Your companys job descriptions are driving women away

Your companys job descriptions are driving women awayYour companys job descriptions are driving women awayLet me guess Hiring keeps you up at night.Welcome to the club.Finding great people is a top concern for companies today, startup founders cited hiring as their 1 concern, beating out even revenue and customer growth.Yet for all the worrying about keeping a high-quality candidate pipeline, many of us are making the same mistake - were unwittingly writing job descriptions that turn off a large percentage of our candidate pool.We recently turned a critical eye to our descriptions at HubSpot. We wanted to put ourselves in our candidates shoes and see how we could improve their experience. What were our best descriptions doing differently? Who can (or cant) picture themselves working at HubSpot? How can we make our descriptions mora helpful and more human?Turns out, we have a lot of work to do. Here are four key themes we uncovered.Use caution with qualificationsWe tend to treat the qualifications section of a job description like a wish list everything that would be nice to have gets thrown in. Why bedrngnis? Setting a high bar for talent is good, right? Wont making it tough to qualify ensure we find the best candidates?WellnoSee, even though we know there is wiggle room on qualifications, thats not always how candidates interpret it, particularly women. While men apply for a job when they meet 60% of the qualifications, women tend to apply only when they meet 100%.Turns out, a long list of nice-to-haves will actually deter female candidates from moving forward. Ouch.Were starting to pay closer attention to this at HubSpot. For example, Fluent German is a required skill for HubSpots German Customer Support Specialist role. Theres no wiggle room here. But for skills and experience that will help a candidate stand-out, but arent truly required, were instead encouraging hiring managers to use language likefamiliarity with..bonus points forworking knowledge ofcomf ortable withif you have any combination of these skillsWeve also started watching out for the word expert. Some candidates will consider themselves experts, but many qualified, talented candidates wont identify with that descriptor, or might even be intimidated by it. Do we really require an inbound marketing expert or do we require someone who has the fhigkeit to become an inbound marketing expert?Check for genderedlanguageGender also plays a big role in how language is interpreted in job descriptions. Certain words and phrases resonate with men more than women, and vice versa.Last year, Courtney Seiter from Buffer wrote about why they removed the word hacker from engineering job titles. I was inspired by this so I sent a handful of HubSpots job descriptions to our employees to get their feedback. I asked them to comment on anything they had a reaction to, good and bad. Here is one great exampleWe tend to write the way we would talk, and normally thats a good thing, but not when it comes to job descriptions. Phrases and jargon like killer geschftlicher umgang instinct might feel fun and colorful, but they send subtle messages to the applicant about the kind of gruppe they are signing up for.Textio is a free tool that analyzes and improves job descriptions for effective language and format. Based on data from third-party job boards and company data, Textio can tell which words and phrases are more likely to attract male or female applicants. I signed up for a free trial of Textio to see how our descriptions stack up, here are a few additional pointers the service surfaced for usHighlight benefits for allagesFree beer and ping-pong might be a dream come true for a 20-something college grad, but when youre starting or growing a family, paternal leave and healthcare are probably a lot more important at work than whats on tap.At HubSpot, were passionate about creating a culture where people, at any stage in their career, can grow. Heres a screenshot from our jobs website that features our Free Books Program, tuition reimbursement, HealthyHubSpot programming, etc.But when I looked at our job descriptions, I found that a lot of them were totenstill highlighting shiny perks and missing the opportunity to connect with candidates who bring years of experience to the table, as well as recent grads.But its not just benefits language has a big impact on age diversity in the candidate funnel. The term digital native has been used in our job descriptions, regrettably. The sentiment is well-intentioned - were looking for someone who is passionate about technology, but a reader might interpret this as someone who is under 25. HubSpots co-founder and CTO, Dharmesh Shah, says thisI think the term digital citizen is much better (and more inclusive) than digital native. A native is somebody who was born there. A citizen is someone who may have immigrated in, but accepted the responsibility of citizenship. So, the contrast I like to use is Were looking for digital citizens, not digital tourists. Note I am not a digital native (wasnt born into this stuff), but I am a card-carrying, flag-waving, digitalcitizen.Watch out for corporate-speakInsider language is a quick way to make someone else feel like an outsider, but if youre not watching out for it, acronyms and company speak will inevitably creep into your job descriptions. Job seekers reading descriptions are usually still in research mode, so feeling like they dont speak the language of a company makes it easier for them to cross that company off the list.One instance I found of this at HubSpot was uncovering HEART in the requirements section of a job description. HEART is a core part of our Culture Code and captures the characteristics we want to see in every HubSpot employee. It stands for humble, effective, adaptable, remarkable transparent. Its important to us, but only confuses a candidates who isnt familiar with our culture.This unconscious bias can be a little more subtle tha n acronyms. Heres another great example we surfaced thanks to Matt, a software engineer at HubSpotWatch out for wording or references that assume your candidate has insider knowledge about your business. Maybe youre describing a responsibility of the role that assumes the candidate knows how another part of the business works. Or maybe the mission of a role assumes the candidate knows how many customers you have in Europe.When in doubt, assume the candidate doesnt know the ins-and-outs of your company.How were solving for this atHubSpotNow that we have a better grasp on how to improve our descriptions, there are a few things were doing internally to try and walk the walkWeve run How to Write Inclusive, Effective Job Descriptions workshops for our global recruiting teamsWe created an internal guide and template for recruiters and hiring managers to useWere embedding peer review into the job description writing processA remarkable, inclusive candidate experience doesnt happen overnigh t, and as we build out our inbound recruiting playbook, were constantly finding data points like this to improve and help us move the needle. Often times, that feedback comes directly from employees like Brittany and Matt. Sometimes it comes from our candidates taking the time to point out how we could be better. This input is invaluable.Take the time to read through your job descriptions with this new perspective. It might help you put yourself in the candidates shoes and help more people, regardless of gender or background, click Submit.This piece originally appeared on ThinkGrow.org.

