LinkedIn research shows that 78% of talent professionals say that diversity is a top hiring priority for their company and gender diversity in particular is the number one issue they’re tackling in this area. Are your recruitment efforts currently attracting the candidates you want to find? If not, ask yourself: is your recruitment marketing strategy focusing on actually attracting more diverse candidates?

Easier said than done you must think. To help you rethink your strategy we listed 5 key topics that you should take into consideration when investing in attracting more female candidates.

In a previous article we talked about employer branding, it is important to have a strong brand that attracts different types of candidates.

But even more important is showcasing your brand. According to Adways research, 78% of the social media users are women. So let’s say it is a no brainer to use social media for showcasing your brand. Especially the millennials and Gen Z use social media on a daily basis and this makes it the ideal platform to showcase your brand

So are you looking for your next intern, analyst or associate? Social media is your answer.

According to our research, 20% of our community says that words such as “above average”, “Excellent”, “Outstanding” in job descriptions scare them the most when applying.

“Aggressive” words make jobs less appealing to women, yet still a lot of companies tend to use these words in their job description. Especially in the financial sector. So you want to attract both genders to your job applications? It is time to make your job descriptions inclusive and inviting for everyone.

And.. don’t worry, experience shows that leaving out these words won’t exclude good candidates because they think they are “too good” for the job. Your employer brand is what attracts talent, job descriptions are only there to convince them to apply and there shouldn’t be a barrier to hand in a resume ;)

The confidence gap. Research has found that women usually only apply when they believe they meet 100% of the qualifications listed for the job. Men on the other hand tend to overestimate their ability by up to 30%. This creates a confidence gap between male and female applicants.

According to our own research (300 women), more than 85% of the women didn’t apply for a job, because they didn’t meet all the qualifications. The primary reason is they think that they would probably have been rejected anyway. The above average grades and previous internships/ work experience are the scariest.

But, we all know a requirement sometimes isn’t a hard requirement when the candidate scores strong on other topics that you probably even haven’t considered before. Luckily more and more companies are switching to skills based hiring and becoming more open minded to “other” profiles than they are used to. So, cut your requirements and change the single ones to “Nice to haves”.

What makes you unique? It is definitely not the “hands-on” mentality and your yearly ski-trip ;)

Really dive deep into what makes you unique, that is most of the time your culture. Your culture defines who you are and you want to find someone that fits well in your team and culture. Women tend to look for roles that describe an adaptable workplace culture, with flexible working hours (definitely not 9-5 ;) and a lot of opportunities to grow both personally and professionally.

Benefits. You are selling your company to a specific talent pool so it’s key to communicate the benefits that are relevant to them. International opportunities? Education budget? On site training? Include it!

And… Being transparent about salaries is another way to engage with women. It’s ranked as an important part of a job description and helps demonstrate the work your company is doing to eliminate the gender pay gap.

You can’t be it, if you can’t see it. Attract more women by promoting the women who work for your company. Write about their successes, but even more importantly their challenges, this will help give your brand a more diverse and positive reputation.

Also, show what it is like to work for your company by sharing stories of your female employees across all levels and departments. A role model can be anyone, from intern to manager to partner. 

Also, listen and learn. What currently withholds women when entering the industry or applying for your jobs? Start the conversation and communicate messages of support and inclusivity. It is better to start the conversation about insecurities than write your content as a sales pitch ;) Women are more likely to apply when they see themselves represented and understanded in your recruitment marketing. 

And what if you don’t have any women yet? Time for a change! Then there is no other option than to start investing in the first 4 points right now!

I want to attract more female talent
A priority for organisations is to boost their attractiveness to female candidates. This is both to drive business performance and create a stronger corporate brand. Factor in these five points when planning your recruitment strategy to attract more women into your recruitment pipeline.

I am ready to make a change!
If you are unsure how to start capitalising on the digital opportunity here, we’d be happy to help! As an educational and job platform for female talent we know what women are looking for and can help you in making your company interesting and visible for female talent.