7 Tips for Making Your Job Posting More Inclusive
Growing your team can be an exciting time for your company. Ensuring a welcoming and inclusive workplace begins with the job posting.
The job posting is the applicant's first impression of the workplace. It is important to remember the different ways you can make your job posting as inclusive as possible.
You can use this blog as a guide to promote a more welcoming and diverse workplace and eliminate any discrimination or biases.
Why do Inclusive Job Postings Matter?
Creating a diverse and welcoming workplace starts with the job posting. Inclusive job descriptions mean that your organization can:
Showcase practical implementation of your company values and DEI policy. The company's values, including its DEI initiatives, should be displayed to make applicants aware that you take your DEI initiatives seriously.
Increase employee retention by demonstrating that you value accessibility for everybody within your company. Building mutual trust between the employer and employee and in turn, also promotes greater productivity throughout the workplace.
Expand your hiring pool because the applicants will feel welcomed and confident. Taking the time to create a job posting that uses neutral language and is inclusive will only build a more substantial candidate pool.
How to Make Your Job Postings More Inclusive
TIP 1: Show the Salary
By disclosing the salary to applicants, you are being open and honest that your salary wages will remain the same regardless of gender, sex, or race. According to SHRM, compensation and benefits are the most sought-after element of a job posting.
Not including a range of salaries could deter a diverse range of applicants. By being transparent and attracting applicants aware of the salary, you are already creating a foundation of honesty for your company. It also won't waste the applicant's time, and they will be able to continue their job hunt.
Furthermore, letting candidates know what inclusive benefits you offer can help attract more diverse talent, such as flexible schedules, floating holidays, paid parental leaves, tuition reimbursement, professional development, and many other reasons.
TIP 2: Show your Commitment to Diversity
We recommend adding a land acknowledgment to the footer of the job posting. This encourages the inclusion of Indigenous applicants and emphasizes the company's commitment to DEI.
We also recommend you include a statement in the job posting emphasizing that the company values diversity and is committed to DEI. If your company has specific DEI goals or a Diversity Mission Statement, include it in your posting as well.
Download our Free Land Acknowledgement Template and DEI Commitment Guide today
TIP 3: Check for Bias in Job Posting Language
The language you use in your job posting is crucial to creating an inclusive job posting. A study by Appcast examined over 400,000 job postings and found that gender-neutral job postings receive the most applications.
We recommend avoiding male or female-coded language. Using gender-neutral language is an essential part of a job posting. Avoid gender-biased language when describing job qualifications.
Ability-biased language excludes people based on their ability. Avoid language like “must stand on your feet”, “walking,” and “healthy,” which are code words for ability bias. Refrain from making assumptions about potential candidates' abilities and keep the language free of language that discriminates against persons with disabilities.
You can use tools such as Textio to verify that your language is aligned with your brand and language that is inclusive based on data from previous hiring documents. When writing the job posting, try using specific job characteristics and goals for the employee in this role rather than explaining how the work tasks can be accomplished.
TIP 4: Ensure your Posting Screen is Readable
How do you ensure that your posting is screen readable? Are people who have disabilities able to access your job posting in a way that works for them? Microsoft has an accessibility checker to ensure that the content you send out, such as emails, is accessible to people with disabilities.
Alternatively, you can use a text to speech tool such as Speechify. This is a Chrome extension text-to-speech reader that also compatible with mobile devices. LinkedIn has some products you can add to make your business page and postings inclusive and accessible.
In addition, LinkedIn gives you step-by-step instructions on how you can add to make your business page and postings more inclusive. They also include a video on how to add “Otter” to your page and demonstrate it’s voice note function.
TIP 5: Leverage Niche Job Boards
We all know about using LinkedIn, Indeed, and your company website to publish your job opportunities. Have you ever tried posting on other job boards that target a more diverse group?
Job boards like Black Professionals in Tech Network (BPTN) can help your company find diverse talent and reach people from diverse communities that you may never had the opportunity to connect with.
For a longer list of employment sites that might not be on your list today, take a look at our previous post about Job Boards that Can Help Meet Your DEI Goals.
TIP 6: Clarify the Closing Date and Interview Process
Why is it important to make sure the start date and the closing date are clearly indicated? Job applicants will have varying abilities, backgrounds and experiences, so it is important to ensure that people are not discouraged by the application process to encourage inclusion.
The interview process can be daunting; therefore, to alleviate stress and reduce hurdles for certain applicants, clearly outlining the interview process's steps is important. Being transparent about procedures and timelines is especially important to some candidates. The clarity on how the entire process will be conducted ensures an inclusive approach.
Closing Dates are important for mothers who need to make arrangements for their families while working or looking for work. It is also crucial for students who are balancing work and school might need to make accommodations.
Interview Process Outlines can be drafted to create an inclusive space in two ways:
In-person interviews: Ensure the interview takes place in an accessible area or building which includes a wheelchair ramp and an elevator.
Online interview: Include pronouns in your name display and use closed captioning, an option for Zoom users.
TIP 7: Encourage Applicants to Apply (even if they don’t meet all requirements!)
The perfect candidate doesn't exist. Ensure that the applicants feel comfortable applying for the position even if they don't have all the skills mentioned in the posting.
Forbes explains why women don't feel they can apply to certain jobs and the complexities that go along with job applications.
LinkedIn states that women are 16% less likely to apply to jobs if they don't think they 100% fit the role, whereas men will apply even if they only have 60% of the qualifications.
Encouraging applicants to apply is a step towards ensuring that you create an inclusive space for anyone who could be a great fit for the role to apply.