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Tech companies are notorious for a lack of employee diversity, with 73% of jobs being held by men and 62% of jobs held by white employees, according to a recent Zippia report. Despite all of the large tech companies having made statements and promises around their diversity initiatives (such as these examples from Meta, Microsoft, Amazon, Netflix and Google), their job descriptions say otherwise.
According to data from Textio, a company that uses AI to analyze and improve the language used in job postings and employee reviews, biased language in job postings for big tech companies has increased 70% in the past 3 years.
Trend in biased job post language at big tech companies
The tone set in job postings tends to be indicative of a company’s overall focus on inclusivity. Examples of problematic language identified by Textio include gendered terms like ‘manpower’ and ‘man hours,’ ableist terms like ‘insane,’ and racist terms like ‘blacklist’ and ‘slave.’ Language that describes a culture that prioritizes hustle over purpose can also have an impact on the identities of employees that apply. And even the well-intentioned phrase encouraging “a diverse employee” to apply, which has increased by 58% in frequency of tech job postings over the last 3 years, shows a lack of understanding of Diversity, Equity and Belonging work (by definition, an individual cannot be diverse).
Most common biased language in job posts
Textio CEO, Kieren Snyder, emphasized the importance of auditing job descriptions for biased language. "The language you use in recruiting changes who can see themselves working in your organization," she said. "Because language is culturally revealing — regardless of what inclusive values leadership may espouse from the top, when thousands of people in an organization use words like ‘ruthlessly’ (used at Meta 8x more often than the rest of the industry) or ‘whatever it takes’ (used at Amazon 14x more often than the rest of the industry), it isn't an accident.”
The impact of biased language in job postings is not limited to who applies for jobs. It can also affect the success of employees once they join the company. "Being clear about what 'good' looks like in a role helps you hire someone great for the role, but it does more than that," said Snyder. "It also helps you provide relevant, specific, actionable feedback to people once you've hired them, which makes them much more likely to succeed."
Textio research has shown that women and people of color receive lower-quality feedback at work overall, which can translate into pay and opportunity disparities over time. By being intentional about job descriptions and providing clear expectations and feedback, companies can create a more level playing field for all employees.
The impact of biased language in job postings is not just theoretical; it has real-world consequences. Snyder cited the example of T-Mobile, which increased the number of women in their pipeline by 17% and filled jobs 5 days faster after changing their language in job postings.
As Snyder noted, "Whatever business you're in, your customer base is diverse and becoming more so. You can't serve your customers without having a team that reflects them."
If tech companies are serious about wanting to improve representation and create a more inclusive workplace, they must be intentional about the language they use – in job postings and beyond.
