 try to stick to only the most relevant requirements for the role rather than ‘nice-to-haves’. This way, you can avoid putting people off and more candidates will feel confident enough to apply.
Another element of job application writing that could catch you out is gendered language. Gendered language can be as simple as using pronouns such as “he” and “she” in your content. It also includes gendered nouns, such as “businessman” or “businesswoman”, that are best made neutral where possible (i.e. “business person”).
Similarly, in foreign languages such as French, words can be either masculine or feminine. This system doesn’t exist in the English language, but words can still be biased towards gender stereotypes: for example, using words like “competitive” (masculine) and “collaborative” (feminine) will attract different kinds of candidates to apply. Inclusive language includes a fair balance of masculine and feminine biased words, which can help you ensure equality in recruitment.
There are plenty of tools online that can help you identify issues like gendered language and write more inclusive job descriptions, so when you’re happy with what you’ve written, you may wish to run your adverts through text analysing software to make sure you’ve got it right.
You may also wish to include an equal opportunities statement on your job advert. This should be a few short sentences explaining that everyone has the right to apply for the role and that your company strives to be an equal opportunities employer. Including this will communicate to potential applicants that they can expect an inclusive culture at your company. They should then feel safe applying to work for you and you may see a more diverse candidate pool as a result.
Once written, it’s a good idea to advertise your position through as many outlets as possible to make sure you’re reaching all types of jobseeker. Even posting an advert on more than one job board website is a step in the right direction, as different sites will have different users and demographics that you can attract to your role. Not only will this make your recruitment fairer, but you also stand a better chance of finding the perfect candidate for the role by widening your search.
2. Ensure fairness in the selection process
A key way to ensure a fair application process is to only make decisions based on how well someone can do the job you’re advertising, and nothing else. That means focussing on their skills and experience rather than their background during the selection stage.
Again, don’t be afraid of using technology to assist you. You could use software that scans applications for keywords and makes decisions based on relevant skills and experience. This can help you whittle down your applications to produce a more indiscriminate pool from which to source your talent.
It’s also a good idea to have different people involved in the selection process to limit personal bias. This way, if more people agree on a candidate, it’s less likely to be because of bias and more authentically because they believe the candidate will do a better job. Try to have diversity within the hiring team as well, so that they can provide different thoughts and ideas about who would make the ideal candidate.
At this stage, it might be useful to analyse how diverse your workplace currently is. Are all genders, races, cultures, and levels of ability represented? Could it be possible that anyone has been overlooked for promotion or training? If your company is already an inclusive place to work, it can be a lot easier to imagine how each of your candidates will fit in. Plus, you’ll be able to identify gaps in the skillset of your workforce and consider what they can bring to the office, which can make the selection process easier.
3. Avoid discrimination in interview
Unless you’re checking a requirement for the job — for age-restricted work or a role that involves heavy lifting, for example — fair hiring dictates that you should not probe a candidate about any of the protected characteristics set out in the Equality Act 2010.