7 Tips for Writing an Inclusive Job Ad

Employers are waking up to the power of disabled and neurodivergent talent, but reaching these people requires a thoughtful and inclusive hiring strategy. So how can you make the most out of today’s diverse hiring pool?

Inclusive recruitment starts at the job ad, so we’ve put together some hints and tricks to make sure you’re not ruling people out of the process before you’ve even begun.

Here’s your ultimate guide to writing an inclusive job ad.

1. Avoid a laundry list of requirements 

The number one pitfall we see employers falling into is a never-ending list of requirements outlining the ‘perfect’ candidate. 

While you might think an extensive list could lead to a smaller pool of better-matched candidates to sift through, the reality is that many great candidates will self-screen themselves out of the process. And these candidates tend to be women.

You’ve probably heard Sheryl Sandberg’s much-quoted Lean In stat, that women will only apply for a job if they match 100% of requirements, whereas men will apply for a job if they match 60%. Women self-screening themselves out of a process is a big problem, particularly when it comes to more senior, higher-paying positions. As a result, despite gains towards gender equality in the workplace, the World Economic Forum predicts that the global gender gap is still an unacceptable 130 years away from closing! 

Limit your list to the ‘must-haves’, get rid of the ‘nice-to-haves’, and encourage as wide a pool of candidates as possible to apply for your roles.

If you’re a Disability Confident employer, you should endeavour to provide interviews to disabled candidates who meet the minimum criteria of the role. Therefore, make it clear what’s a minimum requirement vs a nice-to-have, and ensure you state you’re part of the scheme and what that means to applicants on your job ad!

2. Focus on skills, not experience

Think carefully about what a candidate *actually* needs to be able to excel within a role. While the tendency can be to fall back upon a formal background of training or education to screen candidates, is this really required? Does it need to be in the job ad, or could you state that you’re open to candidates with other experiences?

Neurodivergent, chronically ill and disabled candidates may be more likely to have non-linear, non-traditional backgrounds due to juggling their health and careers, but that doesn’t mean they can’t thrive within a role. Instead, see the creativity, resilience and empathy they can likely bring to the opportunity.

Rather than looking for a specific background or education, could you offer on-the-job training instead? Recognise that bias in the workplace means some candidates will have had fewer opportunities to build a traditional bank of experience. Instead, ask yourself what transferable skills a candidate could bring to the table.

3. Actively choose inclusive language

There are a few things to note here. First, ditch the job ad jargon. Looking for a ‘coding rockstar’ or a ‘social media ninja’? That language is going to put many candidates off straight away. Instead, use the standard industry title that everyone understands. This will also help candidates find you; the chances are nobody is searching for social media ‘ninja’ jobs on LinkedIn or job boards!

Second, be conscious about choosing inclusive language within the job ad itself. Avoid gendered language like ‘nurturing’ (female-biased), confident (male-biased)  or ‘competitive’ (male-biased) by running your ad through a tool like this Gender Bias Decoder. Never use ability-skewed phrases like ‘walk-the-walk’ or ‘talk-the-talk’. Similarly, phrases like ‘young and energetic’ could put off both older candidates and those with health conditions. 

The bottom line is to be really considerate about the language you are using, to ensure inclusivity to all candidates.

4. Pick the right format

Is your job ad accessible to every candidate, including the disabled, dyslexic and those with visual impairments? 

The British Dyslexia Association recommends choosing a sans-serif font such as Arial, Verdana or Calibri, with a font size of 12-14pt. Other tips to help dyslexic candidates read your posting include larger line spacing, avoiding using all capital letters, and bolding rather than underlining text for emphasis.

For candidates using screen readers, using plain text is key. Additionally, make sure any videos have closed captions and images have descriptions. These changes should also be followed through on your careers page.

5. Be upfront about perks and benefits

One of the key things candidates are looking for is your benefits package - so be upfront about what you can offer! 

This means being explicit about your office arrangements. Can a role be remote, or hybrid, or will a candidate be expected to travel into an office X days per week? If this is the case, is your workplace truly accessible to disabled and neurodivergent candidates? Or would you consider making a role fully remote for a chronically ill or disabled candidate? 

Similarly, candidates want to know what you’re offering regarding sick pay, parental leave, and other benefits like fertility perks or menopause support. The ideal is to link to a full page on your website outlining your benefits package, but it’s also worth outlining key perks in the job ad itself.

6. Salary matters

Always include a salary range within your job ad. There’s no getting away from the fact, salary matters! Why waste your own time (and a candidate’s time) by not including a salary range and then needing to screen out candidates with expectations that don’t fit what you can offer?

Research from Reed found that more than 1 in 5 candidates (22%) will only apply to jobs explicitly stating a salary. What’s more, 78% said they were less likely to apply for a job without a stated salary.

Money talks, so don’t be coy about what you can offer!

7. Offer reasonable adjustments - and give examples!

Our final tip is to be as explicit as possible about what you CAN do to support disabled and neurodivergent candidates throughout an interview process - and in your workplace.

Rather than leaving it up to candidates to make suggestions about what you can do to support them, give examples of adjustments you could make. For example, can you provide interview questions ahead of time, or even offer time for a candidate to meet an interviewer ahead of their interview to settle their nerves or anxiety?

For autistic candidates, a ‘dry-run’ of a commute to an interview and familiarising themselves with an office environment ahead of time, can be a game-changer - is this something you can offer?

For assessments, can you offer time-extensions, alternative ways a candidate can submit answers (e.g. video or audio instead of written answers), or cool-down rooms or breaks?

Remember that 70-80% of disabilities are invisible according to the UK Parliament, so don’t assume to know what a candidate needs to thrive just by looking at them! 

By taking the extra steps to extend your candidate pool out as wide as possible, you can make the most of the skills and experience neurodivergent, disabled and chronically ill talent can bring to your business. Not only this, but following best practices when recruiting will filter down into an improved culture too. So what are you waiting for?!