Beacon Lane Consulting hosted a webinar to talk about the importance of words – the words we use in job descriptions, EEO statements, and other recruiting media – that ensure we are inclusive in our recruiting efforts.
What Do We Mean by Inclusive Diversity?
Diversity recruiting isn’t just about hiring more women or more minorities. It’s about finding the best talent among all candidates. While that list certainly includes women, underrepresented ethnic groups, LGBTQ+, and veterans, it also includes people with disorders, such as ADHD and dyslexia; candidates with criminal records; and others who could bring the skills you need for your organization but who may not even make it as far as applying for a job because of the words used in your job descriptions.
Word Choice Matters when Trying to Attract Top Diverse Talent
As you write job descriptions, lean toward words that professional women will identify with. Instead of words like “aggressive,” “competitive,” and “manpower,” use words like “resilient,” “creative,” and “growth.” It’s not that women can’t be aggressive or competitive. They can be. But words like resilient and creative resonate more effectively and elicit action. In addition, use words with a positive connotation instead of words with a negative connotation, to attract more diverse candidates. For example, choose words like “excellence,” “innovative,” and “elevate” instead of words like “challenging” and “unpredictable.”
When crafting an EEO statement, choosing positive words can have a dramatic impact on how diverse of a candidate pool you are able to attract. For example, saying, “We welcome your inquiries about compensation” instead of “We will not discriminate or retaliate against applicants who inquire about compensation.” It’s a marked difference in tone that has a measurable impact on talent acquisition.
Throughout all of your recruiting efforts, from job descriptions and EEO statements to recruiting media (brochures, images, videos, websites), your message needs to clearly convey that you welcome and celebrate diversity, that you are supportive and inclusive of all people, and that you truly keep your promises, demonstrated in the form of fair compensation, opportunities to grow with the company, and transparency in all diversity efforts.
Moving Beyond Why
There is no longer any question about the benefits of having a more diverse team. It brings strength, innovation, and profit to the forefront, whether it’s front-line employees, back-office staff, leadership, or members of the board. We’ve outlined clear and actionable steps that any organization can take to be more inclusive in their hiring efforts. You can download the key takeaways from the webinar here.
When you’re ready to take the next steps, Beacon Lane Consulting is here to help.
I like what you said about diversity recruiting meaning that you hire the best talent of all candidates. My sister has been thinking about how she will hire a good team for her business’s sales team. I bet if she found a recruiting agency to help her out then she could find talent in no time!