Diversity is about real people – be mindful of inviting everyone

Diversity in hiring is more than just a buzzword. It is more than a philosophy or a concept or a trend, too. It’s about real people and real companies, it’s about improving the quality of lives, businesses and society in the long run. Fully understanding this, we have set out to collect real-world data about the efficiency of our tool, as providing an empty stamp of diversity approval goes against everything we stand for.

First, let’s take a look at what can make a real change

Let’s say you’re organising a dance party and you want everyone you know from every walk of life to come and spend a fun night with you. You’ve prepared everything: good music, lots of snacks and a good location. And your invitation says:

“Hi, friends! I’m throwing the best party of the century, and you’re invited! I guarantee you’ll have a great time, no matter your taste in music. No snacks needed, everything’s taken care of. Come and join me in the mosh pit”.

On the night of your party, your metal head friends have come to party with you, and a few who are timid but curious – but nobody else. How can this be? You explicitly said everyone was welcome!

Words and phrases in job ads send out implicit messages the same way “mosh pit” creates an image in the reader’s mind of the scene of this party. Similarly, if you’re looking for an “ambitious winner” to join your company’s “work hard play hard” environment, people who read your job ads will imagine a stereotypic group of white businessmen in their early thirties. As a result, anyone who can’t see themselves fit in that team will not come to your party. Most importantly, this effect persists regardless of what kind of inclusivity statement you put in your listing.

Will changing the language really make a difference?

The question people seem to ask first is whether language really is that important? In cooperation with multiple start-up companies, we set out to test our solution. Lo and behold, with our tool and consultancy services combined, there was an average of 20% boost in female applicants, an increase of 22% in the total number of applicants and as a result, the recruitment time was reduced by 36%.

The work doesn’t end here, of course! Join us on our journey -and sign up for our newsletter to always be in the loop!