7 Ways to Make Your Job Descriptions More Inclusive
When seeking diverse talent, the way you write your job descriptions matters. A job seeker’s first impression of your company’s culture is often influenced by what is included (or not included) in your job description.
You have to ask yourself, is the job description you wrote helping or hurting you? Are you making your job descriptions intentional, informative, and inclusive? Is gender-biased language alienating job-seekers? Are potential applicants leaving your job post without knowing what really matters to your company? Are you making ALL of the benefits of the position and your work environment, advancement opportunities, and company values clear?
Here are 7 ways you can improve your job descriptions to welcome a larger and more diverse applicant pool.
Eliminate biased language.
Gender-coded language may be subtle or even the cultural norm or ingrained in the field you’re describing, but it can also deter individuals from applying to a job or alert them that your organization is an inclusive workplace. Check your descriptions and see if there are masculine or feminine coded words, (i.e. words that are societally associated with one gender more than another such as aggressive and risk-taking vs. supportive and understanding). We recommend that you run your job description through a bias filter before you post it to ensure your language is neutral.
Class-coded language may discourage applicants from different economic or educational backgrounds and frankly comes off as elitist. Including terms like “top tier university” in preferred education relays to applicants that their educational background and unique strengths are less valued than those of an ivy leaguer. It is also important to remember that “prestigious” resources and accolades are often exclusive by nature, particularly for marginalized communities. Simply state the required level of education such as an Associate, Bachelor’s, or Master’s degree, or equivalent job experience.
Other biased language can refer to certain aspects of presentation that are “acceptable” such as “must present cleanly shaven/neat hairstyles,” which often discriminates against natural hairstyles primarily worn by people of color.
Make sure your requirements are realistic and your language is inviting.
Entry-level jobs should be exactly that, entry-level. Remove any experience requirements other than general needed skills and needed technical knowledge. Many jobs require professional licenses, education, or certifications, but do not expect a candidate to be experienced in their field fresh out of college.
Separate must-have requirements from nice-to-haves. Requiring a degree level for a job that does not require traditional educational training in a specific field (ie: law, medicine, some technical fields like electrical engineering) is needless gatekeeping that will likely negatively affect the diversity of your candidate pool. Studies show that while men are likely to apply to jobs for which they meet only 60% of the qualifications, women are much less likely to apply unless they meet 100% of the listed requirements. Be realistic with your must-haves and soften the language to be more inclusive around skills that are desirable, but not deal breakers.
Include compensation and benefits information.
For many applicants with pre-existing conditions, whether or not a company provides medical, dental, and/or vision insurance may determine whether they apply for a job. Other benefits like transportation or child care assistance, or perks like flexible hours, may make a large difference for candidates who are searching for more than a job that matches their skills but a job that supports their lifestyle, needs, and resources. Of additional importance are other cultural and tangible perks of being an employee at your company. Are there benefits to working for your organization beyond compensation?
Be transparent about your company’s values and DEI mission.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion are a benefit to many job seekers, particularly those of marginalized communities. Providing insight into your company’s mission and your focuses regarding DEI will show candidates that your commitment is core to your company and is more than an EEO statement. Aim for specificity. If you can delve further into what DEI means to your organization and how it interacts with job duties and the overall environment and the candidates you are searching for, candidates will see a fully-integrated commitment to DEI.
Make employee sentiment readily available.
Sharing employee survey results or feedback will give job-seekers insight into the current culture of your company and what active or recent employees are saying. Share a link to your company’s transparent page to impress future applicants with your openness and the data supporting the values you share elsewhere in your application and on your website. Not sure where to start? Partner with Holistic to create a Holistic Public-Facing Report. Our data analytics and consultant teams will work with you to analyze your data and provide an objective, accurate, visually appealing, and accessible report for your webpage.
Remove corporate jargon.
Inviting and casual phrasing promotes a social and supportive environment. The tone of a job description can give a future employee a sense of the tone of the workplace. Though your description should not be overly casual and excessive enthusiasm may be received as support of grind culture, descriptions can include language that feels personal or shows you are prioritizing employee understanding of workplace culture. Descriptions that support applicant’s strengths, share insights into the overall work environment, promote a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace, offer encouragement for differently qualified candidates to apply, and show interest/curiosity in candidates while displaying the benefits of working for the company will make candidates feel that you care about their understanding of the overall job and that you are looking for more than a fit for standard qualifications.
Add encouraging language for differently qualified candidates.
Encouraging job-seekers to apply even if they do not meet 100% of the requirements listed can bolster confidence and lead to more application submissions from underrepresented or marginalized groups. Research tells us that marginalized job-seekers are less likely to self-promote their skills and proficiencies and are more hesitant to apply to jobs they feel they are under or overqualified for.
The goal is to encourage a pool of qualified candidates and by tweaking your job descriptions to more accurately reflect your values and promote inclusivity, you are opening the door to a whole new group of people. Your company is evolving and so should your job descriptions.