Graduates are entering the best job market in 30 years, and we know they’re looking for authentic inclusiveness in companies. I spoke with Katrina “Kat” Kibben (they, their, them) about making hiring messages more inclusive, particularly in the area of pronouns and LGBTQI+ language. Kat is the founder and CEO of Three Ears Media, which helps recruitment professionals and hiring managers write effective job postings.
Eric Mosley: We’ve just wrapped up Pride Month where inclusivity and acceptance is at the forefront for 30 consecutive days, and it got me thinking about how that translates to the workplace. At Workhuman, we’re on a mission to make work more human for every person on the planet and that means recognizing and celebrating people for who they are, in addition to what they do. Even though we celebrate Pride in the month of June, organizations need to focus on inclusivity year-round to truly foster a culture where everyone feels welcome to bring their whole selves to work. As new grads and job seekers start looking around for their next opportunity, how can organizations and recruiters prove they are sincere about welcoming LGBTQI + candidates, beyond simply saying, “We’re inclusive” or putting up a rainbow on their website?
Kat Kibben: Candidates are more skeptical of company claims than ever before. They are doing their due diligence – googling and reading reviews of your organization because no one can thrive at a company where they don’t feel they belong. They are tuned into sources that advocate for them in the workplace which means that recruiters need to signal their support upfront, and also do their part as allies.
EM: How?
KK: Organizations need to embed inclusivity in all that they do to attract talent. Beyond the posts about being inclusive and rainbow logos, candidates are looking for signs they can belong. Some examples are the inclusion of pronouns in the application process, inclusive benefits, and testimonials from current employees on your website can paint the picture of what inclusion actually looks like within the organization instead of just stating it. . But that’s just the beginning. The real demonstration comes when you’re face-to-face.
EM: Those are good starting points, and being face-to-face certainly would take the stakes to a new level, as that allows for the candidate to get a feel for the company. But when a candidate does get that face-to-face time with recruiters, hiring managers, or employees, what’s the ideal message?
KK: Remember the rule about first impressions – they are critical. Something as simple as how people introduce themselves can send the right signal. When you’re speaking with the candidate for the first time, asking, “How should I refer to you?” can be great initial questions that transform the hiring experience from a basic conversation to one that is transformative and inclusive.
EM: Speaking of basic, so many job descriptions are generic-sounding and as a result attract generic applicants. How does a job posting filter IN the right people and filter OUT the wrong ones?
KK: By telling the truth and being deliberate about your job postings, you’ll find that the applicant pool is much better. Just like using the right pronouns, writing an outstanding job posting requires us to step back from the routine and think more deeply. Routine, repetitive processes are responsible for so many poor job descriptions – people just copy and paste other peoples’ work. But think about it: when you recruit for a position you’re filling a particular place on a particular team. How do they balance independence and teamwork? What are the real opportunities for growth? If there’s resistance on the team to cultural values, you have to work those through before bringing a person on the team with generic promises of inclusion.
Even “good” job posts might not include information that’s critical to a candidate in order for them to be happy in a role at your organization. Share what you’re actually looking for. Write mandatory job requirements that don’t exaggerate. State candidly why people might feel uncomfortable with the company culture (for example, if your culture values a hyper-competitive “drive to win” say so.) This will help the right person opt-in instead of a surprise later that leaves both recruiter and candidate unhappy.
EM: I want to circle back to the pronouns quickly because I know that there are many people that are afraid of getting pronouns wrong or potentially being offensive when speaking with potential candidates. What’s your advice for them?
KK: That one’s simple – stop worrying so much! You may get someone’s pronouns wrong, but that’s an opportunity to learn and grow from the interaction. If you’re stuck on getting everything right, you’ll never learn. Mistakes actually help our brains rewire.
If you do mess up pronouns when speaking to someone, apologize and take steps to make sure it doesn’t happen again. That could mean practicing using their pronouns correctly in three sentences every time you speak with them. Research has shown that repetition can help people get pronouns right moving forward.
EM: And when moving forward – let’s say they get the job and are now an official employee – we know that people are looking for inclusivity. We’ve extensively made the case that employee recognition at work supports corporate values but I’m curious as to your take on how recognition can promote inclusion after someone joins the company.
KK: Recognition takes inclusion beyond the hypothetical and adds real rewards and objectives to the goal. This is a critical factor in transforming the view many people have on DEI goals as hypotheticals. If inclusion is valued at your organization, teach employees to notice and reward acts of inclusion in a social recognition system. Stories are how people learn, so specific examples of allyship help people understand how an intention becomes a reality. Reinforcing inclusivity with recognition to let people know that these behaviors matter to the organization can help encourage them and make inclusion a core part of your company’s culture.
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