Inclusive Ads – 5 Tips For Writing Job Listings That Promote Diversity and Inclusion | If you are working to cultivate a culture of diversity and inclusivity, you may not realize that the wording you use in your job ads could be undermining your efforts. A recent Indeed survey found that only 13% of job listings currently use inclusive language, despite three out of four people supporting inclusive employment in Australia and 67% of American job seekers considering diversity when choosing a job.
So, what steps can you take to make your writing more diverse and inclusive to avoid racial, gender, sexual orientation, age, or disability bias? Read on for all the details you need.
Use Gender-Neutral Titles and Language
This point may sound like an obvious one, but you would be surprised at how many job ads still ask for gender-specific titles such as policeman, waitress, barmaid, or chairman. Beyond the job title used, there has also been extensive research showing that particular descriptive language is more likely to attract men or women.
Women respond positively to empathy-focused language such as sympathetic, empathetic, understanding, or collaborative. They are less likely to answer a job ad when the wording is “masculine-coded,” with words like decisive, determined, ambitious, and self-reliant used. If you want to check the gender coding in your job ads, you can run them through an online gender decoder tool to determine any gender bias.
Consider Job Ad Placement Carefully
Where do you currently advertise for new staff members? If you always use the same platform, it might be time to start widening your net. For example, don’t discount out-of-region employees who may be able to take on the job remotely or be willing to relocate. When advertising on social media, be mindful of the age demographic that engages with that platform. You may also consider targeting specific sites or platforms that facilitate employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
Reevaluate your Requirements
If you are serious about inclusivity, you might need to reevaluate your job requirements entirely. For example, it is relatively common to see job ads that state the candidate needs a vehicle and driver’s license. However, this statement eliminates people with a disability who may otherwise be suitable for the position. Consider replacing this statement with something like “access to reliable transportation required.”
Likewise, asking for a candidate with less than a certain number of years of experience or suggesting that the role is ideal for a graduate eliminates older workers. Stating that employees must be clean-shaven is discriminatory against religions such as Islam and Orthodox Judaism, which require that men do not shave their beards.
Include a Diversity Statement
As well as addressing the language that you use, it is also worthwhile including a specific diversity statement in the advertisement. This statement might say “we are an inclusive workplace,” “we value diversity,” or “we encourage applications from people of all races, genders, abilities, and backgrounds.” To underline your commitment, you should also include some information about your flexible work policies, parental leave, and health insurance schemes.
Standardize your Interview Process
Finally, to avoid bias in your interview process, make sure your interviewing panel is diverse, and use a standard set of questions for every candidate. If any of the candidates are referred, keep this information confidential. This way, the individual is assessed without any additional advantage. While evaluating resumes, be mindful of any potential pre-misconceptions around certain schools or names you come across.
Inclusive and diverse teams have been proven to be innovative, empathetic, and good problem-solvers. We all have a responsibility to move towards an equitable workforce – are you doing your part?
