Top Five Tips for Writing a Diversity-focused Job Description

Oct 15th, 2020

Did you know that men are likely to respond to job postings that they match, on average, 60% of the requirements? On the other hand, women typically only apply when they feel they match 100% of the listed skills. Taking a hard look at the list of “must-haves” can dramatically change the candidate pool that is coming in! Follow these top five tips when writing your job descriptions to increase the diversity of your applicants:

1. Attempt to be gender-neutral. By removing terms associated with a masculine tone, it can change the whole perception of the role. Terms like “Rockstar”, “Ninja” or “Guru” are geared more toward men.

2. Avoid superlatives like “expert”, “superior” and “world-class”. This can make women and minorities feel disqualified.

3. Consider your education requirements. For some roles, the degree is essential. For others, not so much. Be mindful of a population that could fill 100% of your skill needs based upon years of experience but do not have the degree hanging on their wall.

4. Do not be afraid to express where you stand on equality in the workplace. Drive this awareness through your career site, social media outlets, or your Employee Resource Groups (ERGs). Your job postings can provide this information or direct the job seeker on where to find it.

5. Promote family-friendly benefits. This also encourages a wider population to apply!