Job descriptions are likely the first thing future employees will read about your organization, and may contain subtle messages about what your organization values. By using gendered language or not thinking through the minimum qualifications you’re looking for, you can unintentionally discourage qualified candidates.

This happened to Google when looking for a Global Creative Director in Marketing. One of the minimum qualifications listed was: "12 years of experience in a world class creative agency leading creative for iconic global brands." The sad truth is that only 3% of advertising creative directors are women. There’s even a conference about this problem in advertising aptly called The 3% Conference. The Huffington Post appropriately called it out, and Google took immediate action to make sure job descriptions attract as many qualified candidates as possible. Keeping your job descriptions free of superlatives and relative language is a good precaution against inadvertently discouraging otherwise qualified candidates from even applying.