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New data fields will help businesses collect and manage customer data more accurately and inclusively
Today, Salesforce announced new fields for gender identity and pronoun data in its products. This opt-in enhancement will give organizations more inclusive ways to collect, manage, and utilize data, enabling them to build trust and form deeper connections with their customers.
Today’s enhancements will launch two new fields across standard objects representing people on Salesforce — the Lead, Contact, and Person Account objects — enabling customers and their users to select, identify, and capture pronouns and gender identity. By standardizing these fields, admins will no longer have to create custom fields for their organizations, enabling them to capture more accurate customer data and deliver quicker time to value.
You can also now represent the identities of all your customers by using their desired title. We added Mx. as a standard honorific in the Salutation field to Salesforce instances created in Summer ’23 or later and made Salutation picklist values editable in Lightning Experience for all. Mx., pronounced Mix, is used as a title for people who do not identify with a particular gender. If needed, you can customize the Salutation field to include other nonbinary or honorifics specific to your company. Be sure to review any privacy implications before collecting gender-related data.
“Today’s gender inclusive features will help customers better understand and connect with a growing consumer base. In today’s digital economy, it’s critical that businesses have the accurate, authentic customer data they need to deliver the exceptional experiences people expect.”
Paula Goldman, Salesforce’s Chief Ethical and Humane Use Officer.
The gender inclusive features were designed in close partnership with Salesforce’s Inclusive Language Steering Committee – including members of Outforce, the company’s LGBTQ+ employee resource group, and Out and Equal, an Oakland-based organization working on LGBTQ+ workplace equality. Today’s news builds on Salesforce’s efforts to advance ethical and inclusive tech, including updates made to Salesforce’s technical language in 2021 to address implicit bias and increase racial inclusivity.
Inclusive, customizable features offer choice, build trust
Using the right identifiers is an important way to build trust and drive customer success. But too frequently, data systems and customer relationship tools’ standard options do not capture peoples’ full identity. The new fields will provide businesses with easy, built-in pronoun and gender identity options, while also empowering each customer to tailor fields to best fit their unique needs.
Salesforce’s new gender inclusive features will also provide organizations with more choices about whether, when, and how to use this data. Not all businesses will need or want to collect broad gender-related data. Salesforce is committed to protecting people from discrimination, exclusion, and unintentional disclosures.
When gathering data from customers, it’s important that organizations follow these guidelines:
- Prioritize safety. Gender data can be some of the most sensitive data companies collect. For LGBTQ+ and nonbinary people, the unintentional disclosure of their identity can potentially lead to discrimination or targeted harassment.
- Use transparency to create trust. Customers are more likely to trust companies with sensitive information if they’re clear about why they want it and what they gain by providing it.
- Empower customers. Organizations must provide their customers relevant options and let them choose what they disclose. Gender data doesn’t always need to be collected. In fact, it can be a limiting data point in some cases.
- Champion inclusive language. Using language and terminology that is affirming, people-centered, and inclusive is critical to obtaining accurate and reliable data — and creating better customer experiences.
Dig Deeper:
- Check out the Privacy and Gender Related Data Guide.
- Learn about intentional innovation.
