Increased diversity and inclusivity continue to be workplace top trends for the coming year. As an HR personnel, you can easily promote workplace inclusivity through inclusive recruitment. Since recruitment begins with writing a vacancy ad, read on to find 5 steps to help you write vacancy ads and lead to an inclusive workplace.
Avoid Gender Bias
With the rising awareness of genders, gender stereotypes and gendered language have become restrictive and offensive. By using gendered terms like saleswoman, cameraman, he, she, etc., you can drive away anyone who doesn’t identify as either male or female. Gendered terms can also drive away those potential candidates who care about inclusivity and diversity, even if they identify as male or female.
Title the positions as sales-person, camera-person, etc., for inclusive recruitment. Similarly, use they/them pronouns to showcase an inclusive workplace where everyone is welcome and respectful.
Banish Racial Bias
Many HR personnel and employers write racially biased vacancy ads even if they don’t mean it. Racial bias can also significantly restrict the pool of potential candidates. Avoid using racially biased terms in the vacancy ad to make your company inclusive and benefit from diverse talent. Racially biased terms are not limited to nationality or ethnicity; they can also include appearance or eligibility criteria such as native English speaker, East Coast accent, cultural fit, etc.
Highlight Employee Benefits
Highlighting employee benefits can significantly help with inclusive recruitment, especially if the company offers benefits that candidates from minority communities prefer. These include flexible work schedules, remote work, hybrid work culture, healthcare including mental healthcare, in-house childcare centers, paid time off, etc. Such benefits can greatly attract single parents, people belonging to ethnic, religious, or gender minority groups, and differently-abled and contribute toward an inclusive workplace.
Don’t Ask for “Hard Work”
Writing hard work as an eligibility criterion or under a job description doesn’t only make the company look non-inclusive but also exploitative and uncaring toward employee wellbeing. This is because by “hard work,” employers seldom mean good and efficient work. More often than not, they expect the worker to do more than what they will pay for.
Moreover, “hard work” is a privilege few enjoy. Single parents or those dealing with disability, permanent illness, etc., can never afford to work longer shifts or without payment. The words “hard work” are also unnecessary as everyone knows the high chances of losing their job if found slacking.
Mention “Equal Opportunity Employer”
Mentioning that the company is an “equal opportunity employer” while also practicing the other tips allows you to write a truly inclusive recruitment ad. However, building an inclusive workplace requires more than writing it down in vacancy ads. Give an equal chance to all applicants. You can also practice providing equal opportunity by reviewing candidates’ resumes after removing their names.
Lastly, you can also open the position to all age groups and people with relevant experience to attract more candidates from all different walks of life.