Past President Bob Sims Joins Panel of Pressure Technology and Standards MasterClass Instructors

Past President Bob Sims Joins Panel of Pressure Technology and Standards MasterClass Instructors Past President Bob Sims Joins Panel of Pressure Technology and Standards MasterClass Instructors Past President Bob Sims Joins Panel of Pressure Technology and Standards MasterClass InstructorsJuly 8, 2016 J. Robert (Bob) Sims, former president of ASME, has joined ASME Training & Developments distinguished panel of ASME Code authorities and authors who will teach a series of ASME MasterClass courses on Pressure Vessels and Piping Systems. Sims will teach the new MasterClass Fracture Mechanics and Other Methods for Fatigue and Fracture Analysis of Pressure Equipment, which will launch this October during ASME Pressure Technology and Standards MasterClass Training Week in Houston, Texas.ASME MasterClass courses are practical training sessions for experienced professionals that emphasize learning through the discussion of real-world case studies and practical applications. MasterClass i nstructors, considered to be elite in their fields of expertise, lead in-depth sessions that address current issues and best practices to inspire interactive discussions and group knowledge-sharing. J. Robert SimsSims, an ASME Fellow who served as ASME president in 2014-2015, is a world-renowned expert in risk-based technologies, high-pressure equipment, mechanical integrity evaluation and Fitness-For-Service analysis. Sims two-day MasterClass will focus on the fracture mechanics method of fatigue analysis of pressure equipment. The course, which will focus on practical applications instead of theory, is intended for engineers who work for pressure vessel manufacturers or firms that design, specify, procure or are responsible for the inspection, maintenance or repair of pressure equipment in cyclic service.With the new course, Sims joins a panel of peer experts who will be teaching courses during the ASME Pressure Technology and Standards MasterClass Training Week event . These experts include David Osage, lead author for plan by Analysis Requirements in ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code Section VIII, Div. 2 Alternative Rules, who teaches a course of the same title Don Frikken, past chair of the ASME Process Piping Code Committee, who teaches Piping Failures Causes and Remedies Jim Meyer, current chair of the ASME Process Piping Code Committee, the instructor for Piping Flexibility Analysis and Tony Paulin, who teaches Static, Elastic Finite Element Analysis (FEA) Approaches to Address ASME Section VIII Div. 2, Part 5 Design Requirements. Other experts of equal caliber will be teaching courses at the Pressure Technology and Standards MasterClass program in Houston.In addition to the Houston event, ASME Training Development will also hold a similar program from Oct. 17 to 21 in Barcelona, Spain. For more information on these Training Weeks events, or to register, visit http//go.asme.org/pressuretechtraining or contact Jennifer Deld a, program/business manager, at deldajasme.org.

