Job description mistakes that may be holding your company back from attracting consistent diverse candidate slates

You are a company that supports diversity in talent acquisition and wish to bring in diversity in your workforce too, but are unable to do so despite putting major efforts into it. But it is some of the minor things which you might subconsciously miss out on and could be hampering your efforts into creating an inclusive workplace for all. And one of them can be at the very nascent stage of hiring, the job description.

Did you know, about 64% of newly-minted graduates shy away from applying for a position in a company if they are unable to understand what the job is about and their tasks would be and if they’re eligible for it. So today, let’s start by understanding what are the most common mistakes employers make in their job descriptions, which could be holding them back from attracting diverse talent into your workforce.

Heavy usage of Gendered Terms

Employers need to understand that there are certain words in the day-to-day and professional vocabulary which are gender-coded and are generally used to address men. Such descriptions end up discouraging the candidates from other genders from applying for the position, as it makes them feel excluded. Avoid using gendered words like salesman, steward, freshman, in the descriptions, and rather go with pretty straightforward terms. Like, Sales Executive/Person, Attendant, Fresh graduates, etc.

It is suggested that before publishing the job description, give it a read yourself, make the women in your team go through and take feedback from them. You can also use online tools like Textio Hire which helps you understand and improve the language of your job descriptions.

Excessive and unnecessary job requirements

Job seekers spend on average, 49.7 seconds reviewing a job description before deciding whether it is a good fit. Historically, white men will apply to a position if they are 60% qualified, where underrepresented groups feel the need to be 100% qualified in order to apply. Hiring managers may think that asking for more than they need will weed out candidates. In actuality, this fixed mindset is perpetuating inequities and privileges.

Adopting a growth mindset means looking at candidates holistically, not just based on having an above and beyond technical set. It also means focusing on someone’s ability to learn & grow into a role and what transferable skills can be an asset. Instead, limit job descriptions to “must haves”. Use soft language to ask for “nice to haves” Ex: “Bonus points for one or a combination of any of these skills”. Ask for familiarity with certain technologies as opposed to set years of experience for every single technology.

Highlighting specific positions for specific genders

Another major flaw which you might be discouraging diverse talent from joining your company could be the gender identification you are giving to certain job positions. For instance, job openings with titles like “Front Desk Executive needed (Male)” or “On-Site Supervisor Required, Preferably Male” or “Femal Receptionist Needed”.

When you put certain job positions under a specific gender banner, it shows your company in a negative light and as an employer who has clear gender-bias. This could push away many talented women from even considering an offer from you.

An Inclusive workplace will always give preference to qualifications and talent and not the gender of the applicant. An inclusive workplace will never decide if tougher jobs should go to men and lower-level positions to women.

Too much corporate jargon, complex language

Sometimes employers, to sound like a modern, sophisticated workplace, end up using heavy industry terms in describing the job position they’re offering. But many times, even experienced professionals aren’t aware of the meaning of certain corporate terms This can be a major drawback in your job description and will possibly drive away talented personnel from applying to your company.

Because the heavy use of corporate jargon and “company-speak” may end up making the candidate feel like they’re unqualified as they couldn’t understand the needs of the company from him in the description.

Keep it simple. No need of throwing in terms like KPI, ROI, SLAs, etc. without even describing what it stands for. Difficult to understand language will only be a bane for the employers, especially when seeking out talent for positions that do not require the knowledge of the language but other physical or technical skills. It is suggested that one use the local language if preferred and it will only widen
your pool of talent.
Be sure to:

• Bold keywords and skills
• Keep JD’s short and simple
• Use simple fonts
• Use plain speech

No mention of support for diverse talent or inclusive communities

In today’s day and age, nobody wants to be connected in any way to an individual or group that does not support equality, diversity, and inclusivity in their profession and workplace. And just like employers conduct background checks for candidates before hiring them, applicants, especially women and people of color and from the minority, do their bit of research too in understanding if the company is inclusive and an equal workplace.

While you might be working hard and making efforts into making your workplace an inclusive space that respects talent and accepts one and all, the world won’t know it until you tell them about it. And further, the absence of any mention of your diversity initiatives, or partnership with diverse community organizations will make the candidates pass on you.

Have a section that clearly states that your company does not discriminate based on race, gender, age, disability, social class, socio-economic status etc. Emphasize that people from all backgrounds are welcome to apply and link pages that demonstrate this commitment throughout your company. Do not shy away from mentioning in your job description that you are an equal opportunities employer. It gives the applicant a great boost to the candidate’s confidence, that they are going to be a part of a talented group that doesn’t see race, color, religion, ethnicity, or gender.

No clarity on benefits like parental leaves, health insurance, childcare, etc.

Candidates prefer working with people who support them and stand by them during their need of the hour. Nobody wants to work at a place where they are considered as “resources” and not humans. And when candidates belonging to the minority seek out jobs, simple yet important benefits like childcare subsidies, health insurance, and parental leaves give them the confidence to be a part of the organization and give their best, as they have the trust that they are respected and taken care of.

Mention the benefits your organization offers in clear terms, which will be added perk for the applicant to consider working for you over others. When you leave out or do not specify any such additional benefits and compensation in the job description, they’ll move on and look at other opportunities, having you on missing out getting a diverse talent on board. Include company perks like flexible hours, summer Fridays, meal vouchers, or describe details of benefits like 401k, health benefits, and professional development opportunities like public speaking workshops, certification/master program assistance, PD budget etc.

Now that you’re aware what might be the mistakes you’ve been making as an employer in your job descriptions, it’s time you fix them and ensure you create a workplace that is a safe and inclusive space to work and grow together. And later to understand the improvement in your diversity hiring, make sure you ask yourself these questions after publishing the JDs:

• Were we able to attract more women to this job posting now that we’ve changed the language from a more masculine POV to a more inclusive one?
• Did candidates express in the interview why they were attracted to the role outside of location & pay?
• Did we get more qualified applicants to apply after simplifying the post?
• Were we able to attract more people of color after including our DEI commitment in the JD and linking the real work we do in this area?

By making the change to inclusive job descriptions and doing the work to track this data, your company will be far ahead of the competition!