Job design

Inclusive job design can support employees to work in a way that values their differences, leverages skills and helps them to do their best work.

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While managers are best placed to enable this, research shows that less consideration is given to how the job description and placement influences who applies for the role, and how hired employees will allocate their time.

Common pitfalls include:

  • Over-reliance on past practice
  • Using vague criteria that could lead to discrimination or bias
  • Defaulting to full-time work without considering whether flexibility can be built into the position
  • Inadvertent use of gendered language.
Ultimately, job design must consider the goals and work plans of teams, individuals and the business. When done well, job design can increase job satisfaction among your existing workforce. Increasing the complexity of jobs through job enlargement and job enrichment can enhance employee satisfaction and help reduce turnover and absenteeism.

Check out this designing roles resource for factors to consider when designing roles.

Use this resourcing request template to prompt your managers to think more critically about inclusive job design.

The simplifying criteria resource has information on simplifying job ad criteria.

Inclusive Recruitment

Use inclusive recruitment approaches to better attract women into your business.
Attraction

Research shows that the language used in job advertisements can influence an individual’s decision to apply for positions.
Selection

A vast body of research shows that the selection is where biases are most likely to impact on hiring decisions. 
Onboarding

A positive onboarding experience has a significant impact on employee productivity, retention and safety.