Strengthening Your Business Network Through Volunteering

Strengthening Your Business Network Through VolunteeringStrengthening Your Business Network Through VolunteeringNetworking remains a vital activity for accounting and finance leaders, one that appears to be returning to its mora traditional roots. Beyond a job search tool or way to tally connections, executives are using their outreach to stay up on the latest trends and grow their business.Robert Half Management Resources research found the popularity of reaching out via email is surging among chief financial officers, while the preference for social media is falling. No matter their favorite outreach vehicle, one way many executives build their business and careers through networking is volunteering.Making volunteering work for you and your companyHow can philanthropic work enable financial executives to help their companies and grow their careers? Here are just a few waysImprove recruiting and retentionMany job seekers include the charitable activities of a prospective employer a mong their priorities when making a decision on a job offer, says Robert Half community relations manager Lisa Montagna. As competition for talent heats up, volunteering can offer you and your company an edge.Echoing Montagnas insights, a survey by our companys OfficeTeam teilen found more than four in 10 workers said a companys participation in charitable activities influences their decision to work there. The appeal of philanthropic firms is particularly strong for the youngest generations in the workforce. The majority of respondents ages 18 to 34, including Millennials and Gen Z, are attracted to organizations involved with charitable outreach.Meet new customers and business contactsPeople want to buy from businesses they know and feel good about. Reaching out to your community will help you spread the word about your products or services and build affinity for your brand.Many of our managers have built their networks through volunteering, especially when they have transferred t o new states or cities, adds Montagna. Volunteering allows them to meet people immediately and start to network from day one. Several of our executives now sit on boards for groups like Boys Girls Clubs of America and Junior Achievement.Enhance your companys reputationPhilanthropy gives your company positive exposure in the communities where your employees live and work, Montagna says. You have the opportunity to build goodwill for your business, including among people who may not have been familiar with it previously.Boost your healthHelping the community also offers health benefits. Citing academic research, Dress for Success notedon its website that studies show volunteering can reduce the risk of death by 25 percent, improving both physical and mental well-being.Getting startedIf youre looking for a volunteer activity, below are a few recommendations from MontagnaStart with your passionFor example, if you like sports, offer to coach a Little League team. If you enjoy cooking, o nce a month you could make meals for a soup kitchen.The key,says Montagna, is to do something you enjoy because you will be motivated to stay involved.Know its OK to start smallIf youre not sure where to start or where youll fit, take comfort knowing everything you do no matter how large or small it may seem will help.If all you can offer is one hour a month or a quarter, dont think that wont make an impact, says Montagna.It is amazing what you can accomplish in an hourCheck out your companys activitiesMany organizations help facilitate volunteer work for employees. In addition to having all the information you need to get started available internally, you may even be able to make your outreach a group outing or team-building exercise.Consult your networkComing full circle, Montagna recommends talking to your contacts for their thoughts. Get advice from friends and colleagues who are already active volunteers. Talk to a variety of people involved with different causes and see whic h interest you most.A more personal approach to business networkingCFOs shift from social media to email as their preferred networking tool suggests they seek more personal outreach. And there are fewer things more personal than enriching the lives of others.How have your volunteer activities helped you build your business network? Please share your experiences in the comments section below.For more information on Robert Halfs philanthropic work, download our corporate citizenship report.Editors Note Boys Girls Clubs of America and Dress for Success are nonprofit partners of Robert Half.Related postsIs Corporate Citizenship a Priority at Your Business? If Not, Heres Why It Should BeHow CFOs Engage on Social Media 5 Key InsightsNetworking at the Top 7 Tips for Current and Aspiring CFOs3 Networking No-Nos for Finance Consultants