Unless you’re blessed with a common name, chances are you’ve had to spend time teaching people how to pronounce it.
I don’t think I have a complicated surname but I’ve seen some interesting interpretations of it, Heatherman to be a regular one that crops up, and I know I’ve been guilty of not getting someone’s name right the first time around.
LinkedIn has come up with a genius way to make it easier for people to know how to pronounce your name the right way. There’s now a new audio recording feature on profiles so LinkedIn users can record how to pronounce their name, add it to their profile and then people can click on it to hear along.
Product manager Joseph Akoni who helped develop the feature told the Wall Street Journal this was something he regularly faces. “I’ve encountered this personally with my Nigerian middle name — there’s a 99% chance someone won’t pronounce it correctly on the first try,” he explained.
The platform makes the point that correct pronunciation isn’t just manners: “It’s an important part of making a good first impression and creating an inclusive workplace," said Akoni in a blog post.
At the moment, the feature is only available in the LinkedIn iOS and Android apps.
The first thing is to ensure you have the latest version of the app so go to your respective mobile app store and search ‘LinkedIn’ to see if you need to update. If the voice recording feature isn’t there yet, don’t worry: the company is rolling out the update across its platform.
It’s good to see platforms adding inclusive features particularly when it comes to professional settings. Now when you go for that big interview after someone reached out to you via LinkedIn, you should be safe in the knowledge they’re not going to pronounce your name wrong.
