A job advert has evolved beyond its initial role of simply filling a vacancy. Today, it serves as a candidate’s first impression of your company, your values, and your workplace culture. In many ways, it is your organization’s handshake to the outside world—a glimpse into what a person can expect if they choose to engage with your hiring process. A strong job advert sets the tone for the kind of experience an applicant might have and signals whether or not your business is a welcoming, inclusive environment.
In the era of online job platforms and high competition for attention, a candidate’s encounter with a job advert often marks the beginning and sometimes the end of their interaction with your organization. Whether that interaction leads to an application or indifference depends largely on how well the job advert communicates key details while also fostering a sense of openness, transparency, and belonging.
This is especially important in sectors like technology, where demand for skilled talent consistently outpaces supply. Here, the quality and inclusivity of your job advert could determine whether you attract a broad, diverse slate of applicants—or miss out on valuable contributors because your messaging unintentionally excludes or discourages them.
Why Inclusive Hiring Matters in Technology
The tech industry has made impressive advances in innovation, productivity, and global impact. However, its progress in building a truly inclusive workforce has lagged. For decades, the industry has struggled with a reputation for homogeneity—particularly when it comes to gender and racial diversity. It’s not uncommon for tech environments to be dominated by white men, especially in leadership and technical roles.
This imbalance is more than just a matter of optics. Companies that lack diversity often experience echo chambers of thought, reduced innovation, and slower adaptation to market changes. Diverse teams, by contrast, bring fresh perspectives, challenge norms, and solve problems more creatively. A broader range of experiences and viewpoints leads to more comprehensive solutions and better business outcomes.
The recognition of this need has led to a renewed focus on inclusive hiring practices. However, many organizations still underestimate how deeply their recruitment materials—including job adverts—impact their ability to attract diverse candidates. The language used, the benefits highlighted, the requirements listed, and even the tone of the advert can significantly influence who feels invited to apply and who feels left out.
By understanding this connection, companies can begin to use job adverts not only as a way to fill open roles but as a strategy to reshape their workforce, strengthen inclusion efforts, and demonstrate a real commitment to equality.
Job Adverts as Gateways to Opportunity
Job adverts are not neutral documents. They are powerful communication tools that carry the weight of expectation, culture, and access. Candidates interpret job adverts not only for content, but also for subtext—reading between the lines to determine whether a position is truly accessible to them. A job advert that is vague, overly demanding, or filled with coded language can inadvertently discourage qualified candidates who might otherwise be a perfect fit.
This is especially relevant for candidates from historically underrepresented backgrounds. Women, people of color, older professionals, individuals with disabilities, neurodiverse talent, and those from different socioeconomic groups often approach job adverts with caution. They look for clues that indicate whether an organization will respect, support, and accommodate their needs.
Therefore, when job adverts are constructed with care, empathy, and clarity, they act as a gateway to opportunity. They demonstrate that a company values diverse talent and is prepared to welcome individuals from all walks of life. When they are not—when job ads are vague, exclusionary, or riddled with bias—they act as gatekeepers, preventing people from accessing roles they are capable of excelling in.
Understanding this difference is fundamental to transforming how your organization attracts, evaluates, and hires talent in a rapidly evolving job market.
The Digital Talent Shortage and the Competition for Skills
The global workforce is undergoing dramatic shifts. Hybrid work, digital transformation, and changing expectations around work-life balance have redefined what candidates look for in an employer. At the same time, businesses across industries are experiencing mounting pressure to fill digital roles, especially those requiring specialized knowledge in software, infrastructure, security, or analytics.
This tension between rising demand and limited supply creates fierce competition for qualified talent. Businesses must work harder than ever to stand out and offer something meaningful to candidates. One area where companies can immediately gain an edge is in how they present themselves through job adverts.
A compelling job ad not only outlines the technical requirements of the role but also communicates why someone would want to work for your organization. In today’s market, it is not enough to rely on salary alone. Candidates are evaluating employers based on their values, flexibility, inclusivity, and authenticity. If your job advert does not reflect these factors, you are limiting your reach to a smaller, more traditional group of applicants.
The growing digital talent gap demands that organizations rethink old models of hiring. By widening the net and focusing on inclusive messaging, companies can begin to attract skilled individuals who may have otherwise been overlooked—simply because the job ad failed to connect with them.
