I see a lot of companies emphatically advertising their commitment to diversity in their job descriptions. They leverage words like “belonging” and “inclusion” and “justice.” Because they want to make it clear to candidates that DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) is in fact a priority for their company.
And I believe them. After all, diverse teams are stronger teams. Numerous studies have proven time and time again that diversity leads to greater levels of innovation and success. According to McKinsey, for example, diverse teams offer a 35% boost in financial returns compared with less diverse businesses.
Even if they don’t believe in the business case for DEI, job seekers do. In fact, a Glassdoor report found that nearly 70% of job seekers consider workplace diversity a key factor in job offers with new companies, which is an incredibly large percentage of the employee market.
But just saying you care about diversity and inclusion in your job description doesn’t actually do anything to mitigate the rampant, underlying roadblocks that disproportionately benefit people from privileged backgrounds and ward off people from underrepresented communities.
As a Hispanic woman who grew up in a working-class town and was raised by an immigrant mother, I had no idea that employers would still consider me if I didn’t meet the minimum years of experience listed in the job description. I have family members who never graduated from college, because they couldn’t afford it, who are too nervous to apply to jobs that thoughtlessly list a bachelor’s degree as a requirement even when it has no impact on their ability to do the job.
These roadblocks are so ingrained in our understanding of job descriptions, that when I ask people why they chose to include a particular set of requirements in their job descriptions, I often get a variation of, “Oh, I just thought that’s how you write a job description.”
So for everyone genuinely looking to diversify their pipeline, but unclear on the “why” behind why you might be struggling to get a more diverse set of candidates applying to your open roles–even when you’ve been vehemently emphatic about your commitment to DEI–here’s how.
Remove minimum experience and education requirements
While I now know enough to be able to tell my family, “It’s not an automatic disqualifier; apply anyway,” I also know that there are many others like me who are the first in their family to enter the corporate workforce and don’t have anyone to let them in on that fact.
Eliminate the word “requirement” entirely
Most “requirements” are actually just an overly optimistic suite of “wishlist” items. As someone who has recruited for many, many roles, I can say with complete confidence that the decision-making discussion is always an exercise in determining which of our wishlist items we’re willing to let go of (or train on) and which skill sets make up for the skill sets that are lacking.
No candidate has everything you’re looking for. And if they do, any recruiter worth their salt will tell you they’re overqualified for the role and will outpace what the company can offer in terms of career development. So instead of using headers like “requirements,” opt for ones like “what makes a great candidate” and “what you’ll do” to make sure you’re not inadvertently scaring off perfectly qualified candidates.
If you don’t believe this is a real risk, there’s LinkedIn research you can review showing that women typically only apply for jobs where they meet all of the listed criteria whereas men will apply even if they meet just 60% of those same requirements.
Be transparent about pay
Pay gaps are real. They exist because of bias (whether conscious or unconscious) and because people who didn’t grow up with mentors they could ask about fair and competitive market rates don’t know when they’re getting a bad offer. As someone whose mother never made more than $35,000 per year her entire life, I know firsthand what it feels like to get a bad offer and think, “This must be a lot. I better not negotiate or they’ll think I’m being greedy.”
Companies who share salary information in their job descriptions are sending a clear message about their understanding of the systemic bias inherent in the lack of pay transparency and their commitment to changing that trend.
Stop using exclusive or biased language
Think: sports terms, corporate-speak, or words that misappropriate cultural language (i.e., guru). Not only is this intimidating for people who don’t understand these terms, but it’s also off-putting and acts as a clear signal that your team wasn’t thinking about the perspective of a diverse audience when you wrote the job description.
Do the little things (they’re actually really big)
Add a field to your online application so people can share how to pronounce their name or disclose their preferred pronouns–this easy update is a win-win.
Don’t require prior experience for entry-level positions. Not everyone has access to these experiences, especially if the only internships available to them were unpaid. If you do require some experience, offer examples of a diverse set of experiences that qualify: Many candidates don’t realize that things like retail experience or school clubs count.
Tell your candidates you’re willing to train on the job. Tell them to apply even if they’re nervous about qualifying. Trust me, knowing that you’re actively rooting for them and want them to succeed can be the difference between someone being too nervous to apply and someone mustering up the courage to hit submit on that application. (It worked for me.)
If you want to diversify your applicant pool, you can’t just say you care about diversity; you have to actually demonstrate a clear understanding of the systemic challenges disenfranchising candidates from marginalized communities and take corrective action from their very first interaction with you as an employer.
At Ethena, we tell candidates: “Excited about the opportunity, but worried you don’t meet all the requirements? Apply anyway, and give us both the chance to find out.” Because isn’t that what the process should really be all about?
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