ACTIONS: Improving job advertisements

The role of job advertisements is to predispose and reassure women to apply for non-traditional roles or apply for roles after a period out of the workplace. Imagery, messaging, criteria and framing of adverts is an important means of increasing applications by female employees. Advertisements are most effective when they capture the attention of female employees, put forward a meaningful proposition and make women feel welcome to apply.

What immediate actions you can implement:

• Consider more inclusive approaches to recruitment using the Inclusive recruitment resource.
• Consider advertising in both traditional and non-traditional domains, including Facebook, fitness centres, childcare centres, local primary and high schools, shopping centre notice boards and online forums.
• Use women in advertisements to send a strong signal that the organisation wants to attract female employees.
• Display diverse images and inclusive language, including female workers in a diverse range of roles, to predispose and reassure returners and highlight the availability of opportunities in male dominated industries.
• Offer a female contact for questions to give potential female applicants the opportunity to ask women employed in non-traditional roles.
• Audit job advertisements and marketing for stereotypically masculine words, and areas where the employee value proposition is not highlighted.
• Review all advertising (SEEK, website, Indeed etc) to ensure messaging is relevant to returners, stipulates specifically if flexible work is an option and provides information on the full range of career opportunities available for female employees.

What longer term actions you can implement:

• Focus on the brand of the organisation and career opportunities and create a value proposition that is attractive to women.
• Develop targeted job advertisements based on personas and use personalised messages to encourage applicants from target groups. Personalised messages have been shown to increase the likelihood of individuals acting in response to a message. By actively stating that you encourage women and returners to apply may increase the likelihood of females responding to adverts.