The True Cost of Bad Job Adverts
Most companies understand the cost of a bad hire. Lost productivity, lowered morale, and increased turnover can all stem from selecting the wrong person for the job. But far fewer businesses understand the hidden costs of bad job adverts—those that fail to attract enough qualified applicants or unintentionally exclude great candidates through poorly chosen language or unclear requirements.
A job advert that doesn’t resonate will generate fewer applications. This leads to longer hiring timelines, greater strain on existing team members, and the risk of settling for a candidate who doesn’t truly fit the role. Worse, if the advert creates a negative impression, it can harm your employer brand and deter future applicants as well.
Another cost to consider is missed innovation. Homogeneous teams may be more comfortable with one another, but they often lack the critical tension that drives creativity. A well-crafted, inclusive job advert increases your chances of building teams that think differently, challenge each other respectfully, and develop better solutions together.
Companies that rely on cookie-cutter job ads or generic templates are gambling with their recruitment outcomes. Every word in your advert matters. It influences how your company is perceived and who feels empowered to apply. By failing to treat this content with the seriousness it deserves, businesses risk not just delayed hires—but also long-term setbacks in performance and reputation.
Setting the Foundation: What Every Job Advert Must Include
While inclusivity is a growing priority in job advertising, the foundation must still be rooted in clarity and professionalism. Every job advert, regardless of industry or level, must cover the core elements candidates expect to see. When these elements are missing or poorly communicated, it creates confusion and deters applicants.
Start with a clear job title. Avoid creative or quirky titles unless they are widely recognized in your industry. The purpose of a title is to inform—not to entertain. Creative language can be explained within the body of the ad, but the title should focus on clarity and searchability.
Outline the main responsibilities of the role in a structured and digestible format. Candidates want to understand what they will be doing day to day, who they will report to, and how their work contributes to the company’s goals. A list of duties provides much-needed context and allows candidates to self-assess whether they’re ready to take on the challenge.
Be transparent about salary where possible. While not always legally required, salary ranges demonstrate a commitment to equity and help prevent wasted time on both sides. Not sharing salary information can especially disadvantage women and marginalized groups, who may hesitate to negotiate or inquire without knowing the benchmark.
Location is also essential. If the job is in-person, indicate the office location. If it’s remote or hybrid, explain what that entails. Clarity on working arrangements is no longer optional—it is a deciding factor for many applicants.
Specify essential skills and qualifications. Make it clear what a candidate must have to be considered, and avoid listing too many optional or nice-to-have attributes, which can create barriers (a concept that will be explored further in Part 2). Keep this section concise but informative.
Finally, include a snapshot of your company. Share your mission, values, and any community or social impact work that aligns with inclusivity. This is your opportunity to build an emotional connection with the reader. Let them see who you are, what you care about, and why they would want to be part of your team.
The First Step Toward Widening the Net
Widening the net begins with awareness. It requires acknowledging that traditional recruitment practices may no longer serve the goals of modern businesses—especially those that aim to grow, innovate, and represent the communities they serve. A job advert might appear simple on the surface, but it carries deep implications for who applies, who gets considered, and ultimately who gets hired.
True inclusion starts with intention. It means recognizing that barriers exist and actively working to remove them from every stage of the hiring process. Job adverts are the front door to your company. If that door appears closed—or only open to a select few—you are limiting your chances of building a truly dynamic and representative team.
This series has laid the groundwork by exploring why job adverts are powerful tools for inclusion, how they impact hiring outcomes, and what foundational elements must be present to support clarity and accessibility.
The Language You Use Matters More Than You Think
The words you choose in your job advert can be the difference between someone hitting “apply” or walking away. While job descriptions are often thought of as neutral, research has shown they are anything but. Language carries weight. It reflects values, expectations, and culture. It can open doors—or quietly close them.
Many companies use language that inadvertently alienates entire groups of people. This isn’t usually intentional, but it stems from cultural habits, outdated norms, and unconscious bias. For instance, terms like “rockstar,” “guru,” or “ninja” may sound energetic or modern, but they often skew masculine and can be off-putting to candidates who don’t identify with that kind of bravado or informality.
Similarly, phrases such as “work hard, play hard,” “fast-paced environment,” or “aggressive targets” may subtly signal that your workplace rewards a certain kind of personality—typically extroverted, competitive, and unencumbered by caregiving responsibilities. This could deter parents, caregivers, or anyone who values a balanced and supportive work culture.
