

• He will attend
   

Whether or not to share or publicly display pronouns is always up to an individual. Pronouns should never be assigned to one person by another person. It should be up to the person using them to decide when, where, and which pronouns are used – including whether to use this feature.  Knowing someone’s pronouns does not always equate to knowing their gender identity. Importantly, choosing to leverage the pronouns feature as an individual user should be optional, not mandatory.  

It is important to consider that for transgender and non-binary people, covering demands in the workplace, at school, or in other contexts, may make it more comfortable not to share their pronouns. Please be aware of any applicable local laws, regulations, or cultural norms that may pose additional risks to transgender or non-binary people as you consider whether to leverage the pronouns feature. 

Add, change, or delete pronouns on your profile in Microsoft 365

1. Open your profile card in Teams or Outlook on the web:
   
   Teams:
   
   - Select your profile picture in the upper right corner of Teams.
   
   - Select your name/email address on your profile card.
   
   Outlook on the web:
   
   - Select your name or profile picture within Outlook Mail or Calendar. Your profile card will display.

   Note: The pronouns feature is not available in the My Account portal in Outlook.

   

2. On your profile card, select + Pronouns or the pronouns listed below your name.  
   
   

3. The Add your pronouns window appears. To add or change your pronouns, select from the examples (only available in English), or enter your own. To delete, remove your pronouns.
   
   

4. In the example below, Elvia Atkins has chosen She/Her.  Select Save to update your profile. Select Cancel if you don't want to save your changes. 

   Note: Changes are updated immediately after you select Save.

   
   

5. Select Got it to exit the confirmation dialog.