Job Adverts Contain Male Bias

According to a study commissioned by Adzuna, 60% of UK businesses use gendered wording in their job adverts, resulting in a pronounced male bias. Drawing on the academic work of Gaucher, Friesen and Kay, Adzuna analysed how specific words can steer applicants by gender, with “male-coded” terms like lead and dominant attracting more men, and “female-coded” terms such as sensitive and affectionate attracting more women.

Methodology

The researchers scanned 1.2 million job adverts published between 2014 and 2018 for 170 traditionally masculine and feminine words. This large-scale analysis measured the frequency of gender-coded language across multiple sectors to determine industry-wide trends.

Key Findings

On average, each job advert contained 17% more male-biased words than female-biased words. This imbalance was pervasive across 60% of UK industries, highlighting a systemic issue with gendered language in recruitment.

Sector Breakdown

Most Male-Biased Industries (percentage of adverts using ≥50% more male-coded words):

• Consultancy: 72%
• Property: 54%
• Sales: 51%

Most Female-Biased Industries (percentage of adverts using more female-coded words):

• Domestic Help & Cleaning: 60%
• Teaching: 38%
• Social Work: 30%
• Charity & Voluntary: 27%
• Healthcare & Nursing: 12%

The most neutral sector in 2018 was retail, using just 5% more female-coded words. Notably, retail shifted from a 50% male bias in 2015 to near neutrality by 2018.

Trend Towards Neutral Wording

Over the past five years, 78% of companies have moved towards gender-neutral language in their job adverts, while only 19% of industries became more male-biased. This reflects growing awareness but also underscores areas needing further improvement.

Recommendations for Employers

Andrew Hunter, co-founder of Adzuna, emphasizes that organisations must address unconscious bias in recruitment. He advises:

• Audit existing job adverts for gendered wording.
• Replace gender-coded terms with neutral alternatives.
• Train hiring managers on inclusive language practices.

With gender pay gaps under scrutiny, now is the time for employers to revisit their recruitment basics. Ensuring adverts are free from bias will help attract a more diverse talent pool and support true equality in the workplace.