Male-sounding job adverts put off women applying, study finds
7 April 2014
Job adverts that are too “male sounding” put women off applying for jobs, according to a study, the Sunday Telegraph reports.
Mon, 7 Apr 2014Job adverts that are too “male sounding” put women off applying for jobs, according to a study, the Sunday Telegraph reports.
The study, by Professor Claudia Peus from the University of Technology in Munich, found that job advertisements that called for personal traits such as being “assertive”, “independent”, “aggressive” and “analytical” deterred women from applying.
It found that women were more attracted to respond to advertisements that contained phrases such as “dedicated”, “sociable” and “conscientious”. For men, the words used made no difference.
Professor Peus says: “Without a profile featuring at least balanced wording, organisations are robbing themselves of the chances of attracting good female applicants.”
The study, by Professor Claudia Peus from the University of Technology in Munich, found that job advertisements that called for personal traits such as being “assertive”, “independent”, “aggressive” and “analytical” deterred women from applying.
It found that women were more attracted to respond to advertisements that contained phrases such as “dedicated”, “sociable” and “conscientious”. For men, the words used made no difference.
Professor Peus says: “Without a profile featuring at least balanced wording, organisations are robbing themselves of the chances of attracting good female applicants.”
