10 easy ways to make your offer more inclusive and inviting

In this time of workforce shortages, your job offer can make you look good, act as an advertisement, and provide a selling point for you as an employer. Now more than ever before, every word and sentence must be carefully thought through if you want it to achieve its full effect.

Your job offer must be inclusive and inviting to maximize your chances of receiving a large number of applications from qualified people with wide-ranging experiences. In addition to informing candidates about the duties and requirements of the position, your job offer must discuss the benefits of working at your organization, and above all else reflect its fundamental values.

Ten easy ways to make your offer more inclusive and inviting:

1. Draw attention to your organization’s diversity and inclusion priorities, as well as its policies and actions along these lines, and mention if it has received related awards and honours. You might also want to simply insert your organization’s inclusion policy, or the policy provided by the Ministère du Travail, de l’Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale.
   
   
2. Avoid lengthy and overly detailed descriptions. The details of the position’s duties can be explained in person. Instead, use results-oriented language when describing them; applicants will relate much more readily to this type of language.
   
   
3. Avoid or limit the use of acronyms. Given the multitude of software systems currently used in the industry, it is also better to avoid listing all the systems that applicants will have to use in the position. Instead, talk about the types of activities, or the general goals of these systems. This gives applicants an opportunity to highlight their talents, their knowledge, and their related experiences in other situations and with other software systems, where applicable. 
   
   
4. Avoid words or expressions that connote a specific gender, such as in: “James Bond-type missions.” Men and women do not relate to such language in the same way. Men are more likely to apply even when their profile does not fully fit the description of the position, whereas women will apply only if they feel they are fully qualified.
   
   
5. Replace the pronouns “he” and “she” with the pronoun “you.” 
   
   
6. Avoid promoting ageism by making sure that your message is consistent and fights stereotypes. If you describe a position that requires a great deal of professional experience but does not offer much flexibility in terms of its schedule, you may not receive applications from suitable candidates. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), individuals aged 60 and older will make up 22% of the active population by 2050. This age group will then account for nearly one-fourth of your organization’s workforce.
   
   
7. If your organization’s facilities are set up for people with reduced mobility, talk about it. Otherwise, talk about how your organization can meet those types of needs. If your workplace has access ramps, elevators, washrooms or adjustable workstations, mention this, because they are signs of inclusiveness.
   
   
8. Make yourself as accessible as possible. Although the digital transformation is a growing phenomenon, you will maximize your chances of meeting a range of personality types if you accept applications in other types of formats as well.
   
   
9. Provide the telephone number and email address of a resource person who can answer questions from applicants. This person should inevitably be familiar with the organization’s inclusion and diversity policies.
   
   
10. Be as clear as possible. If you have doubts, consult a professional to make sure that your wording is respectful to everyone and non-discriminatory.