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Is there a universal formula for writing an inclusive job posting?

Is there a universal formula for writing an inclusive job posting?

Creating inclusive and personalized job offers is essential for effective leadership and team management. Madeleine Kern emphasizes that while there is no universal formula for crafting these offers, it is crucial to avoid gendered language that may alienate potential candidates. For instance, using terms like "our team" instead of specifying male or female workers promotes inclusivity. Kern also highlights the importance of critically assessing job requirements to ensure they do not unintentionally exclude qualified candidates based on biases. By focusing on essential tasks and competencies, companies can better align their values and enhance communication within their teams. This analysis by Madeleine Kern underscores the significance of adapting job postings to foster a more inclusive workplace culture. Don’t miss more tips and insights on inclusive hiring in the full episode.

2026·Season 3·Episode 6Highlight
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Madeleine Kern · Founder

Team growth

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Transcription

00:04

INCLUSIVE AND PERSONALIZED JOB OFFERS

00:11

My husband is a chemist.I could totally ask him for the answer."Is there a single, universal formula for creating an inclusive job offer?" Yes and no.

00:24

It's difficult.Because job offers have at least one difficulty.

00:29

In German-speaking countries, we continue to discuss the fact that when posting job positions, male titles are usually more searched for.

00:37

I mean, I observe the search volume of the position with my clients, because that’s essential to the exposure of the advertisement.

00:46

In addition, we write: "male, female, non-binary",but some have other preferences regarding the writing style.

00:57

They want both titles on the offer, which is totally understandable and useful.

01:02

That's why I don't believe that a universal formula exists.

01:05

But I completely avoid writing the gendered titles using asterisks or colons.

01:12

My favourite example is writing "our team" instead of writing "our female and male workers".

01:18

It sounds much better just because no one is excluded when we say "our team" and we can avoid some gender-based discussions.

01:30

It is important to me, and plenty of companies are reflecting on it.

01:34

I'd like to know the formula they use.Furthermore, I'd like to write the offers much more inclusively when I realized that we all have mental biases.

01:49

But it's okay, we are all human.Even so, we want to address as many people who are suitable for the offer as possible.

01:59

Sometimes, clients are a bit close-minded.Particularly, I see that when it comes to part-time or full time-work It's written that the position is for a full-time offer,there is no other option.

02:16

I ask them: "Are you sure? Do you want to have a vacancy for two years or would you prefer to transform it into a 20 or 30 hours a week part-time job and having a fraction of the work done?" That way, at least you can have a share of the work done.

02:34

Well, sometimes I see that they are astounded.I cannot persuade everybody but I can help come clients with issues like that.

02:43

Or we take a look at the requirements.Are they all really essential for the position?

02:48

Or do we reject people who fulfil our requirements even if they are not strictly necessary to the position?

02:55

It's a valid thing to do for essential requirements.

02:57

Not everybody qualifies.It's not that everyone can fill the position it's that we unintentionally discard people even though they might actually be a good fit for the job.

03:10

What about your clients? Both male and female, when you talk to them,When discussing how job offers should be worded.

03:21

Do they want them to be inclusive?Most of them are open minded. More than that!

03:29

The truth is that I am lucky to work with my dream clients.

03:32

I've had only a few bad experiences.Most of them are not even aware of that.

03:37

And there are some... I have a funny story, one of them told me:"Please, I don't want football fans." So I ask them if they'd like the candidate to drink coffee or tea,Stuff like that.

03:50

Just to study which are those unconscious selection standards why someone won't be selected in an interview.

04:01

Just for the fact that they have tattoos, a certain hair colour,and make them aware of those unconscious biases and prejudices.

04:13

That's the first step.Some studies show that most job offers are written behind a distinct male bias.

04:24

For example, I still read terms like ""assertiveness".

04:28

Which has a great male connotation and makes women feel intimidated.

04:35

That's why gender decoders exist. You can find them online.

04:39

You can upload your advertisement for free and the decoder is capable of searching for those terms and determining whether the advertisement has a male or female bias.

04:50

I do that with my job advertisements and nothing comes up because they are worded in a very neutral way.

04:57

The most essential thing is to be aware of which the requirements are.

05:00

How's the position and what should the candidate be able to do?

05:04

When you are focused on the tasks and the requirements,in that moment, you are not conditioned by hair colour, origins,or any similar criteria.