What's in Your Email Signature?

There are many things we can do to foster an environment where everyone feels welcomed, respected and valued—including addressing each other by our preferred names and personal pronouns.

Our LGBTQ+ Allies Employee Resource Group (ERG), in collaboration with other ERGs and the Inclusion Council, have worked to create some guidance on including preferred names and personal pronouns in our email signatures.

Members from the LGBTQ+ Allies ERG started this work by researching policies at other organizations, including leading health systems, to learn how they are creating more welcoming and affirming environments and what their recommendations are for chosen name and pronoun usage. They also reviewed best practices from LGBTQ+ organizations and gathered input from employees across multiple levels and departments within Carilion.

Preferred Names and Personal Pronouns Matter

Using your preferred name and your personal pronouns, if desired, helps others address you in an appropriate and respectful manner. It also removes the need for others to assume how to address you, which makes our workplace more inclusive and comfortable for us all.

Like we encourage each other to use our patients' preferred names in verbal and written communication, we follow that same practice with fellow team members. It's an opportunity to affirm we care for each other and helps build trust in our working relationships.

"Disclosing your pronouns is important to folks who don't identify as cisgender and makes people not feel alone. It also helps build relationships with co-workers who feel they are in a safe space," says Nathan Everson, a pharmacist clinical specialist and LGBTQ+ Allies ERG member. "Adding your pronouns to your signature (and other places) may seem like a very small thing to someone, but it can have a large impact on the person who might read it."

"Creating a truly equitable and inclusive workplace requires more than publishing a nondiscrimination statement," says Todd Null, HR leadership consultant and LGBTQ+ Allies ERG member. "It requires tangible steps to live out that statement and demonstrate it in public and meaningful ways. Adding your chosen name and pronouns to your email signature is a tangible way to send a message of inclusion and demonstrate that you are a safe person."

A New Email Signature Guide

Our email signature guidelines have been updated to include how to add your preferred pronouns. Emails sent using your Carilion account are professional communications and a reflection of both you and our organization—following the guidelines helps you convey a high level of professionalism and trust.

When you create a signature, it is a way of letting people know how to reach you, and it is intended to represent Carilion and the views of Carilion, not your personal viewpoints. We provide guidelines and templates like the ones below so you can stay consistent with our organization's style and messaging. If you've never set up a signature before, you can find detailed information on setting up and inserting your email signature in Outlook from Microsoft.

There are two possible signatures you can set up, one that goes to people inside Carilion (internal) and one that goes to people outside of the organization (external). To use the following templates, open your Outlook and go to File>Options and click on the Mail tab. Find the "Create or modify signatures for messages" section and click on the Signatures button. 

Choose the email signature template you'd like to use, copy it and paste it into the text box in the signature box in Outlook. Then replace the general information with your own personal information.

Template 1: Internal
Name (pronouns), credentials
Title, Department
Facility
Phone: xxx-xxx-xxxx (xxxxx)
Mobile: xxx-xxx-xxxx
Fax: xxx-xxx-xxxx

Our mission: Improve the health of the communities we serve.

Template 2: External (add the following lines above the mission statement in your internal signature to create an external signature)

Email address
CarilionClinic.org
Follow us on Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn

Notes:

• Also add "Carilion Clinic" on the line after your title and department if you don't list a specific facility.
• While adding your email address may seem redundant, some email clients use a display name and don’t show the email address. If your email is forwarded, the recipient may not have your email address and won’t be able to contact you.

Example:
Hiram S. Grant (they/them), R.N.
Consultant, Human Resources
Carilion Clinic
Phone: 540-458-1234
Mobile: 540-520-5678
Fax: 540-212-5555
hsgrant@carilionclinic.org
CarilionClinic.org

Follow us on Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn

Our mission: Improve the health of the communities we serve.

How to Format Your Carilion Clinic Email Signature guide is posted on the Brand Center on Inside Carilion. First-time users on the Brand Center will need to register first to access the guide.

If you have questions, please reach out to the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion:

• • Dr. NL Bishop
    nlbishop@carilionclinic.org
  • Briana Apgar
    blapgar@carilionclinic.org