Create social change through your next hiring decision. Sign Up for Hire Trans NOW and join the movement to end hiring stigma and employment discrimination against the transgender community.
What is the "hiring challenge"?
The Hire Trans NOW hiring challenge asks your organization to proactively recruit transgender job candidates and ensure all candidates regardless of gender identity, expression, or history are given equitable consideration for your organization's open positions.
Do we "HAVE" to hire trans job candidates to participate?
While we would love to say, "The Hire Trans NOW hiring challenge asks your organization to hire a transgender job candidate within a year of signing on," we understand hiring cannot and should not be significantly based on identity factors alone; after all, that is the cause of so many transgender job candidates' unemployment.
Further, employers do not always know if job candidates are transgender. Many transgender people are not "visibly trans" and due to the extensive stigma and discrimination transgender people face, " stealth" or "cis-gender passing" transgender job candidates often decide not to disclose their transgender identity.
Why hire trans?
The transgender community is among the most over-educated and underemployed communities on the job market. Despite qualifications, experience, and fit transgender job candidates, especially "visibly trans" job candidates, face increased challenges on the job. Given these challenges, transgender workers are often accustomed to working harder to thrive at work than their cisgender counterparts. Further, living on the social margins of society exposes transgender people to diverse perspectives, adding unique contributions to an organization's outlook. Such "identity downsides" give many of transgender job candidates a competitive edge in the job market.
All in all, the current state of hiring stigma and employment discrimination against the trans community means talented, hard-working, and creative job candidates are regularly passed up for their cisgender counterparts. We have a surplus of excellent transgender job candidates in this city--your organization has the opportunity to take advantage of this unfortunate fact.
How does my organization benefit?
Participation in Hire Trans NOW grants your organization:
1) Free access to a talented and overlooked workforce (described above)
2) Free ongoing positive LGBTQIA2S-affirmative publicity
3) Free education and consultation typically costly when working with LGBTQ training organizations and consultants
4) Boost in staff morale - many find that supporting good causes at work gives more meaning to one's job
5) Efficiency and peace of mind - your organization can help the city of Chicago resolve a major moral social issue while meeting your practical organizational needs at the same time.
How do we post an open position?
Once you sign on, you will receive an email to activate your account. Follow the link and create an account from which you can post a job and review your job listings.
What if we're not hiring?
If your organization anticipates having a job opening in the next year, great; sign on in advance and be ready for that hiring cycle. If your organization does not anticipate having a job opening in the next year, we still welcome you to participate in Hire Trans NOW and demonstrate support and solidarity with the trans community. Employer's participation in Hire Trans NOW signals to the public and other Chicago organization that you believe in and are committed to LGBTQ equity and justice. Regardless of your hiring status, you can help set an example and inspire other organizations to sign on as well.
Can any staff person sign their organization on to Hire Trans NOW?
While any staff member can initiative and ensure their organization's sign on process, an owner/executive director and a hiring manager (or the equivalent) must sign on the Hire Trans NOW submission form.
How can I get my organization to sign on to HireTransNOW?
Talk to your employer and make sure they know about Hire Trans NOW. You might simply suggest that your employer learn more about Hire Trans NOW and what it entails. Our Hire Trans NOW representatives can answer any questions your employer may have. Email introductions between your employer and our Hire Trans NOW team are also always welcome: info@chicagotherapycollective.org.
How will we know when a transgender candidate applies?
You may not know, unless that job candidate discloses their identity to you. Job candidates may share their identity with you at any point in the hiring process, or they may not. It's left to the discretion of each job candidate to decide whether or not they will "out" their trans-identity. We encourage job candidates to do what feels most comfortable for them.
How do we know if transgender job candidates will have a good experience?
If interviewing transgender job candidates is new to you and you would like to learn about best practices for interviewing, hiring, and employing transgender staff, we recommend our 2 hour Trans-Inclusive Hiring Training for your hiring team. Review our Get Trained initiative and send us an email to schedule your training: info@chicagotherapycollective.org.
What if we've never had a trans 101 training?
While participation in Get Trained or attaining certain educational prerequisites is not mandatory for signing on to Hire Trans NOW, it is a good idea to make sure your organization is prepared for its first trans hire. If your organization has not received a trans 101 training or trans 101 refresher in the last year, we encourage you to sign up. We also have 201 level curriculum for more in depth, nuanced, and applied trans-inclusive workplace considerations.
How do we know if we need training or help?
We offer a free Trans-Inclusive Self-Assessment to participating employers that can help give you a sense of what additional education and learning your organization may need.