Inclusive language doesn’t mean bland language. It means thoughtful, open, and neutral wording that communicates without relying on loaded terms or cultural shortcuts. By avoiding exaggerated or coded expressions, you remove unnecessary barriers and appeal to a much broader audience of potential candidates.
How Gendered Language Shapes Applicant Pools
Gender-coded language has been widely studied and shown to impact who applies to a role. Words like “dominant,” “strong,” “driven,” or “assertive” tend to attract more male candidates, while words such as “supportive,” “collaborative,” “nurturing,” and “committed” are more appealing to women. This effect is not simply anecdotal; it has been validated through large-scale research and analysis.
In technical and leadership roles—areas already underrepresented by women—using predominantly masculine-coded words in a job ad can reinforce the perception that the role is not meant for them. This can lead to fewer applications from qualified female candidates and perpetuate existing gender imbalances in the workplace.
To counteract this, job adverts should aim for gender-neutral language. That means replacing terms like “strong leadership” with “proven team management experience,” or “dominant presence in meetings” with “confident communicator.” These phrases convey the same expectations but without biasing toward a specific gender identity.
It’s also worth reflecting on the broader tone of the advert. Is it combative or collaborative? Transactional or relational? These choices create a mood that people respond to. If your goal is to attract a more diverse range of applicants, the tone should be welcoming, respectful, and open to different working and communication styles.
The Impact of Unconscious Age, Ability, and Neurodiversity Bias
Job adverts often make subtle assumptions about age, physical ability, or neurotypical thinking without intending to. Descriptions like “a great opportunity for graduates” or “looking for energetic individuals” can make older candidates feel excluded. Phrases such as “must thrive in a noisy environment” or “must have strong verbal communication skills” may inadvertently discourage neurodiverse individuals or those with sensory sensitivities from applying.
There’s also the risk of framing disability as something to be worked around, rather than designing roles and workplaces that accommodate all kinds of people. When job adverts include requirements that could easily be adjusted—such as the need to attend in-person meetings or lift certain weights—they can create artificial barriers.
To remove these barriers, ask yourself whether each requirement in your job ad is truly essential. If not, remove or rephrase it. Use more inclusive language, such as “this role may be suitable for individuals with a range of working styles” or “we’re open to adjusting this role for the right candidate.” These small additions can go a long way in making candidates feel seen and considered.
Neurodiversity also deserves specific attention. Not everyone communicates, processes information, or interacts in the same way. Candidates with ADHD, autism, or other cognitive differences may have strengths that align with your business needs but could feel sidelined by narrowly written job adverts. Offering flexibility in communication methods, interview processes, and workplace expectations can help attract this often-overlooked group.
The Consequences of Listing Too Many Requirements
Another major barrier in job ads is the tendency to overload them with requirements. It’s common to see adverts that list a dozen or more skills, technologies, experiences, and certifications—sometimes under both “required” and “nice to have” categories. The problem is that many applicants, especially women and underrepresented groups, interpret these lists more literally than others.
Research suggests that women tend to apply for jobs only when they meet all listed requirements, while men are more likely to apply even when they meet only some. This discrepancy isn’t necessarily due to a lack of confidence, but rather a different interpretation of the rules. Many women see the list of requirements as strict criteria, not suggestions.
Adding too many non-essential qualifications may also deter candidates from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. If someone doesn’t have a specific degree or lacks a particular certification due to cost or access, they may never apply—even if they have years of relevant, hands-on experience. Similarly, candidates who are self-taught or career changers may feel excluded by job ads that rely heavily on traditional credentials.
To write more inclusive job adverts, focus on the essentials. Ask yourself which skills and qualifications are truly necessary for someone to succeed in the role. If it’s something they can learn on the job or through onboarding, consider removing it from the must-have list. Encourage applications from people who may not tick every box but bring the right mindset, curiosity, or transferable skills.
Structure and Accessibility of Job Adverts
The structure of your job ad can also influence how inclusive it is. Long, dense paragraphs and unstructured content can be difficult for candidates to digest—especially those with learning differences like dyslexia or ADHD. A wall of text can deter otherwise qualified individuals from continuing to read or engage with your post.
Aim to break your job ad into clear, readable sections with consistent headings. Use plain language and avoid overly technical jargon unless it’s truly necessary for the role. Make use of white space to create visual relief, and if your platform supports it, consider accessible formatting options such as larger fonts or alternate text for images.
