Role or job descriptions

This is a description of the “what” of a job or a volunteering role, outlining its purpose and remit. It should include the position’s key activities or tasks.

Whether the position is a new role or a vacancy following a departure, there’s always an opportunity to review the description to ensure that it meets the needs of the organisation and reflects current inclusive practice. The following prompts can help review the role or job description:

• How accessible is the language?
• Is the language still best practice?
• Is the language opaque?
• Are there abbreviations included without explanation?
• Is the description an accurate reflection of the role?
• Is there any language that might exclude someone? For example, ‘dynamic’ and ‘recently graduated’ could be read as ageist.

Critically reviewing the description through a variety of equality lenses can help remove language that is explicitly or implicitly discouraging people from applying.

It can also be helpful to include the frequency of tasks and activities included to avoid the job description looking overwhelming. Lists of tasks can sometimes be lengthy and off-putting when some activities included are irregular or occasional.