How to Write Inclusive Job Requirements: Remove Barriers Without Lowering Standards

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Audit your requirements for hidden barriers

Many common requirements act as unintentional filters against underrepresented groups. Specific degree requirements exclude self-taught professionals and bootcamp graduates. Rigid year-count minimums exclude career changers and non-linear career paths. Prestigious company names exclude talented people from smaller organizations. Review each requirement and ask: Is this necessary for the role, or is it a proxy for pedigree?

• Specific degree requirements (unless legally mandated)
• Exact year-count experience minimums
• Names of specific companies or institutions as qualifiers
• Requirements that favor candidates with uninterrupted career paths
• Physical requirements unrelated to actual job functions

Replace year-count requirements with capability descriptions

Years of experience is a poor proxy for skill. A developer with 3 years at a high-growth startup may have more relevant experience than one with 7 years at a slow-moving enterprise. Describe what the person must be able to do, not how long they must have been doing it. Instead of “5+ years of marketing experience,” write “Ability to plan, execute, and measure multi-channel marketing campaigns with budgets of $50K+.”

• Replace “X+ years of experience” with specific capabilities
• Describe the complexity of work, not the duration
• Focus on outcomes the person must achieve
• Allow for non-traditional paths to acquiring the skill
• Consider what the person needs on day one, not what they might need in year three

Rethink degree requirements

Unless a degree is legally required (licensed professions, certain regulated industries), consider whether it is genuinely necessary for the work. Many successful professionals in technology, marketing, sales, and operations are self-taught, bootcamp graduates, or career changers. A degree requirement is often a proxy for “pedigree” rather than ability. If you need specific knowledge, describe the knowledge. If you need demonstrated skill, describe the skill. A degree is one path to both, but rarely the only one.

• List degree as “preferred” rather than “required”
• Describe the knowledge or skills the degree represents
• Accept equivalent experience, certifications, or demonstrated projects
• Remove institution prestige requirements (specific university names)
• For regulated roles, specify the legally required credential

Use inclusive language in requirement descriptions

The way you describe requirements matters as much as the requirements themselves. Phrases like “must be able to handle pressure” or “thrive in a fast-paced environment” skew masculine in research studies. Words like “rockstar” or “ninja” discourage women and non-binary candidates. Use neutral, specific language that describes the actual work.

• Replace “rockstar” or “ninja” with specific role descriptions
• Use “collaborative” instead of “competitive” where teamwork matters
• Describe work pace with specifics (“manage 8-10 projects simultaneously”) rather than “fast-paced”
• Avoid gendered pronouns in requirement descriptions
• Focus on what the person will do, not personality traits

Test your requirements for inclusivity

After revising your requirements, test them against these questions: Would someone from a non-traditional background feel they could apply? Does every requirement correspond to a specific task in the responsibilities section? Could a strong candidate succeed without meeting every preferred qualification? If the answer to any of these is no, revise further. Inclusive requirements do not lower quality — they expand the pool of people who can demonstrate that quality.

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