You should also think about the readability score of your job ad. This refers to how easy it is to understand at a glance. Job ads written at a very high reading level may exclude candidates whose first language isn’t the one used in the advert, or those with different literacy backgrounds. Writing in a straightforward, conversational tone ensures your message is accessible to more people.
Another important consideration is compatibility with screen readers. This affects candidates who are blind or have low vision. Avoid inserting text into images or using non-standard characters that may confuse assistive technology. A job advert that is well-structured and easy to navigate is not only more inclusive—it’s also more effective in reaching your audience.
Creating a Sense of Belonging Through Tone
The tone of your job advert does more than inform. It communicates who you are as an employer. A warm, respectful, and authentic tone can help candidates feel welcomed before they’ve even applied. A cold or overly corporate tone, on the other hand, can make people feel like just another number in the process.
Creating a sense of belonging through tone means writing like you are speaking to a future teammate, not issuing demands to a subordinate. Avoid sounding transactional or dismissive. Instead, use language that invites people in. Phrases like “we’re excited to learn about your experience” or “we welcome applicants from a range of backgrounds” communicate openness without needing to overstate it.
It’s also helpful to reflect your company’s values and culture subtly in the tone of your advert. If your company values collaboration, let that come through. If you emphasize continuous learning, mention that. Candidates want to know that your company values growth, flexibility, and respect—not just profit and output.
Your tone sets the stage for what it’s like to work with you. Make it inclusive. Make it human. Make it resonate with people from all walks of life.
Visual and Cultural Signals in Employer Branding
While the content of your job advert is central, visual elements also play a role. If you’re including company branding, logos, or team photos, be aware of the messages they send. A careers page or job listing that only shows one type of person—whether in terms of race, age, gender, or ability—can alienate those who don’t see themselves represented.
This doesn’t mean you must curate your visuals purely for optics. Rather, you should strive to reflect the reality of your workforce and your aspirations for diversity. If your team is currently not very diverse, be transparent about your goals and explain how you’re working to change that. Candidates appreciate honesty and progress over perfection.
You should also be mindful of cultural references. Using idioms, slang, or region-specific expressions can make your job ad harder to understand for international candidates or those from different cultural backgrounds. Clear, global English ensures that your message is universally accessible and doesn’t rely on shared but non-inclusive cultural assumptions.
Representation in both content and visuals signals that your organization is thinking about inclusion in more than just words. It demonstrates commitment, effort, and intention.
Understanding Unconscious Bias in Hiring
Unconscious bias refers to the automatic, mental shortcuts and stereotypes our brains use to make decisions quickly. These biases are not inherently malicious; they are part of the human condition and shaped by our personal experiences, upbringing, and cultural exposure. But in a professional setting—especially in recruitment—unconscious biases can have significant consequences.
When reviewing job applications, hiring managers may unknowingly favor candidates who resemble themselves in terms of background, education, or personality. They may associate certain names, accents, or appearances with competence or likability without any evidence to support those assumptions. This natural but unexamined process can prevent diverse candidates from advancing through hiring stages, even when their qualifications match or exceed expectations.
The challenge is not to eliminate all biases—it is nearly impossible to live and work without them. Instead, the goal is to recognize their presence and limit their influence over key decisions, especially those as impactful as hiring. When left unchallenged, unconscious bias can narrow talent pipelines, hinder innovation, and reinforce systemic exclusion.
Building an inclusive workforce means being intentional about confronting these biases and implementing strategies that neutralize their effects throughout the recruitment process.
Recognizing the Subtle Forms of Bias
Not all biases are immediately obvious. Some manifest in ways that feel natural or justified but are still exclusionary. For example, a hiring manager might consistently favor candidates who attended well-known universities, assuming their education is superior. This practice excludes individuals who may have taken alternative educational paths due to financial, geographic, or personal circumstances but are just as capable.
Another subtle form of bias involves assumptions based on career gaps. A candidate who took time off to raise children, care for a family member, or recover from illness may be unfairly viewed as less committed or competent. In reality, these experiences often build transferable skills like organization, resilience, and empathy—traits that are valuable in any team setting.
Bias can also emerge through affinity—favoring people who share similar interests, cultural references, or communication styles. While rapport is important in workplace dynamics, it should not override a candidate’s qualifications or potential. The danger lies in mistaking comfort for competence and mistaking difference for a lack of fit.
