A job description has more than one function in the hiring process it gives candidates the information they need to decide whether the position is worth applying for. In addition, it allows employers to screen candidates based on necessary qualifications.
A poorly written job description, on the other hand, might deter people from applying for the position or frighten them by highlighting abilities they lack, lowering their chances of success in the interview.
With that in mind, here are 6 ways you can write a more inclusive job description that will help you attract the best possible candidates while increasing your chances of making a great hire using your recruitment software.
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What Exactly Does Inclusion Mean?
Inclusion refers to including people who are traditionally excluded from a particular social, economic, or political group. This can be done in several ways, including affirmative action, diversity recruitment, and social marketing.
Inclusion is important for a number of reasons:
- It helps to build trust and credibility among customers and stakeholders.
- It can help tap into a pool of potential candidates you might not have otherwise.
- Inclusion can help build social solidarity among groups traditionally excluded from social, economic, or political life.
- Inclusion can help to create a more equitable society.
1. Your Job Title Should be Specified
A job title might describe the position’s responsibilities, the employment level, or both. Job titles that incorporate phrases like “executive,” “manager,” “director,” “chief,” “supervisor,” and so on are common in management positions.
Offer a clear job title in order to attract the type of candidate you are looking for. To do this, be sure to include your job title in each individual posting on social media and your advertisements. Make sure your job title includes keywords that will attract the right kind of candidate.
Recognizing and overcoming unconscious bias, utilizing gender-neutral and inclusive language. And just expressing the company’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion are all important aspects of creating inclusive job advertisements that appeal to underrepresented talent.
2. Remove Gender-Coded Words
You may be passing up on qualified candidates if they feel the role is better suited to the opposite gender.
Avoiding terms that are commonly considered to be coded for a male or female audience, even if they only hint at gendered preconceptions, is the easiest approach to avoid this common error.
The following are some examples of gender-coded vocabulary.
Female-Coded Words-share, responsible, understand (or understanding), together, committed, interpersonal, feel, compassion, nurture
Male-Coded Words-Aggressive, courageous, ambitious, decisive, aggressive, protect, independent, battle, dominating, outspoken, challenging, determined, and superior.
For high-volume recruiting, eliminate gender-coded terms.
3. Describe the Positive Effects of Diversity
When you describe the positive effects of diversity in your job description, you are placing yourself in a position to attract the best talent. When you promote a diverse workforce, you can build a more innovative, creative, flexible, and competitive business.
A diverse workforce is critical to business success because it offers a variety of perspectives.
It also helps to maintain critical skills and knowledge within an organization, with fewer employees. Leaders often spend more time devising innovative strategies and communicating with others to achieve their goals.
According to McKinsey, evenly diversifying the workforce may boost GDP by 26%. In addition, companies with a gender diversity of percent are 15 % more likely to see greater financial returns.
A good job description communicates to a wide range of candidates while explicit about the necessary skill sets. In addition, candidates will see that you are an inclusive workplace that evaluates all applications regardless of gender, background, handicap, or status if you start with sensitive, thoughtful, and inclusive wording.
4. Eliminate Racial Bias
Racial bias, like gender bias, may be subtle, and it’s sometimes perpetuated unwittingly by recruiters who are otherwise aware of the significance of inclusive job descriptions.
You may assist minimize implicit and explicit prejudice in your job advertisement by paying close attention to terms and phrases.
There are a few things that you can do to eliminate bias in your job descriptions.
First, make sure that your job descriptions are clear and concise. This will help candidates to understand the essential duties and responsibilities of the position.
Next, use specific and measurable terms when describing the duties and responsibilities of the position. This will help candidates to understand what they are expected to do and help them to measure their skills against those required for the position.
Finally, include examples of how candidates have excelled in similar positions in your job description. This will give candidates a better idea of what they can expect if they apply for the position.
5. Attract Experienced Employees
When looking for a candidate, keep in mind that highly competent workers will only apply to firms that they believe fit their qualifications. So, be aware that the job description your organization posts in pursuit of them is the first thing they view.
Given that this will likely be the candidate’s first impression of the firm and will influence whether or not they apply for the position, it must be well-thought-out and of the same high quality as you require.
Ensure that the job description has sufficient information about the job to clarify the position’s needs while also being clear and succinct. Highlight any aspects that you believe the applicant should pay special attention to. These include the skills, responsibilities, and qualifications required for the job.
To expand your candidate pool, broaden your qualifications:
- Remove any criteria that aren’t necessary for the work to perform.
- Keep them brief. A comprehensive list may keep applications at bay.
- If the hire can simply be trained on the software, don’t ask for familiarity with it.
- Make a broad list of areas where transferable talents are acceptable.
- Outline which qualifications are essential (must-haves) and which are preferable (preferred) (nice to have).
6. Highlight Your Diversity & Inclusion Efforts
Highlighting your diversity and inclusion efforts in your job description is important to show that you are committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for all employees.
This can be done by including language such as “We believe in diversity and inclusion” or “We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace for all.” This will help ensure that all employees feel comfortable and welcome in the workplace.
Additionally, it can help attract a more diverse pool of candidates, which can lead to better decision-making and improved productivity.
Your company may employ more diverse individuals by using an Applicant Tracking System. Recruiters may ignore prospects of certain ethnicities, genders, physical abilities, and so on according to an applicant’s degree or experience rather than their ability and aptitude, but an AI will not.
By taking these simple steps, you can make a real difference in how your workplace functions and the quality of work produced.
Inclusive job descriptions are vital in creating an accepting and welcoming environment for everyone. By following these 6 simple steps, you can create a job description that accurately represents the diversity of your workforce.
We hope you find this information useful and that you take the time to implement it into your job posting process!
