Happy Women’s History Month! It’s a great opportunity to celebrate the accomplishments of incredible women throughout history and in the here and now and a chance to reflect on the work that still needs to be done.
In this article, we select six ways to identify whether your future or existing employer genuinely cares about diversity and inclusion (D&I), and we rate them on a scale of 1-5 (with 1 being least likely to reflect the company’s D&I efforts and 5 being very likely to accurately depict the company’s D&I efforts)
If you’re a jobseeker…
1. Decode the job ad
How tell-tale is this: 3.5/5
Job ads might be short in length and in point form but they do say a lot about a company’s D&I efforts. Chances are, you may find subtle bias among job ads indicating what diversity and inclusion really mean to your prospective employer.
An easy way to start is to examine the language in the job listing and identify any wordings that could potentially perpetuate any type of bias, whether that be racial bias, gender bias, disability bias, ageism or cultural bias, just to name a few. Here are some common D&I red flags and green lights to look for:
Red flags
- Gendered job titles e.g. waitress, salesman
- Alienating languages e.g. native English speaker, young and energetic, millennial, digital natives
- Mention of specific race or nationality
- Gender-coded words e.g. assertive, independent, collaborate, nurture
- Comments on appearance e.g. clean shaven (alienating female or religious candidates)
Green lights
- Gender-neutral job titles e.g. server, salesperson
- Neutral language
- Indicating that they’re happy to offer additional support to any candidates during the recruitment
On top of gauging the company’s linguistic sensitivity, look closely into the job specs and the compensation package. If the employer has a never-ending list of “must-have” skills and requirements, it could be a sign of a company that doesn’t prioritise gender balance.
Employers who are committed to fostering better gender balance should be aware that women are more likely to self-screen themselves before applying for a job, compared to men. Research has found that female job applicants tend to only apply for the jobs where they meet 100% of the requirements, whereas men apply for a job when they meet only 60% of the requirements. Therefore, to ensure inclusivity, employers should be breaking down that long wishlist into mandatory and supplementary skills, so it looks more feasible and less intimidating to female applicants.
When it comes to the benefits package, a solid rule of thumb is to observe how explicit your future employer is being. Are they showing the salary range they can offer, or are they being secretive using phrases like “competitive salary” or “salary negotiable”? Are they upfront about the hybrid working/remote working option or policies e.g. maternity and paternity pay, adoption leave and carers leave? Usually, transparency is a great sign that the employer embodies D&I values because it helps even the playing field between candidates and empowers groups that might feel less confident negotiating.
Read more: Attracting diverse candidates: How not to write a job ad
2. Dig out their public commitments
How tell-tale is this: 1/5
Channel your inner Catherine Cawood from crime series Happy Valley. Do a little bit of digging on the company website and its socials and find out if the company or the senior leadership team had made any pledges and commitments around D&I areas, and if they celebrated any important occasions.
While being outspoken about their stance on equality and fairness can push society forward, remember – actions speak louder than words. There are too many companies that are just capitalising on this rising social movement. Well, it’s certainly a low-budget yet effective way to promote a positive employer brand.
Therefore, don’t assume your future employers are putting D&I in the heart of their businesses just because you saw them changing their logos to rainbow-coloured redesigned logos during Pride Month or you found a picture of their employees wearing purple to celebrate International Women’s Day. If that’s the only thing they’re doing, it’s probably just a social media stunt.
Employers who are genuine wouldn’t just scratch the surface of the conversation. They would talk about the values even though it’s not the official occasion, and they are constantly endeavouring to bridge the gap in their workplace.
3. Check out the company’s boardroom and C-Suite team
How tell-tale is this: 4/5
Words can easily turn to empty promises but numbers don’t lie. Examine the boardroom and the senior leadership team. How diverse is the gender, racial, ethnic representation at the executive level? How much progress has the company made in C-level diversity over the past years?
In the UK, companies with 250 or more employees are legally obliged to publish their gender pay gap figures every year, so this could be a good place to start. The UK government collates and publishes this data here.
If you’re an employee…
For those of you who are employed and are not looking for a new job, on top of the methods above, here’re three more ways to tell if your company truly values diversity and inclusion:
1. Reflect on your company culture
How tell-tale is this: 5/5
Have a think about the current company policies and the decision making process. Judge whether they are executed with a D&I lens on. Since leadership plays a huge part in driving impact, examine how accountable the senior leadership team is, and what kind of disciplinary actions or remedies are in place if someone crosses the line. Be aware that it’s absolutely normal and alright to make a mistake, and employees should be empowered to speak openly and freely. The more important thing is to acknowledge the mistake, learn from it, and on a company level, figure out how to avoid repeating the misstep.
2. Evaluate the company’s D&I maturity
How tell-tale is this: 5/5
Does your organisation regularly update you on its D&I progress? Organisations that measure D&I and are transparent about their progress indicate that they’re holding themselves accountable. The most progressive companies openly publish data on their D&I progress every year.
Another important gauge is the range of D&I topics. Companies could easily become one-dimensional by cherry picking one or two trending D&I issues.
3. Learn about the internal D&I strategy
How tell-tale is this: 5/5
Having an internal D&I strategy in place is typically a good sign that your company embraces D&I values on a deeper level. Many companies who advocate for D&I conduct on-the-job training such as unconscious bias workshops and inclusive leadership training.
Some companies also set up a D&I committee and invite colleagues from different departments to join. The committee members come together regularly and discuss how the wider company can advance and how to engage more employees on the topics.
Read more: Seven steps for building an inclusive company culture
If you’re looking for companies that are committed to D&I, try our advanced search to single out roles that accommodate your needs on Adzuna.