Recognizing these forms of bias is the first step toward dismantling them. Hiring should be about what a person can do and how they can grow—not how closely they mirror existing team members.
Structuring Interviews to Minimize Bias
Interviews are one of the most subjective parts of the hiring process. Without a structured format, personal preferences and first impressions can play an outsized role in decision-making. To reduce the influence of bias, organizations should adopt structured interview formats with clearly defined criteria.
In a structured interview, all candidates are asked the same set of questions in the same order. Each response is then evaluated against pre-established benchmarks or rubrics. This approach ensures fairness, consistency, and a more objective comparison of candidates based on skills, knowledge, and potential.
Structured interviews also help interviewers stay focused. Without structure, it’s easy to drift into casual conversation or make assumptions based on small talk. While building rapport is important, too much informal interaction can lead to decisions based on personality fit rather than job readiness.
It’s also beneficial to include multiple interviewers in the process. A diverse panel reduces the risk of individual bias driving the outcome and brings multiple perspectives to the evaluation. Different team members may notice strengths or gaps that others miss, leading to more balanced and accurate hiring decisions.
Training interviewers to recognize their biases, take detailed notes, and base evaluations on clear criteria further strengthens the process and signals your commitment to fair hiring.
Removing Identifying Information in Screening
One increasingly popular technique to reduce bias is anonymizing applications during the initial screening phase. This involves removing identifying information such as names, addresses, graduation years, or even schools attended. By focusing purely on the content of the resume—skills, experience, accomplishments—reviewers can make more objective assessments.
This approach helps counteract name-based bias, which studies have shown can significantly affect call-back rates. Applicants with ethnic-sounding names are often less likely to receive interview invitations, even when their qualifications match or exceed those with more traditional or Western names.
By removing such identifiers, you give candidates a fairer chance to be evaluated on their actual qualifications. This technique doesn’t guarantee a bias-free process, but it levels the playing field in one of the earliest and most influential stages of recruitment.
Some organizations also adopt skills-based assessments or project-based tasks as a way of evaluating candidates before looking at their resumes. These assessments offer a real-world view of how someone approaches a problem and what they can deliver, regardless of their educational background or job title history.
Encouraging Reflective Decision-Making
Another important part of inclusive hiring is slowing down decision-making to allow space for reflection. Bias often thrives in fast-paced environments where decisions are made on instinct. Slowing down allows individuals to ask deeper questions about their reasoning and whether it’s grounded in facts or assumptions.
Encourage hiring managers to consider why they favor one candidate over another. Is it because one applicant went to a better-known school? Do they seem easier to get along with? Are they perceived as a better “culture fit,” and what does that mean?
Replacing the vague idea of “fit” with defined values or team needs can lead to better decisions. Instead of choosing someone who feels familiar, focus on what the team is missing. Is it a new skill set, a different perspective, or an ability to manage a particular client type? Thinking this way turns inclusion into a strength rather than a challenge.
Reflection also includes examining patterns over time. If you notice that similar types of candidates are repeatedly advancing while others are consistently overlooked, it’s worth investigating. Patterns often reveal biases that individuals may not recognize in a single decision.
Creating space for this kind of analysis, whether individually or as part of a hiring debrief, encourages a more intentional and inclusive approach to talent selection.
Fostering an Inclusive Culture Beyond the Hire
Hiring inclusively is only the beginning. Candidates can sense whether inclusion is just a recruitment strategy or a deeper company value. To maintain credibility and support long-term retention, organizations must follow through with an internal culture that mirrors their job advertisements.
This means having policies and practices that support diverse needs. Flexible working hours, mental health accommodations, accessible workspaces, and transparent career paths all contribute to a workplace where everyone feels they belong.
Managers should be trained to lead inclusive teams and be equipped to handle sensitive conversations with respect and confidence. Regular feedback loops, mentoring programs, and open forums for employee voice all help create a sense of safety and engagement across diverse teams.
A workplace that fosters inclusion internally will naturally become better at attracting inclusive talent externally. People talk about their experiences—good and bad. When candidates hear that your organization values diverse voices, supports career growth, and actively challenges bias, they will be more motivated to apply and contribute their full selves at work.
Hiring is a reflection of culture. If your culture is inclusive, your hiring will become more inclusive too. And if your hiring becomes more inclusive, your culture will be enriched by the diversity it brings.
