1. Create an inclusive job advert

Consider advertising the role as part-time / job share as well as full-time. This is one of the most effective things you can do to attract women, disabled staff, and both older and younger workers. You can make this obvious to candidates by:

• Adding 'Part-time, Job share or Full-time' to the job title
• Include this at the top of the job advert
• Include this in any job advert headers posted on job boards

Include the full-time hours and salary to make it possible for candidates to calculate part-time pay. Also note the minimum part-time hours. For more advice see section 6: Include flexible working options. Read more about how advertising with part-time or job share options increases the number of female applicants.

In particular those around pension contributions, flexible working arrangements, and professional development opportunities.

Such emphasis attracts applicants of all ages and our research found that older applicants would be more likely to apply. Make sure you include benefits in your organisation that are competitive with other organisations, particularly benefits or policies that promote inclusivity and exceed legal minimums. This may also include parental leave and pay, or paid leave for dependents or mental health.

Our 'Ads for all ages' research examines which benefits research about which benefits are proven to attract more older applicants.

Potential applicants scan adverts quickly to assess suitability. Information in the title and at the top of the ad play an outsized role in whether applicants read the full advert (read more in our report here.

Make the overall job advert as succinct as possible to ensure applicants read the most important details. Remember you can always include links to information on your website. Key info at the top should be salary, location, contract type and working patterns (for more advice see point 6: Include flexible working options).

Research suggests some words can put off older candidates, while others are more attractive, such as "knowledgeable", "dependable", and "experienced". Using language that appeals to older candidates does not deter younger candidates.

Age-signifiers such as "recent graduate", should be replaced with alternatives such as "suitably trained". So-called "graduate schemes" could be rebranded as "new joiner" or "transition" schemes. Avoid jargon or ambiguous words such as "transformational".

Describe what acronyms stand for, e.g. STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths). Language decoders can help you identify biased words. For example, paid-for services like textio, free online tools like gender decoder or Totaljobs, those built into recruitment platforms such as Applied, or writing assistants such as Grammarly.

Read more about which words to avoid and which ones to include to increase applications from older workers.

Describe the concrete behaviours and skills required rather than personality traits. This improves diversity and attracts applicants with better matched skills. For example, replace descriptions of character traits, such as "innovative", with specific competencies, such as "contributing new ideas".

Make sure to create a concise list, ideally around 5 requirements, as long lists might deter candidates from applying and reduce diversity.

Discuss and clarify the flexible working patterns available and add as many of the following to your job advert as relevant:

• Minimum weekly hours and their split across different days
• Days and time where the employee needs to be available, for example work from office or specific customer service or shift times
• Regular travel requirements, for example minimum and maximum amount of time abroad
• Job share minimum and maximum working cross over, for example regular sync meetings
• When you will ask about working pattern details, we suggest after you have selected the the candidate.

Read our guide to learn more about how to talk about flexible working with candidates during recruitment.

Let candidates know they can request both workplace adjustments for the job itself, and adjustments during the recruitment process For example accessible parking, special desk, keyboard or screen, communication support or other arrangements. Add a short description of how and when candidates can request these. Consider describing types of adjustments you may make during the recruitment process and on the job.

This helps candidates understand what they can ask for and encourages them to do so. Read our guide and templates on how to invite job candidates to interviews and accommodate adjustments during the recruitment process.

Be clear about what a candidate needs to do to apply, for example answering skill based questions in the application or sending a CV, portfolio or work sample. Include the date when the job closes for applications, when candidates can expect a response, when the interview process will start and when they might be expected to start working. If some of these dates are flexible or may change, consider providing a date range instead.

Consider adding more information about your overall recruitment process, for example the type of interview and how many, to give an idea of what to expect.

Candidates may have questions about the job, the application form or your recruitment process in general, so add a contact phone or email that candidates can use at any point in their journey.

You can also choose to use a contact form if you would prefer not to share details at this stage, as this can be helpful in managing large numbers of contacts.