How to Write an Inclusive Job Description

To write an inclusive job description, describe the work and the outcomes instead of a personality type, keep the requirements to what the person genuinely needs on day one, use plain words, and state the pay and working arrangements. Each of those choices removes a reason for a capable person to decide the role is not for them.

Why does the wording of a job description change who applies?

A job description is the first thing a candidate reads about you, and many people decide within seconds whether they belong. Phrases that signal a narrow type of person, such as a "rockstar" or someone who "thrives in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment", can put off people who would do the job well. A clear description does the opposite: it lets people judge the work, not guess at the culture.

Step 1: Lead with the work, not the person

Start with what the person will do and what success looks like after the first few months. "You will own the monthly close and cut reporting time" tells a candidate far more than "we want a driven self-starter". Outcomes are easier to match against a real career than adjectives are.

Step 2: Separate must-haves from nice-to-haves

Long lists of requirements discourage people who meet most but not all of them, and research on applicant behaviour suggests some groups are more likely than others to hold back when they do not tick every box. Keep the must-haves to the few skills a person truly needs to start, and put the rest under a clearly labelled nice-to-have heading. Ask of each line: would we reject an otherwise strong candidate for lacking this?

Step 3: Replace jargon and loaded words with plain ones

Swap "ninja", "guru" and "the best of the best" for the real skill you need. Replace "culture fit" with what you actually want, such as someone who shares your values about quality or customer care. Replace "digital native" with the specific tools or comfort level the job requires, because the phrase can read as an age preference.

Step 4: Be specific about degrees and years

Ask for a degree only when the job genuinely requires one, and say "or equivalent experience" when it does not. Check that years of experience match the level of the role: asking for several years in a technology that is newer than that, or for senior experience in an entry-level role, is a common reason people lose trust in a posting.

Step 5: State the pay and the working arrangement

Include the pay range if you can, and say whether the role is on site, hybrid or remote, and what flexibility exists. Candidates who cannot tell whether a role is affordable or workable for them often skip it, and the people most likely to skip are those with the least slack to spare.

Step 6: Read it back, then test it

Read the draft aloud, cut every line that could apply to any job, and ask someone outside the team whether they understand what the job is. A checker can catch the mechanical problems quickly, such as gendered wording, missing pay and over-long requirement lists. The Rezumz Job Description Checker does this in your browser with no account, and shows a suggested fix for each issue it finds.