How can you create a job description that promotes sustainability and social responsibility?

1 Define your sustainability and social responsibility objectives

Before you start writing your job description, you need to define what sustainability and social responsibility mean for your organization and how they relate to the specific role you are hiring for. You can use frameworks such as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), or the B Corporation standards to guide your thinking and identify your priorities. You should also consider how your sustainability and social responsibility objectives align with your organizational culture, mission, vision, and values.

2 Incorporate sustainability and social responsibility keywords

Once you have defined your objectives, you need to incorporate them into your job description using relevant keywords and phrases. You can use tools such as Google Trends, Moz Keyword Explorer, or SEMrush to research the most popular and effective keywords related to sustainability and social responsibility in your industry and niche. You should use these keywords in your job title, summary, duties, qualifications, and benefits sections, as well as in your meta tags and URL. This will help you optimize your job description for search engines and attract more qualified and interested candidates.

3 Highlight sustainability and social responsibility benefits and incentives

Another way to create a job description that promotes sustainability and social responsibility is to highlight the benefits and incentives that you offer to your employees that support these values. For example, you can mention your flexible work arrangements, wellness programs, volunteer opportunities, green initiatives, diversity and inclusion policies, ethical sourcing practices, or social impact projects. You can also mention any awards, certifications, or memberships that demonstrate your sustainability and social responsibility credentials. These benefits and incentives can help you differentiate yourself from your competitors and appeal to candidates who share your vision and values.

4 Use clear and inclusive language

A sustainable and socially responsible job description should also use clear and inclusive language that avoids jargon, ambiguity, or discrimination. You should write your job description in a way that is easy to understand, concise, and specific, using active verbs, bullet points, and headings. You should also avoid using gendered, biased, or exclusive terms that might deter or exclude certain groups of candidates, such as age, race, ethnicity, religion, disability, or sexual orientation. Instead, you should use gender-neutral, diverse, and respectful language that reflects your commitment to equality and diversity.

5 Solicit feedback and review your job description

Finally, you should solicit feedback and review your job description before you publish it. You can ask your colleagues, managers, stakeholders, or external experts to review your job description and provide constructive criticism, suggestions, or compliments. You can also use tools such as Grammarly, Hemingway, or ProWritingAid to check your spelling, grammar, readability, and tone. You should also test your job description on different platforms, devices, and browsers to ensure that it is formatted correctly and displays well. By soliciting feedback and reviewing your job description, you can ensure that it is accurate, effective, and consistent with your sustainability and social responsibility goals.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?