Using Gender-neutral Language in Job Posts

About the Program

Category: Personnel Management, Employment and Training (Best in Category)

Year: 2020

Los Angeles County Department of Human Resources and Chief Executive Office’s Women and Girls Initiative have completed a year-long effort to increase awareness of gender-neutral language across the County. As the largest employer in Southern California, the County has 400 open jobs on any given day. When attracting quality applicants, describing the job in a way that appeals to all individuals with the right skill set is critical. To remain competitive, the County needed to increase awareness of how County jobs might be perceived by applicants who find jobs easily online and have multiple avenues for employment. The County developed a guidance document, Guide to Promoting Gender Equity In Recruitment and Hiring, and adopted the use of Textio gender-neutral writing software. The guide and software were rolled out to County human resources professionals in December 2018. A comparison of job posts from 2015 to 2019 showed a significant increase in jobs with gender-neutral language and a decrease in long, complicated postings. Prior to the rollout, 19% of County jobs used gender-neutral language. Today, over 66% of jobs posted are gender-neutral. The County will continue using both tools as they advance efforts to walk the talk of inclusivity.