With Applied's Job Description Tool, you can write engaging ads that help attract the best talent, build the best teams and create a fair and unbiased candidate experience.
Women are 50% less likely to consider roles that have a coded gender bias.
‍
The words you use in your job descriptions convey subconscious meaning. By asking for characteristics typically attributed to males, you’re signalling that a male would be a better fit. Research has proven that gender-coded language in job descriptions is a common barrier to creating inclusive workplaces.
Examples of masculine-coded language include common words such as 'ambitious' and 'competitive' and industry buzzwords like 'rockstar' or 'hacker'. These implicit biases have been proven to reduce the number of female candidates, creating a gender gap in your talent pool.
By listing an excessive amount of requirements, you could be needlessly limiting your pool of candidates. This has particular implications for gender diversity in hiring.
Research has found that women tend to only apply for jobs when they meet 100% of the criteria, whereas men will do so when they meet only 60% of the listed requirements.
‍
Our Job Description Analysis Tool will help you strip out unnecessary or low-priority requirements and focus on essential skills. This will encourage a more diverse variety of applicants with a range of transferable skills. Someone who may previously have felt they wouldn’t make the cut could turn out to be your perfect candidate!
7-8 seconds: The length of time it takes to make a first impression on candidates.
You may be a well-regarded organisation with a fantastic company culture and excellent progression, but if that isn't properly conveyed in your job postings, you won't attract the best of the best.
‍Language in job descriptions should be clear and accessible to ensure a wide applicant pool. If you don't need a PhD to do the job, you shouldn't need one to understand the job description!
Today's job seekers have a world of opportunities at their fingertips, and they don't want to spend their time deciphering overly complex language in job descriptions. Our writing platform assesses job descriptions based on the well-known Flesch reading standards alongside a variety of analytical techniques. This way, your job ad won't exclude anyone who may end up being your dream candidate.
Acronyms and buzzwords are just some examples of common language bias that can introduce ambiguity, signal belonging (or not) and exclude people who are older, younger or from different socioeconomic backgrounds.
Applied wants to ensure that your approach to hiring is based purely on the key skills and attributes that each candidate has to offer. By using inclusive language, you can attract job candidates from a wide range of backgrounds for a fair and unbiased hiring process. Furthermore, by helping managers make the right decisions the first time around, we can help ensure a clear alignment with business goals.
‍
The Job Description Tool uses innovative language analysis, highlighting and removing unconscious biases to craft inclusive job posts, creating a fair and level playing field for all potential candidates.
Did you know that education is one of the least reliable predictors of a candidate’s actual abilities? Studies have shown that educational background, as well as years of experience, tell us remarkably little about whether a candidate is the right fit for a particular role.
‍
A person’s educational background can also lead to unconscious bias. For instance, a hiring manager may have an implicit preference for someone because they attended the same school or university.
‍
That’s why at Applied, we ditched educational background as a requirement for jobs. Instead, we take our candidate’s word for it that they can do what is being asked of them. Interested in following our lead? Use the Job Description Tool to discover if your job descriptions are placing too much emphasis on educational requirements instead of key skills.
Craft high-quality, inclusive job descriptions to discover your ideal candidates straight away.
Get your first week of unlimited use for free.
.png)
