An Inclusive Language Guide Isn't the Answer

An Inclusive Language Guide Isn't the Answer

An inclusive language guide oversimplifies language and job posts, which can lead to incorrect assumptions on the part of hiring teams. An inclusive language guide is a list of words that are supposedly ‘inclusive’ or ‘exclusive’ meant to help writers avoid exclusionary language. While having an inclusive language guide may sound reasonable if certain words deter some job seekers from applying, it doesn't make sense.

The idea that you can create inclusive job postings from a list of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ words is too simplistic. Words aren’t inherently inclusive or exclusive by themselves. Context matters. The context of the words within the text itself and also in a job seeker’s life. Furthermore, there are many ways to say the same thing, and the sentiments behind words matter too.

Also, there are too many factors in a job posting and in a candidate’s decision- making process. Hiring teams can’t simply point to one word or another. And data science that purports to isolate and measure the impact of individual words simply doesn’t hold up to scrutiny.

Many things impact the performance of a job posting. Including diversity statements. Keeping job posts to an appropriate length and widely disseminating them. Meanwhile, job titling can actually make or break the entire process. None of those factors has solely to do with word choice.

An inclusive language guide can’t address the various nuances of language. Gendered pronouns, for example, aren’t inherently bad, only when used to describe a hypothetical applicant. And while idioms can be harmless figures of speech, they can also create unnecessary confusion for job seekers. It’s important for hiring teams to treat job descriptions as holistic documents ─ many parts coming together to create a whole.

Contact Us At: https://datapeople.io/