Job Descriptions are an important aspect of any recruitment process. They represent the organisation and give many candidates their first real impression of the role. In this way, the job description ought to be taken seriously as a gatekeeping document to the wider organisation and the opportunity in hand. In order to attract the best candidates through this gate, it is necessary to make sure that it is as wide as possible. This, therefore, requires thought and critical reflection, with the constant question, ‘who are we excluding by saying this?’ crucial to every line, as well as the overall document and its accessibility.
Obviously, ‘exclusion’ is just as important a component of a job description as inclusion, in the sense that the intention is to remove unqualified candidates from applying as much as it is to find the right ones. However, the focus must remain on what counts as unjustified exclusion. Avoiding this is the key to a truly inclusive job description. At the application stage, which the job description facilitates, it is a matter of productivity to focus on maximizing the volume of suitably qualified candidates before they are vetted for interviews. The remainder of this chapter will explore the elements to be aware of when promoting inclusion and how to avoid ‘unjustified exclusion’. Only by doing this will the ‘gates’ constructed by the job description remain as open as possible, and the variety of skilled candidates engaged to the greatest degree.
Key skills first / seniority
When defining the specification for the role it is crucial to always identify the key skills in the first instance. It is best practice to avoid a long list of standard/essential criteria that are not relevant to the position. Instead, use only the amount of words necessary to the role and none more, or as Orwell wrote, ‘If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out’, the same goes for a skills profile. This is important because research shows that roles with endless lists of requirements, and strict seniority demands can deter women from applying as they often want to make sure they check every criterion listed.
Furthermore, it is worth critically considering the seniority level you require for the position in question. If it is a Board role and the job description requires prior Board experience, then it should come as no surprise when underrepresented groups at Board level do not apply in the numbers hoped for. This creates a self-fulfilling prophecy in which diversity at Board level is desired but Board experience is a conditionality of reaching Board level and so on and so on. To avoid all this, simply add to the profile specification ‘analogous Board level experience/ experience reporting to Boards’. The job description can keep the Board experience requirement in a separate point if these additional qualifiers follow.
Education demands are a historic part of any job description but they can have an unintended consequence in discluding those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds who are less likely to have academic qualifications, especially at the most prestigious universities. The lack of socioeconomic diversity at Board level is an understudied but understood reality at the UK Board level; removing overly rigorous (or even totally) academic qualification requirements is a practical way to open up Boards. Otherwise, giving serious consideration to non-academic professional qualifications can also suffice.
Finally, leading with the role specification prevents the concern of tokenism once an appointment has been made and ensures decisions are based on the candidate’s abilities and not diversity characteristics.
Equal opportunity clarity
In the job pack, make sure to include a clear equal opportunities statement. Many organisations now include such a statement yet leave it relegated to the bottom of the last page. If the organisation is serious about equal opportunities and wants to promote underrepresented groups, then make sure it is explicitly stated early on. Committing a whole page to this with an explanation of the organisation’s commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion is another practical action to ‘open up’ a candidates’ experience of the recruitment process.
Inclusive Language
Do research on using inclusive language. It is impossible to avoid unconscious bias entirely but be aware of what phrases to use to describe the ideal candidate. For example, using platitudes like ‘determined’, or ‘assertive’ appeal more to men. The best way to counter this is to use a balance of masculine and feminine coded words. Danielle Gaucher, Justin Friesen, and Aaron C. Kay (2011) have put together a ‘Gender Decoder for Job Ads’ online with a complete list of words they found had gender bias from their research.
Accessibility of the pack
An often overlooked part of job descriptions is the simple fact that not everyone can read them. For those who are partially-sited or blind, they will often use screen-readers to hear about the opportunity through audio software. It is therefore inclusive to provide a screen reader-friendly version of the job description and have this present on the relevant web page. In this version of the job description, it is important to remove any unnecessary punctuation, imagery and bold/italicised fonts. A plain text document with all but the most important punctuation (full stops, commas) will be crucial to making this an effective document for a screen reader to analyse.
The overall pack
Finally, make the job pack exciting! At Inclusive Boards, we call job descriptions ‘candidate packs’ because we provide potential candidates with an exciting, visually immersive document about more than just the job’s description. For example, if there is the time, provide pictures of the current Board members with a short bio of them and pictures of the organisation’s staff members and their work. This will make the candidate feel less like they are joining a faceless large third sector organisation and more like they are joining an exciting team of interesting individuals with networking opportunities alongside the role. The job description need not be a laborious list of bullet points, it can be an interesting introduction to the organisation which looks like a great place to work. The job description can then be delivered as a brochure or a prospectus to candidates who can then see the organisation puts effort into attracting talent.
Where to place the advert and how to communicate it
When communicating the job advert it is crucial to go beyond traditional platforms and networks. A number of specialist advertising sites now exist to promote opportunities among underrepresented groups such as; Evenbreak and Women on Boards. Placing adverts on these sites as well as the larger more traditional portals is so important because it sends a message to members of that group that they are being actively sort-after which will encourage them to apply. Many underrepresented groups are deterred from applying for Board positions from the start as they believe their lack of experience/background will unfairly count against them.
In conclusion, creating an inclusive job application package necessitates a different perspective on what they ought to do. All of the above methods aim to prevent unjustified exclusion whilst selling the organisation as an exciting proposal. This need not mean extra work either, the era of the endless bullet point list can be repackaged in a more engaging format of succinct values, skills and experience. These methods open the gates of the organisation to a wider audience with all the benefits of a more diverse candidate pool that this creates.
Jack Harmsworth
Jack Harmsworth is a researcher specialising in the socio-economic composition of ‘elite’ professions. Borrowing from terminology in the field of economics, Jack is interested in the ‘barriers to entry’ that those from lower income backgrounds face when experiencing upward mobility and how this impacts wider social mobility. He has a Masters degree in Inequalities and Social Science from the London School of Economics.