The Role of Accountability in Inclusive Hiring
Accountability is a necessary component of any effective diversity and inclusion strategy. Without it, even well-intentioned policies can drift into symbolic gestures rather than real change. This applies directly to the hiring process, where transparency, measurement, and responsibility make all the difference.
Start by tracking key recruitment metrics such as applicant diversity, interview conversion rates, and the diversity of hires made. These data points reveal where drop-offs occur and which parts of the process may need adjustment. If diverse applicants are applying but not progressing to later stages, it may suggest a bias during screening or interviews.
Make sure hiring teams are not working in isolation. Human resources or diversity leads should review hiring outcomes and raise questions when patterns emerge. Accountability doesn’t mean assigning blame—it means staying curious, asking questions, and committing to improvement.
You can also consider setting goals—not quotas, but benchmarks that reflect your intent to build a workforce that mirrors the communities you serve. These goals should be realistic, grounded in data, and revisited regularly.
Holding leaders and managers accountable for inclusive hiring also means tying it to performance reviews or broader organizational goals. When inclusion is seen as a core part of leadership—not a separate or optional task—it receives the attention and investment it deserves.
Transparency is equally important. Share your commitments with candidates during the hiring process. Let them know what steps you take to reduce bias and foster inclusion. When applicants understand your approach, they are more likely to trust your intentions and envision themselves as part of your future.
Why Flexibility Is a Core Inclusion Strategy
Flexible work is no longer a perk—it’s a strategic necessity for any organization that wants to attract and retain a diverse workforce. Candidates from a wide range of backgrounds now view flexibility as a baseline expectation, not an exception. For many, the ability to work remotely, set adaptable hours, or adjust their schedules isn’t just about convenience—it’s what makes employment viable at all.
Flexibility supports a range of life circumstances. Parents and caregivers need it to manage school drop-offs, medical appointments, or unexpected emergencies. Individuals with disabilities may need flexible hours to accommodate health routines or transportation. Employees with neurodiverse needs may find they focus better at different times of day or in quiet environments at home.
By offering flexibility in where, when, and how work gets done, you send a powerful signal: we trust you, we value outcomes over appearances, and we’re serious about inclusion. Flexibility tells candidates that they won’t need to constantly ask for exceptions—that the workplace is built with many different lives in mind.
The more intentional your flexibility policies are, the more inclusive your job ads will feel. Clearly describe your approach to remote work, hybrid models, flexible hours, or job-sharing arrangements. Avoid vague statements like “we offer work-life balance” and instead be specific about what flexibility looks like in your organization.
The Remote Work Advantage in Attracting Diverse Talent
Remote work has opened up entirely new talent pools, especially for individuals who were previously excluded due to geography, mobility, or access barriers. People living in rural areas, small towns, or regions without strong local job markets now have access to meaningful employment they might never have considered before.
Remote work also benefits people with physical disabilities, chronic illnesses, or sensory sensitivities by removing the need for long commutes, inaccessible buildings, or overstimulating office environments. For many, working from home allows them to show up more fully and consistently.
But offering remote work isn’t enough—it has to be built into the role from the start, and reflected in the way you talk about the job. If a role can truly be done remotely, say so in the job ad. If it’s hybrid, explain what the expectations are, and whether location is still a consideration. Clarity around remote work removes guesswork and reassures candidates that they can apply without needing to relocate or negotiate their way into flexibility.
When remote work is framed as a core part of your organizational design—not a temporary fix or a hidden benefit—it becomes a powerful magnet for diverse applicants.
Inclusive Benefits That Go Beyond the Basics
Traditional benefits like health insurance, paid time off, and retirement plans are important—but they’re no longer enough to stand out. To attract a more diverse group of applicants, benefits should reflect the full spectrum of people’s lives and identities.
Inclusive benefits start with acknowledging that not everyone follows the same path. Think about offering support for fertility treatments, adoption assistance, and parental leave policies that are inclusive of all genders and family types. This signals support for LGBTQ+ families, single parents, and people pursuing nontraditional paths to parenthood.
Mental health support is another area where benefits can have a significant impact. Offering access to therapy, counseling, or mindfulness programs tells candidates that your organization prioritizes emotional well-being as much as productivity. Similarly, stipends for home office equipment, commuter benefits, or wellness initiatives show that you’re thinking about practical realities and quality of life.
