Engineering adverts reimagined

Openreach is radically changing the language it uses in its recruitment adverts after new research from Exeter University revealed that hidden bias deters more than half of female applicants. It also reinforces commonly held beliefs; for example, a quarter of women (24%) still feel certain careers are better suited to men than women, with 80% discounting engineering.

However, the research showed that when job seekers were presented with a gender-inclusive advert (for an entry-level engineering role), women’s interest in the role increased by more than 200%, with 60% stating this was because of the way it was written. Despite four in five women admitting they wouldn’t consider working in engineering, more than half (56%) were interested in the engineering job role once it had been reimagined.

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