If You Don’t Know How to Say Someone’s Name, Just Ask

It is common courtesy to spell out or pronounce the name of a colleague correctly. However, many people with non-generic or non-western names face a problem of their name not being registered in the right way in other people's minds.

This results in a less inclusive workplace, both physical or virtual, for people who are from diverse backgrounds.

• Having a non-white name that is hard to pronounce or remember can negatively impact our chances of employment in many western countries, and the screening starts at the resume itself.
• Mispronunciation of a name also results in an ‘internal cringe’ when it is heard by the namesake, resulting in needless doubt and uncertainty professionally.
• Even kids with names being mispronounced get affected emotionally, and score lower than others.