It’s also important to consider how your benefits apply across borders if you’re hiring globally. International candidates need to know whether benefits extend to them, and what equivalents might be available in different regions.
Listing benefits clearly and inclusively in job ads makes a difference. Candidates shouldn’t have to ask whether they’ll be supported—they should be able to see it immediately in the way the opportunity is presented.
Supporting Neurodiverse and Disabled Candidates Through Design
Inclusive hiring is also about making roles accessible from the moment of application. That includes rethinking how job design, communication expectations, and team dynamics affect candidates with disabilities or cognitive differences.
For example, neurodiverse candidates may thrive in roles that value focus, pattern recognition, or deep problem-solving—but they might not shine in high-pressure interviews or spontaneous group tasks. Offering accommodations such as alternative application methods, asynchronous interviews, or written tasks can make your process more inclusive without compromising fairness.
You can also include a statement in your job ads that encourages candidates to request accommodations during the hiring process. Make it clear that support is available and that it won’t impact how their application is evaluated. These small steps reduce anxiety and remove invisible barriers for many applicants.
Flexibility around job structure—like adjusting hours, modifying communication styles, or reducing unnecessary multitasking—also helps support disabled candidates once hired. An adaptable workplace, not rigid, is better equipped to support long-term retention and growth for people with a wide range of needs.
When inclusive design is embedded into the job from day one, you create roles that people can grow into, not just survive in.
Building Belonging Through Internal Policies
Even the best-written job ad won’t convince someone to apply if they don’t believe they’ll be welcomed once they arrive. Internal policies must align with your external messaging. This means actively creating a culture of belonging through systems, feedback loops, and shared accountability.
Flexible working should not penalize employees in terms of promotions or visibility. Remote workers should have equal access to leadership, mentorship, and project opportunities. Managers must be trained to lead hybrid or distributed teams with empathy and equity in mind.
Your employee handbook, onboarding process, and internal communication all shape how inclusive your organization feels. If benefits are difficult to access, policies are inconsistently applied, or inclusion is treated as an afterthought, diverse candidates will notice quickly.
Belonging doesn’t just happen—it is cultivated. By aligning your internal systems with your inclusive hiring practices, you ensure that new hires aren’t just recruited, but retained, supported, and set up to thrive.
Communicating Your Commitment with Honesty
Candidates today are discerning. They read between the lines of job ads and company descriptions to understand what you stand for. Inclusion language that feels generic or performative won’t resonate. What does resonate is honesty—about where you are now and where you’re working to go.
If your organization is still early in its inclusion journey, say so. Let candidates know that you’re learning, adapting, and open to feedback. Share the concrete steps you’ve taken—whether it’s implementing inclusive hiring practices, launching employee resource groups, or expanding your benefits.
Avoid overpromising or creating a picture-perfect version of your company that doesn’t reflect reality. Candidates don’t expect perfection. What they want is authenticity and a willingness to grow.
Job ads are often the first impression someone has of your organization. Use that space wisely. Be transparent. Be thoughtful. And make sure every aspect of the role—structure, flexibility, and support—reflects the values you claim to hold.
Final Thoughts
Writing a job ad may seem like a small piece of the hiring puzzle, but it’s one of the most powerful tools you have to shape your workforce. In a competitive and fast-changing hiring landscape, the companies that win top talent aren’t just those offering the best salaries—they’re the ones creating inclusive environments from the very first line of their job descriptions.
A well-crafted, inclusive job ad is more than a list of requirements. It’s an invitation. It tells every reader: you are welcome here. It says that your company recognizes the diverse ways people live, work, and thrive—and that you’ve taken the time to reflect that in your hiring practices. That thoughtfulness sets the tone for the entire candidate journey.
Diversity isn’t something that happens by accident. It’s a result of intentional, consistent action at every stage of recruitment and retention. And inclusion isn’t just about who joins your team—it’s about who stays, who grows, and who feels seen. Writing inclusive job ads is one step in that journey, but it’s an essential one.
Whether you’re just beginning to prioritize inclusive hiring or already well along the path, revisiting the way you write and position your job adverts is always worthwhile. Language evolves. Candidate expectations shift. Company values mature. Job ads are a perfect place to reflect that growth.
As you move forward with your hiring efforts, keep these principles in mind: be clear, be kind, be curious, and above all, be honest. Inclusion doesn’t require perfection, but it does require commitment. Start with your job ads—and let them be a genuine reflection of the culture you’re working to build.