50+ Ideas for Cultivating Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace Today | LinkedIn Talent Blog

As many organizations continue to push forward with diversity and inclusion (D&I) efforts amidst the pandemic, this article provides over 50 practical ideas for doing so. “These ideas are designed to be impactful steps you can take right away, regardless of your headcount, budget, and bandwidth.” One D&I tactic that has gained increased attention is converting all job descriptions to gender-neutral language. This idea addresses the fact that the words used in job descriptions can have the unintentional effect of describing the ideal gender for a candidate. Said differently, without realizing it, organizations use language that is subtly ‘gender-coded’–such as “aggressive” or “dominant” that may dissuade women from applying. The article mentions a free app called Text.io that can analyze job descriptions for gender-biased language. One use-case for a tool like this could be to analyze job descriptions in functions or parts of an organization where there are lower job application rates for female candidates and/or where female representation is lacking. An organization may find that job descriptions within these areas contain heavy usage of gender-biased words. Other ideas are discussed, such as conducting blind screenings (removing names from resume) to minimize unconscious biases in the resume review process.