We all know that the wording in job adverts can discourage certain parts of the population to apply – terms such as tenacious, fast-paced, action-orientated, and driven deter women – and, as a result, most employers have become much better at de-biasing their Job Ads.
Indeed an ever-increasing number of businesses are telling us that they now run their Job Ads through one of the many gender decoders on the market which is great news.
After all gender bias in the workplace is not only an obstacle to equality – but it can hold businesses back. Women offer a different perspective and a way of working with and managing people that can produce the same successful outcomes or better.
Yet while most HR leaders are now aware that gender-biased language exists in their job descriptions and are of the opinion that they can fix it independently, it’s not just gender bias that we need to be aware of.
Racial bias – never ever mention race or origin and, if possible, remove names from candidates’ applications and review ‘blind’ – needs to be eliminated as does ageism (avoid phrases like ‘work hard/play hard’).
Companies also need to be inclusive of workers with disabilities - be sure to state clearly that you welcome applications from people with disabilities or impairments.
However while the wording of job ads should begin with mitigating bias, DE&I (Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion) is just one component of optimising job adverts.
There are plenty of other elements to consider when it comes to writing an effective Job Ad. The Ad needs to be well written (no spelling, punctuation, and grammar mistakes please as first impressions count) with an appealing yet accurate title – and well structured, containing relevant, informative content that can be read on both a mobile and a desktop. Always include empathy, would you apply to this role?
SEO is also super important. You need to identify the keywords (at least six) that should be sprinkled effectively throughout the job advert – the right keywords can get your ad in front of the right candidates.
Bottom line? Your hiring process starts with the not so humble job ad – a Job Ad is 90 per cent science, 10 per cent human intervention – so getting it right will have a significant impact on the quality of response and a positive outcome.
Daunted by the prospect of writing the perfect Job Ad? We don’t blame you. It’s a crucial yet challenging task and the fact of the matter is that most businesses just don’t have the required internal capability and experience to write a fully optimised Job Ad to recruit the right candidates.
Often the owner, HR head, hiring manager, or previous staff member in that role is asked to draft the Job Ad. The problem is that the aforementioned aren’t copywriters, content editors, DE&I specialists, and Job Ad optimisers. That’s our job and our automated technologies role.
So if you’re struggling to write an unbiased, optimised Job Ad that will encourage a diverse pool of highly qualified candidates to apply, it’s advisable to approach an external agency such as yours truly.
We’re recruitment content marketing specialists and we’re here to help! Working and collaborating with Get-Optimal is about taking control, not giving up control. Make the change, and make the change today.
Daniel Fellows
CEO
Get-Optimal.com
We all know that the wording in job adverts can discourage certain parts of the population to apply – terms such as tenacious, fast-paced, action-orientated, and driven deter women – and, as a result, most employers have become much better at de-biasing their Job Ads.
Indeed an ever-increasing number of businesses are telling us that they now run their Job Ads through one of the many gender decoders on the market which is great news.
After all gender bias in the workplace is not only an obstacle to equality – but it can hold businesses back. Women offer a different perspective and a way of working with and managing people that can produce the same successful outcomes or better.
Yet while most HR leaders are now aware that gender-biased language exists in their job descriptions and are of the opinion that they can fix it independently, it’s not just gender bias that we need to be aware of.
Racial bias – never ever mention race or origin and, if possible, remove names from candidates’ applications and review ‘blind’ – needs to be eliminated as does ageism (avoid phrases like ‘work hard/play hard’).
Companies also need to be inclusive of workers with disabilities - be sure to state clearly that you welcome applications from people with disabilities or impairments.
However while the wording of job ads should begin with mitigating bias, DE&I (Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion) is just one component of optimising job adverts.
There are plenty of other elements to consider when it comes to writing an effective Job Ad. The Ad needs to be well written (no spelling, punctuation, and grammar mistakes please as first impressions count) with an appealing yet accurate title – and well structured, containing relevant, informative content that can be read on both a mobile and a desktop. Always include empathy, would you apply to this role?
SEO is also super important. You need to identify the keywords (at least six) that should be sprinkled effectively throughout the job advert – the right keywords can get your ad in front of the right candidates.
Bottom line? Your hiring process starts with the not so humble job ad – a Job Ad is 90 per cent science, 10 per cent human intervention – so getting it right will have a significant impact on the quality of response and a positive outcome.
Daunted by the prospect of writing the perfect Job Ad? We don’t blame you. It’s a crucial yet challenging task and the fact of the matter is that most businesses just don’t have the required internal capability and experience to write a fully optimised Job Ad to recruit the right candidates.
Often the owner, HR head, hiring manager, or previous staff member in that role is asked to draft the Job Ad. The problem is that the aforementioned aren’t copywriters, content editors, DE&I specialists, and Job Ad optimisers. That’s our job and our automated technologies role.
So if you’re struggling to write an unbiased, optimised Job Ad that will encourage a diverse pool of highly qualified candidates to apply, it’s advisable to approach an external agency such as yours truly.
We’re recruitment content marketing specialists and we’re here to help! Working and collaborating with Get-Optimal is about taking control, not giving up control. Make the change, and make the change today.
Daniel Fellows
CEO
Get-Optimal.com
