If you are dedicated to having an inclusive workplace, you have to pay attention to things that may appear to be small details at first glance.
However, what you will come to understand is that things you may have initially dismissed as being trivial truly do have an impact on the work environment and how your company is perceived by marginalized groups.
One of those details is writing inclusive job descriptions. This is an important matter if you have made diversity in recruiting a priority.
What Is an Inclusive Job Description?
An inclusive job listing is one that describes the position, company, and qualifications in a way that ensures that everybody who is qualified feels welcome to apply.
It avoids language that is explicitly or implicitly biased against anybody regardless of their gender identity, race, religion, age, ability, veteran status, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status.
Reasons Inclusive Job Descriptions Are Important
Is this task really that important? It absolutely is! Here are five reasons why inclusive job descriptions truly make a difference.
Ensures that All Talented People Can See Themselves in the Role
A job listing is essentially an advertisement for a job opening. Treat it that way. When you write product advertisements, you want to entice the reader so that they can visualize themselves using that product. You would never write an ad that made it seem as if many people weren’t welcome to buy that product.
However, when you use exclusive language in a job listing, that’s exactly what you do. You not-so-subtly communicate that the job is for a limited group of people.
This approach certainly makes it difficult for anybody outside of that group to picture themselves in that position. Fortunately, you can avoid this by making some simple wording changes to use inclusive language.
Prevents Candidates from Self-Excluding
Lack of inclusivity in job descriptions can also lead people to conclude that they aren’t going to be welcomed in your organization.
Some may pursue things further by seeking clarification about the job opening or researching your reputation when it comes to diversity equity & inclusion (DE&I). Most people will simply move on to the next opportunity.
When they do this, that’s one more talented candidate who simply never crosses your desk.
Increases the Chances that the Listing Will Be Shared
The best result of posting a listing is that somebody sees your job listing and applies for the position. The next best result is that they share information about the opening with others. Unfortunately, a lack of inclusive language can make your job descriptions much less shareable.
If something leaves a nagging doubt about your inclusivity, even if it’s a small one, then people are simply going to be hesitant about passing along information about your job openings. Make them more inclusive so that everybody feels comfortable recommending them.
Cements Your Reputation as a Diverse Employer
If you want to build a culture of diversity, there is no single choice or action that makes that happen. Instead, you have to constantly do things to recruit and hire a diverse workforce and to ensure that everybody in your company is included. Any actions you fail to take can chip away at that reputation.
Think of inclusive job listings as one of these important steps. By focusing on this seemingly small action, you cement your reputation as a diverse employer.
Creates a Larger Talent Pool
We’re currently in the midst of a crisis that has left many companies struggling to find talent. The last thing any hiring manager should want to do at this point in time is to make people feel unwelcome to apply. When you publish inclusive job descriptions, you attract talent from a larger pool of applicants.
How to Write an Inclusive Job Description
How do you write inclusive job descriptions? It can be challenging because most people never intend to write job listings that make people feel unwelcome in the first place. Fortunately, there are some best practices you can implement.
Accept the Objective Reality of Implicit Bias
Most people agree that prejudice and discrimination of any sort are very bad. While this is a good way to see things, it can prevent people from believing that their job listings are in any way problematic. They simply can’t see themselves as being guilty of any sort of bias.
However, it’s rarely explicit or intentional behavior that leads to this problem. Instead, exclusive job listings are written by well-intentioned people who are unaware of implicit bias creep or who don’t know that certain words and phrases may exclude people.
So if you find yourself feeling defensive or upset, remember that this isn’t a reflection of your beliefs or character.
Adopt a Style Guide that Is Inclusive
Great news! There are style guides that help you write job descriptions and other content that is free from language that is gendered, racist, ableist, or otherwise not inclusive. While it wasn’t written for hiring purposes, the University of Idaho has created an inclusive writing guide. This guide is worth checking out.
Avoid Metaphors Idioms or Jargon
How can these things be problematic? There are a couple of things to keep in mind. First, there’s the risk that a seemingly harmless phrase might have an origin that is rooted in bias or cultural insensitivity.
Also, people who are neurodivergent or who aren’t native speakers may struggle with these terms. They may lack the ability or frame of reference to understand them. Use straightforward language to avoid being ableist.
