Spotted: Research has demonstrated that companies with better gender and ethnic diversity find it easier to attract top talent and are more likely to have above-average profits. 

But one major challenge when recruiting diverse candidates is that people often unknowingly write company descriptions and job postings focusing on a stereotypical type of person they expect would fill that role. To help change this, Develop Diverse has created a web-based artificial intelligence-(AI)-powered software tool that helps eliminate unconscious bias. 

The Develop Diverse platform analyses writing for stereotypical language, highlights non-inclusive or potentially problematic words, and suggests alternatives that are less stereotypical and more inclusive. Each highlighted word also includes a socio-psycholinguistic explanation that helps users unlearn the unconscious bias reflected in the language. 

In addition to replacing non-inclusive words, the platform can also deliver analytics and user reports that help organisations track changes in texts, such as job adverts, and improvements in the use of inclusive language over time.   

Develop Diverse was founded in 2017 and today claims to have more than 750 users in over 35 countries. In one example, Danske Bank increased their number of qualified female applicants by 81 per cent by using Develop Diverse.

In the archive, Springwise has spotted other tools and platforms working to improve inclusivity in the workplace, including analysis software to discover an organisation’s inclusivity ‘footprint’ and AI tech that measures a company’s diversity.

Written By: Lisa Magloff