Recruitment Blog
Best job ad examples with diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) in mind
As recruiters, if we recruit for a company that has diversity, equity and inclusion at the core of what it does, then we want that to be reflected in its job ads.
An inclusive job ad uses language that doesn’t discriminate against women, LGBTQI+ people, people with disabilities, people of colour or other protected classes. It also emphasises diversity in the workplace, including a company mission statement declaring that they encourage applications from underrepresented job seekers.
Below, we’ve detailed a range of best job ad examples that incorporate inclusive language and emphasise the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion.
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1. Michael Page: Stating the intent to be inclusive in recruiting
We’ll start easy with a job position for a DE&I specialist. Right off the bat, the job description states that Michael Page does not discriminate against potential candidates based on race, colour, religion and other protected classes.
If you look at the job’s duties, they also use inclusive language to accommodate different abilities. That is, there is no call for anyone to do anything specifically physical (they would use “walk” instead of “move”), nor is there any call for one specific gender to do the job. In a nutshell, the candidate should use their brains, rather than brawn, to do the job well.
2. Pearson: Use of inclusive, gender-neutral language
Here’s another direct DE&I job example that features the same trappings as the previous example. The job description outright states that they encourage a diverse range of people to apply for the job. Additionally, we should also notice what kinds of pronouns the ad uses.
An ad with DE&I in mind does not use gender-specific language. They’ll also usually use inviting language to make you, the candidate, feel like you could be one of the group. Rather than using he, which has traditionally been seen as the default pronoun (thanks patriarchy!), recruiters will use you or they to ensure the language is gender neutral.
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3. Socio: Benefits for people needing flexibility
Like the best job ads examples, the ad explains that they are open to all kinds of people applying to the company. Another good thing this ad does well is it lays out all sorts of benefits offered with the position. Any good company will recognise that their employees deserve benefits to assist with daily life in exchange for hard work.
For example, this one states that the job comes with health insurance, flexible hours and workspaces, learning and development support and reimbursement for $600 so you can create a work-from-home setup. These flexible benefits allow employees to choose the accommodations and adjustments that they need, with practical support and financial backing.
4. Nestle Purina: Offering accommodations during the application process
In the job ad below, it specifically mentions that the skills gained as a veteran apply to what this job needs, such as agility, flexibility and leadership. Not only that, but they also invite all candidates to ask for help if they need accommodations for the job application process. Not many companies outright state this, nor do they specifically invite specific people to apply, so it’s clear that they’re focused on recruiting the best people.
5. Strategic Information Group: Brief, non-intimidating ad
Studies show that people only take about 50 seconds to look through an ad to see if it’s right for them. Not only that but some people will get turned off if they think they’re not 100% qualified for the role.
That said, it’s a good idea to keep the ad short. List a brief number of duties and qualifications. Doing so will invite a larger number of people to apply (which may extend the recruitment period), but you will also have a more diverse pool of people from which to pick.
In most cases, it might also open new training opportunities. Most employees will come to the job intending to learn, so a company gets extra points for being willing to let them learn the skills necessary for the job.
Conclusion
When it comes to creating the best job ads examples with DE&I in mind, common sense is all it takes. Consider how your company’s benefits will serve all people and what accommodations you can give for more people to apply for the job. If you were applying for a job, what would you like to see to feel confident about applying? Keep this in mind and try to apply this question to a diverse range of protected classes to ensure that you’re addressing the needs and queries of these groups as they read through your job ad.
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