It was 10:12 AM on a rainy Sunday morning in March. I was in a coffee shop. It was my second coffee shop that morning. My brain was racing and I was on a tear. I was writing the best email I had ever written in my life.

You see, I’m a leader by trade, and part of the job is getting people fired up. And when you’re fired up, that’s an opportunity. You can use that. You’ve gotta grab it, and share it.

So I’m writing and writing and writing. I’m describing change, and opportunity, and challenge and I’m feeling goosebumps as I write. An hour of coffee and furious typing passes. Without a moment’s hesitation, I hit send.

The replies start rolling in. Throughout the afternoon (it was Sunday!) I’m getting emails: “This is amazing!” “I just forwarded your email to my department.” “Thank you for sending this.” I feel great. Better than great.

Later that week I’m having drinks with some of the team, and the email comes up. Someone I’m close to says: “Dude are you kidding? I opened it and closed it. It was like 20 pages. I don’t have time for that. Why, was there something in there I was supposed to read?" Later that week the topic comes around in a 1/1 with someone else. “I think you might have lost them. Maybe try a little shorter next time?”

I went back to my inbox. I had 4, very excited, replies on an email that had reached at least 100 people.

No clarifications.

No follow-ups.

No ideas added.

How did I miss that I was a windbag?

I had effectively achieved zero engagement. Deeper digging turned up the truth: I was wordy and windy, and I had zoomed right past my audience.

That’s how it is, missing your audience. You’ll never hear from the people you didn’t reach. And job postings are my story times a hundred. With a job posting the audience is truly anonymous. Your only feedback is who applied.

I can’t get my syllables under 3 on a good day. Are you like me? Well, we have some work to do. The average American reads at an 8th grade level (some peg it at 7)¹. American literacy is related to a staggering number of social and systemic factors, but at the end of the day, the number is the number. Thoughts about that aside, the reality is most jobs don’t require reading at a 14th grade level. To put this in perspective, John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath clocks in at just over the 4th grade². Job postings can elegantly convey your role in a concise way and still have diverse appeal.

It’s interesting to note that over 42 million people do not speak English as their first language in the US³. Many of those people know English inside and out, but some might know it less well. Are you hiring? What are the odds your ideal candidate, the one who can do a radix sort in her sleep, or render a jaw-dropping illustration of your product, is one of them?

Well, does radix sort work any differently in Chilean Spanish?

Nope.

To reach the broadest audience, keep it simple. Your dream coder, designer, manager is out there, and they may not feel welcome when you talk about disseminating synergies. How about just “spreading teamwork?”

This discussion naturally includes another group: people with reading disabilities. People with reading disabilities (or, more broadly, language-based learning disabilities) comprise 1 in 5 people in the U.S.⁴. The term “reading disability” includes a variety of conditions and experiences. Some people read words one letter at a time, which makes longer words and sentences more taxing and time-consuming. Some use screen readers, which influence their reading rate. And many experience other things entirely.

Dyslexia is the most common reading disability. It is a disorder that manifests in a variety of ways and to different degrees. In general it means some level of difficulty with reading and reading comprehension, and does not imply any other effects on cognitive ability⁵. Estimates vary greatly on the number of people with dyslexia but according to the International Dyslexia Association it could be more than 15% of the population, and possibly up to 20%⁶. What does this mean for your job posting? Are there any qualified candidates for your role in the pool of 1 in 5 Americans? I’d hazard a guess at “Yes."

As many as 1 in 5 Americans has Dyslexia

Appeal to a broader group of people

Job postings that get straight to the point have the advantage. Especially when competition for top talent is fierce. Your posting should use simple, concise language, with short sentences and familiar words. Sentence length is particularly important. Sentences of 11 words or less are considered easy, while 25 and higher are more difficult. Keep your sentences to 25 words or less⁷. Highlight the important stuff, and cut out the jargon. Focus on your values, your mission, and above all, the role.

Some Tips for Accessible Job Postings

• Target a short reading time (under 2 minutes if possible). We’re all busy, folks.

• Keep sentences to 25 words or less. That run-on sentence sounds cool in your head, but it’s way harder to read.

• Avoid sentences with multiple conjunctions. Split them up into smaller ones.

• Replace esoteric hard words with more approachable ones. I know you desperately wanted to use “ameliorate.” Don’t. Try “improve” or “help” instead.

• Highlight and isolate important information in a call-out

Evolved Inclusion Can Help

Evolved Studio is designed to help you create content for a more diverse audience. Within minutes, you can:

• Simplify your language
• Remove hidden gender influence and bias
• Remove unintentional exclusionary words and phrases
• Understand the sentiment of your posting

Try it for free today, so you can reach a broader audience and attract the best talent, whoever they are.