Leontien Rutenfrans

Marketing Manager Textmetrics
June 2, 2022

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Gender bias in job descriptions—where we stand now

In recent years, it has become clear that companies need to focus more on diversity and inclusion. People of all backgrounds, genders, and ages need to be equally represented in an organization. And they need to have equal opportunities when they apply for a job. Most companies seem to be aware of the urgency of the matter. Which is why most set themselves ambitious diversity and inclusion goals. But despite these efforts, we still see gender bias in recruitment. Especially when we look at job descriptions, a lot remains to be done. Most job ads still have a more masculine tone of voice. They appeal to men, and they discourage women from applying.

 

Gender bias in recruitment

Some progress has been made when we look at gender bias in recruitment. Companies seem to understand the importance of gender-neutral language. The number of job descriptions with a more masculine tone of voice seems to be decreasing. But not as fast as you would expect it to. There are still quite a lot of industries in which a more masculine tone of voice is common. This discourages women from applying, and as a result, you’ll receive more applications from men. That’s a real shame because a gender-neutral tone of voice can easily change this. Research shows that women are more sensitive to gender-specific language use. This means that writing gender-neutral job descriptions is definitely worth the effort. And it will lead to your company receiving more applications from women.

 

Use Textmetrics to write more gender-neutral job descriptions

A bias can be difficult to recognize. Therefore, it can also be difficult to avoid. Because what is a “more masculine” tone of voice? At Textmetrics, we offer a platform that helps you to remove gender bias from your job descriptions. It’s very easy to use. You just write your job description and our platform will analyze your words. Does your job ad have a more masculine tone of voice? Then you can use our suggestions to change this to a gender-neutral tone of voice. You’ll end up with a job description that will appeal to both men and women. Women won’t feel excluded any longer. And the number of female hires in your company will go up. An important step toward becoming a more diverse and inclusive company.

​​Want to know more about our Smart Writing Assistant? Click here.

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