Gender-diverse companies outperform companies that aren’t by 15%. So, if you want a gender-diverse workforce (and the benefits that come with it), a great first step is creating gender neutral job descriptions.   

Did you know that a mix of different perspectives often leads to more creative and innovative solutions? By making job descriptions that are fair and inclusive, you’re not just creating diversity but also inviting a variety of ideas and talents. Therefore, this can make your team more dynamic and better equipped to tackle challenges. So, let’s explore how you can craft job listings that attract a diverse range of candidates and enhance the overall creativity of your workplace!

So, here are 5 tools (paid and free) to help you create more gender neutral JDs:

1. Ongig Text Analyzer

Ongig’s gender neutral job descriptions tool scans your JDs for gender bias, flags male and female-coded words, and suggests more inclusive alternatives. 

gender bias job description example ongig

So, with just a few clicks, you can easily create more balanced and gender neutral job descriptions which are proven to perform better and cost you less per application.

Ongig also scans your JDs for:

  • extra-long sentences
  • complex words
  • internal jargon
  • missing sections candidates care about
  • other potential biases (e.g., race, age, disability, mental health, sexual orientation, etc.)
  • & more

Enterprise pricing starts at $11,900 per year. Request a demo to learn more.

 

2. Totaljobs Gender Bias Decoder

Totaljobs Gender Bias Decoder is another gender neutral job description tool to try.

This tool identifies female coded words by highlighting them in blue and the male coded words by highlighting them in red, so they’re easy to locate. The downside, it doesn’t give you alternative replacement words.

gender neutral job description tools Total Jobs Gender Decoder

Totaljobs Gender Bias Decoder is free to use. So, all you need to do is copy and paste your JD text.

 

3. UInclude

UInclude checks content for gender (and racial) bias so you can create more gender neutral job descriptions.

gender neutral job descriptions uinclude

It also helps with your tone, ensures your JDs are not too “formal,” and gives suggestions so your style feels more approachable.

It’s free to try for 7 days with a business email, then you can choose to subscribe starting at $25 per person a month. 

 

4. Applied

Applied’s Job Description Tool is another software you can use to create a more gender neutral job description. It analyzes your JDs for gender-sensitive words and gives you more inclusive replacement words.

gender neutral job descriptions applied

This tool also scans your JDs for educational and racial bias. Plus, it grades them based on readability using the Flesch reading scale. 

Applied offers a 7-day free trial, or you can book a demo request pricing.

 

5. Gender Decoder

Gender Decoder is another tool for creating gender neutral job descriptions. All you have to do is copy and paste the contents of your JDs into the box. Then, it populates a list of masculine and feminine-coded words.

I ran a JD for a Google software engineer, and I got these results:

This advert is neutral.

This job ad uses an equal number of words that are subtly coded as masculine and feminine (according to the research). It probably won’t be off-putting to men or women applicants.

Of course, there are plenty of other factors that affect the diversity of applicants for this role and the people who end up being hired. These include the company’s reputation for inclusiveness, its culture, and the behavior and prejudices (both conscious and unconscious) of the interviewers.

Masculine-coded words in this ad

  • leadership
  • lead
  • decide
  • analyzing

Feminine-coded words in this ad

  • connect
  • enthusiastic
  • trusted
  • responsibilities

Gender Decoder is easy to use, and it’s free! And you can also share the results. The downside is it doesn’t tell you where the terms are in your JD, so you’ll have to look for them manually. Also, it doesn’t give you more inclusive alternatives.

 

Why I wrote this:

Ongig’s mission is to create effective and inclusive job descriptions. Our software helps you make more gender neutral job descriptions to attract more diverse talent. Request a demo to learn more.

 

Shout-outs:

  1. 10 Ways to Remove Gender Bias from Job Descriptions (Glassdoor Team)
  2. Why Diversity Matters (Vivian Hunt, Dennis Layton, and Sara Prince)

by in Diversity and Inclusion