Online (and offline) recruiting is essential for attracting the right candidates, but poorly crafted ads can limit your talent pool and increase the risk of discrimination claims.
Here are some top tips for getting it right:
1. Start with a clear job description
Before you begin you need to make sure you fully understand the role and its requirements. What essential skills and experience will be required? If you don’t get into too much detail your advert will reach a broader, more diverse audience that doesn’t exclude potential candidates unnecessarily.
2. Who, where, when, why, what?
Do include as much information as you have about the terms of employment and your business. Make sure you include the job location, salary (or range), and any flexible working options. Include a brief introduction to your company and specify how candidates should apply. Make sure your advert complies with advertising laws, being truthful and accurate, especially about salary and benefits.
3. Be inclusive
Your advert should be clear and concise, using neutral, inclusive language. Clearly outline the qualifications, skills, and experience needed. Avoid woolly terms like “appropriate qualifications” which may confuse or discourage applicants, particularly neurodivergent candidates.
4. Don’t discriminate
The Equality Act 2010 prohibits discrimination in job adverts. Be careful not to include criteria that could indirectly discriminate against certain groups, such as requiring “10 years of continuous experience” which could disadvantage parents or younger candidates.
Avoid unnecessary skills or personality traits. For example, instead of requesting “excellent communication skills,” specify the practical tasks involved, like “delivering presentations to clients.” Use gender-neutral terms, like “wait staff” rather than “waiter”.
5. Positive action
In some cases, it’s legal to specify certain characteristics if they are essential for the job, this is known as Genuine Occupational Requirements (GOR). For example, a public gym may legally require same-sex attendants in changing rooms to protect user privacy.
Employers can use positive action to address under-representation by encouraging applications from specific groups, but they cannot limit the job to these groups unless it is justified under GOR.
Best of luck with your recruiting! We hope these tips help you to increase your chances of attracting the best talent while avoiding legal risks.
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