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How to write inclusive job descriptions that assess the job

Writer: Divergent Thinking
Divergent Thinking
May 11
3 min read

Updated: Jul 27


An inclusive job description makes it easier for candidates to understand the work and decide whether to apply. It separates what someone must be able to do on day one from what they can learn, then explains how the organisation will assess those requirements.

Start with the role’s purpose and three to five outcomes. Remove criteria that are not essential, replace vague adjectives with observable behaviours, and state the pay, flexibility and route to reasonable adjustments.

Start from outcomes, not adjectives

Open with the mission and the 3–5 outputs the role is accountable for this year. Then name the capabilities that directly drive those outputs. Keep the lens tight: if removing a criterion wouldn’t stop someone doing the job, it belongs in onboarding, not in “requirements”. CIPD’s inclusive recruitment guidance is clear: make role requirements specific and behaviour-based, strip biased language, and be transparent about terms.


Essentials vs desirables (the discipline that unlocks diversity)

“Essentials” should be few, job-critical and testable. “Desirables” are for development, not screening. Public-sector and city guidance echo this: focus on skills and competencies needed now, avoid overlong essentials lists, and think hard before insisting on academic credentials if the job doesn’t truly require them. If a degree stands in for a skill, write the skill and how you’ll test it.


Keep adverts lawful—and inviting

Under the Equality Act 2010, discriminatory adverts are unlawful. EHRC’s guidance spells this out, and ACAS gives plain-English examples of wording to avoid. GOV.UK also warns against phrases like “recent graduate” unless genuinely required, as they can amount to age discrimination. Use neutral titles and criteria tied to the work. Add an explicit invitation to request adjustments during the process.


Write in plain English and make it readable

Drop jargon and internal acronyms. Use clear headings, left-aligned text, manageable line lengths and enough spacing to make the advert easier to scan. Plain language helps candidates understand the role without decoding organisational shorthand.


Watch for gender-coded wording

Gender-coded wording can affect how appealing a role feels. Gaucher, Friesen and Kay found this effect in the context they studied, so treat the research as a useful prompt to review language rather than proof that a single word determines who will apply. Prefer neutral, behaviour-based wording.


Say the quiet parts out loud: pay, flexibility, adjustments

List the salary or range, core benefits and realistic flexibility options. Candidates can then judge fit before investing time in the process. Explain how to request reasonable adjustments and provide a clear contact route.


Tell candidates how you’ll assess the job

If collaboration, analysis or writing is core, say you’ll use a work sample or structured task mapped to those competencies—not a speeded puzzle or a culture-fit chat. This keeps validity high and barriers low, and it helps candidates decide whether to invest time.


Woman listening to a colleague during a work discussion.

A cleaner template (edit to taste)

  • Purpose: one sentence on what success changes for customers or colleagues.

  • Outcomes: three to five concrete deliverables for the first 6 to 12 months.

  • Essential capabilities: only what is genuinely needed on day one.

  • Skills to develop: a short list of what can be learned in the role.

  • Assessment: the interview format and any work sample or task.

  • Conditions: salary, location, flexibility, deadline and adjustments contact.

A clearer job description will not make an entire recruitment process inclusive, but it removes an avoidable barrier at the first stage. It also gives interviewers a fairer basis for assessment because the criteria are tied to the work.

Before publishing, ask whether every essential criterion is needed on day one, whether it can be assessed directly and whether candidates can prepare. A neuroinclusion audit can review the wider recruitment journey. Request an audit proposal.

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