Growing Diverse Teams: Job descriptions

Job descriptions are the first impression of your brand. Building a diverse workforce begins with attracting diverse talent—your job postings should reflect that. We know that using general terms like “no experience,” “part time” or “full time” lead to more applicants to your jobs, but did you know that adding gender neutral language can also help build that applicant pipeline?

Navigating the implementation of inclusive language can leave you asking “where do I begin?” but don’t worry, Snagajob is here to help! The first step is removing gendered language from your job postings. This is a great way to attract women, trans and non-binary workers to your jobs. Take a look at your postings and see if you can remove the following words:

Both genders
Men or women
He or she
Ladies and gentleman

Example:
Men must wear pants and women must wear skirts.

If you’ve identified the above verbiage, swap in the following to describe your ideal candidate:

Folks
They / Them
All / Everyone
People

Example:
We welcome everyone to wear dark bottoms and tops that are either red, yellow, or blue as well as non-slip shoes.

These first steps may seem small, but to someone who is a part of the LGBTQ+ community, this attention to detail and inclusiveness could encourage them to apply for your job, and feel seen and motivated. You never know, they could become your next employee of the month!

You may not realize that gendered language is deterring workers from applying. You want a worker to feel valued and included from the moment they click “apply now.” Encouraging a worker to bring their full self to work makes for more passionate, driven workers. Workers who don’t feel included in their hiring and onboarding journey may end up contributing to other challenges your team faces like high turnover or understaffed locations.

If you use a custom application, it may even be useful to add in a question asking “What are your pronouns?” within the app, that way from the start you won’t risk misgendering someone! It is important to know that these aren’t “preferred pronouns” and instead they are someone’s pronouns. Also, it is important to remember to always “call people in,” and not out. If any conflicts do ever arise, whenever possible, having a face to face interaction during these moments is recommended, in order for body language and eye content to convey intent during the discussion of a sensitive topic.

It is also important to consider from someone’s name, pitch of their voice, or appearance does not determine their sexuality or gender, so it’s safe to never assume and always use “they” or simply ask “what are your pronouns?” Everyone is unique so this varies from person to person. Even folks who don’t identify as LGBTQ+ have begun using they/them/theirs pronouns in solidarity or just because it feels right to them.

Share your commitment to diversity and inclusion and benefits within your job descriptions, in your own words, from the heart. Words that have been heard time and again don’t have as big of an impact on some, like simply saying you’re an “equal opportunity employer.” Make it your own! Here’s an example of what we use at the end of ours!

At Snagajob, we celebrate our differences in an inclusive workplace designed to support the things that make us individuals. Snagajob is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and we strongly encourage candidates from all different backgrounds and identities to apply. Each new hire gives us the opportunity to bring in a fresh new perspective to further diversify our company for the benefit of our employees, products and our community.

Growing Diverse Teams: An LGBTQ+ Inclusive Language Blog Series

“We’ve learned that quiet isn’t always peace, and the norms and notions of what “just” is isn’t always justice.”

-Amanda Gorman

Words have power beyond our understanding, stay with us, and are passed onto others. Just as business owners strive for every customer to have an unforgettable experience, it is important employees, candidates, and job seekers receive the same care.

There are 11 to 13 million LGBTQ+ folks in the workforce today, and 50% are not out of the closet, leading to stalled careers or worse. Inclusive language in the workplace builds stronger teams. You have the power simply within your choice of words to change this statistic!

Did you know that by simply changing pronouns in your job descriptions you are not only making your workforce more inclusive, but you are contributing to suicide prevention, allyship, and career momentum? One small change like a neutral pronoun can make all the difference between a worker scrolling past your job or clicking “apply now.”

If one of your organization’s goals is to form a diverse workforce, we have some tips on how to grow these strong teams, from inclusive language within your initial job postings all the way to going the extra mile for your loyal employees.