Hueman Blog Talk | How to Make Your Job Descriptions Inclusive to Everyone

Send us a text

Unlock the secrets to crafting job descriptions that truly welcome and attract a diverse range of talent. Discover how subtle choices in language can shape your candidate pool and learn practical strategies to make your job postings more inclusive.

From adopting gender-neutral terminology, steering clear of cultural and racial bias, to emphasizing essential skills over restrictive requirements, we explore the crucial elements that can transform your hiring process.

Related Links

• Original Blog: https://www.huemanrpo.com/resources/blog/how-to-make-your-job-descriptions-inclusive-to-everyone
• How to Write Job Descriptions that Attract Top Talent
• Are Your Job Descriptions Driving Away Talent with Unconscious Gender Bias?
• Cut the Jargon, and 3 Other Tips for Entry-Level Job Descriptions
• Looking for more ways to strengthen your recruitment process? Download the World-Class Recruitment Guide
• Hueman Website: https://www.huemanrpo.com/

Don't forget to subscribe to the Hueman Resources Podcast Channel for more valuable insights on talent acquisition, recruiting, and workforce planning and management.

Visit Hueman.com to learn more about our recruiting services.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to the Human Resources Audio Blog, where we
bring you valuable insights ontalent acquisition, human
resources and workforce planningand management.
Today, we're diving into acrucial topic for anyone
involved in hiring how to makeyour job descriptions inclusive
to everyone.
Stay tuned and subscribe to ourpodcast channel for more
helpful content.
Let's get started.

(00:21):
When candidates are searchingfor jobs, the job description is
often their first interactionwith your company.
It's a pivotal moment that candetermine whether they'll take
the leap and apply.
So let's talk about how toensure your job descriptions are
not just informative, but alsowelcoming to all potential
applicants.
First things first, inclusivelanguage.

(00:42):
It might surprise you, but jobdescriptions can sometimes lean
unintentionally toward aparticular gender, so words like
caring and kind might comeacross as more feminine, while
words like competent anddominant might seem more
masculine.
This can discourage qualifiedcandidates from applying based
on gender identity.
To combat this aim forgender-neutral language that

(01:03):
invites all qualifiedindividuals to consider your job
, and if you're wondering how tocheck if your job description
is gender-coded, there's a handytool called the Gender Decoder
that can help.
Next up, let's address culturaland racial bias.
It's vital to be aware of howcertain phrases may
inadvertently alienatecandidates.
For instance, saying somethinglike must have strong English

(01:27):
skills or attended an Ivy Leagueuniversity could deter those
who don't fit that mold.
Instead, focus on what reallymatters, such as skills and
professional qualities that areessential for the role.
Now let's talk about peoplewith disabilities and
neurodivergent individuals.
The Americans with DisabilitiesAct protects these candidates,
but many job descriptions stillexclude them by using limiting

(01:48):
language.
It's important to focus on theoutcomes of the role, for
example, say, the ability tocomplete tasks on time, rather
than must be able to stand forlong periods.
This opens the door for abroader range of candidates.
Moving on to business jargon,we all know that insider lingo
can be intimidating.

(02:08):
A recent LinkedIn study foundthat jargon-heavy job postings
can actually deter youngapplicants, even for entry-level
positions.
So keep it simple by usingclear and straightforward
language that anyone canunderstand.
Let's not forget about age andexperience limitations.
Certain phrases canunintentionally scare away
younger or older candidates, andinstead of specifying 10 years

(02:31):
of experience, consider sayinglooking for deep experience in
blank.
This way, you broaden yourcandidate pool.
In today's talent market,discussing your mission and
benefits is a must.
Today's candidates want to workfor organizations that value
diversity, equity and inclusion,so include a section in your
job description that highlightsyour commitment to DEI

(02:54):
initiatives and mention benefitsthat appeal to a wide
demographic.
Finally, let's touch on theimportance of inclusive job
descriptions.
They can provide culturalinsights into your company and
signal to potential employeesthat your organization truly
values diversity.
Plus, by creating a broadertalent pool, you're more likely
to find candidates who are theperfect fit for the role.

(03:16):
Inclusive job descriptions alsohelp reduce unconscious bias in
the hiring process.
So by focusing on essentialqualifications, you avoid
disqualifying candidates who maybe just as qualified.
So, whether you're rewriting anexisting job description or
crafting a new one, keep thesestrategies in mind.
Making your job descriptionsinclusive is not just the best
practice.
It's essential for attractingdiverse talent and building a

(03:39):
thriving workplace.
Thank you for tuning in totoday's audio blog.
For helpful links andadditional resources related to
this topic, please check out thepodcast notes.
Remember to stay tuned for morecontent on recruitment best
practices and HR insights.
To learn about Human and ourrecruiting services, visit
humancom.