REASON: Names are not always straightforward. For example, candidates with different names on their email vs. their driver’s license, or with unfamiliar names, or you simply don’t know how to pronounce their names. If you aren’t sure what name to use or how to pronounce it, ask, don’t guess. Asking shows you care and want to be right, where guessing risks putting the candidate in an awkward position of correcting you. This same tip applies to gender – if you aren’t sure, ask, don’t guess. It may feel a little awkward for you to ask but think how much worse it would feel to a candidate if you guess wrong. Bonus tip: Don’t ask for “preferred pronoun” (an out-of-date convention for interacting with transgender people), as it is not a preference, it just is.
Check out all the previous tips here.