The Inclusive Job Advert Checklist Every UK SME Should Use

Roughly one in three UK job adverts includes the phrase “equal opportunities employer.” It’s become so common that candidates barely register it — and for candidates from underrepresented groups, it tells them almost nothing useful. They’re not looking for a legal disclaimer. They’re looking for evidence that they’d genuinely be welcome.

Why the standard disclaimer isn’t doing the job

An “equal opportunities employer” line confirms you know discrimination is illegal. It doesn’t tell a candidate whether people like them currently work at your organisation, whether they’d be supported, or whether raising a concern would go well. If every employer uses the same boilerplate sentence, it stops functioning as a signal at all — and can even suggest inclusion hasn’t been thought through properly, rather than the opposite.

The fix isn’t a longer statement. It’s specificity. A short, concrete line about what you actually do — anonymous shortlisting, a guaranteed interview scheme, an open invitation to ask about adjustments — carries far more weight than a paragraph of generic commitment, and takes no more space in the advert.

The checklist: 5 practical changes for your next job advert

1. Cut requirements that aren’t genuinely essential

Long, rigid person specifications quietly filter out qualified candidates before they apply — research on application behaviour consistently shows women are more likely than men to hold back unless they meet the vast majority of listed criteria. Before publishing, go through every line and ask: is this truly needed from day one, or could it be developed on the job? Move anything in the second category to “desirable,” or cut it.

2. Watch for gender-coded language

Certain words in job adverts skew who applies. Terms describing a competitive culture (rather than competitive pay) tend to discourage female applicants specifically. This isn’t about softening the role — it’s about describing it accurately without accidentally coding it as suited to one type of person.

3. Say something about flexibility, even if it’s limited

If a job advert is silent on flexible or hybrid working, most candidates assume the answer is no and simply don’t apply — they won’t ask first. This disproportionately screens out carers, disabled candidates, people returning from a career break, and parents of school-aged children. You don’t need to offer everything. You just need to say something specific: even “on-site three days a week, with flexibility on the other two” performs far better than no context at all.

4. Publish a salary range

Candidates who don’t apply because no salary is listed are candidates you never get the chance to assess. A published range — even a broad one — particularly helps candidates who are statistically less likely to negotiate, removing a real barrier before it happens.

5. Write in plain English, especially around soft skills

Vague phrases like “excellent communicator” or “good team player” are familiar enough that most candidates skim past them without a second thought. For many neurodiverse candidates, though, vague language creates genuine uncertainty about whether they’d meet the expectation — even when they clearly would. Swapping a vague requirement for a specific, role-relevant description (“you’ll greet visitors, understand what they need, and build rapport with them”) helps every candidate self-assess accurately, not just neurodiverse ones.

How the right ATS supports this

A good applicant tracking system (ATS) — software that manages job adverts, applications and shortlisting in one place — can build several of these principles in structurally rather than relying on manual discipline every time. Anonymous application collection removes identifying details from shortlisting automatically. Structured, criteria-based scoring keeps assessment consistent across candidates and interviewers. Neither replaces writing a genuinely inclusive advert in the first place, but both make it much easier to follow through on one consistently.

FAQs

Does writing inclusive job adverts mean lowering the bar?

No. It means describing your actual requirements accurately rather than reducing them — cutting language that inadvertently narrows who feels able to apply, without changing what the role genuinely needs.

How long should the inclusion section of a job advert be?

Two to four sentences is usually enough, ideally linking through to a fuller page on your careers site for candidates who want more detail. The advert itself isn’t the place for a lengthy ED&I statement.

What’s the single easiest fix to make first?

Reviewing your “essential” requirements list and moving anything that isn’t truly day-one necessary into “desirable.” It’s a five-minute edit with a real effect on who applies.