Inclusive content and design elements bolster your diversity recruitment campaigns.

Check out the following notes on how to help bolster your recruitment campaign and make them accessible to more people. 

• Use text alignment for readability: Left-align text rather than center text.
  
  
• Always leverage 12-point font or higher.
  
  
• Avoid italics.
  
  
• Avoid column widths that are too narrow or too wide.
  
  
• Break up large amounts of text into chunks using headlines, subheads, and bulleted lists.
  
  
• All images must have an ALT attribute (if an image is decorative/doesn’t add to content, the ALT can be empty; images that convey meaning must have ALT).
  
  
• Don’t use the word “picture” or "image” as ALT text.
  
  
• Include additional info in the “aria-label” attribute for CTAs.
  
  
• Always exhibit the visible expression of diversity across a range of representations.
  
  
• Introduce broad representation across editorial content (e.g., news story subjects, featured campus events).
  
  
• Use of authentic imagery vs. stock photography.
  
  
• Add closed captioning to all videos & ensure the text file for closed caption is attached to the video player, readable by search engines.
  
  
• Add audio descriptions (ex: a man walks into an office building).
  
  
• Ensure your video/audio does not support autoplay.
  
  
• Audio files should have downloadable transcripts.
  
  
• Use heading tags: <h1> to <h6> to help navigate text (BONUS: this helps with SEO). 
  
  
• Use URL link text and descriptions.
  
  
  • Keep your URL streamlined and as few keywords as possible.
    
    
  • Avoid “click here”; instead, say, “Get" or “get info about.”
    
    
• Use inclusive language. Mention of people, functions, and priorities across your content relates to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
  
  
  • Use pronouns like “they/them," “students," “folks,” or "everyone,” instead of “he/she," “mankind,” or "guys.”
    
    
  • When referring to disabilities, use people-first language, so their disability does not define individuals.
    • E.g., use “person with a disability” vs. “disabled person” (unless the person indicates another preference).

• When conducting a story interview, ask sources for their preference regarding race, ethnicity, religion, and gender.
• Use of appropriate language and terminology (e.g., describing someone as a “wheelchair user,” not as “wheelchair-bound").

What else can you do?

To learn even more about diversity recruiting and tips on how to tell your diversity recruitment story: check out our diversity recruiting blog round-up.

To learn more about ways recruitment marketing technology can support your LGBTQ+ hiring efforts: check out our diversity recruiting guide.