- Government guidance asks firms to avoid “masculine” wording in job ads.
- Critics call the advice patronising and unnecessary.
- Debate emerges as UK unemployment rises to 5.2 per cent.
Labour has come under criticism after publishing guidance that warns employers against using what it describes as “masculine” language in job descriptions.
The advice, issued by the Office for Equality and Opportunity on March 5, suggests companies rethink how they write recruitment adverts. According to the document, businesses should replace certain personality-based descriptions with more neutral, behaviour-focused criteria.
Employers are encouraged to avoid words linked to male stereotypes, including terms such as “competitive”, “ambitious” and “dominant”. Instead, the guidance recommends focusing on specific skills or behaviours expected from candidates.
The document also advises companies to remove wording that might discourage certain applicants from applying. One example cited is asking candidates to explain gaps in their CVs, which the guidance suggests could put off women returning to the workforce.
Businesses are also encouraged to use neutral job titles and clearer descriptions of responsibilities rather than relying on broad character traits.
Critics say the advice misses the point
The guidance has drawn criticism from opposition figures, who argue it oversteps into unnecessary workplace advice.
Claire Coutinho, the shadow minister for equalities, described the recommendations as “pages of patronising gibberish” funded by taxpayers, as quoted in a news report.
She questioned the suggestion that words such as “ambitious”, “entrepreneurial” or “drives results” might discourage women from applying for jobs.
“Telling companies that women find the words ‘ambitious’, ‘competitive’ or ‘entrepreneurial’ too masculine is frankly insulting to women,” Coutinho reportedly said. She added that people might avoid such descriptions simply because of personality preferences rather than gender.
Coutinho also argued that businesses should be free to shape their own workplace culture without government intervention.
“Businesses should be able to create their own workplace culture,” she reportedly said, adding that the guidance does not appear to address practical barriers to employment.
According to her comments, the recommendations would not help new mothers return to work, support older workers looking to retrain or improve access to careers for people from working-class backgrounds.
She described the policy as “poorly evidenced busy-work” designed to justify diversity roles within organisations, as quoted in a news report.
Debate comes as hiring slows
The discussion around recruitment practices comes at a time when the UK labour market is already showing signs of strain.
Latest data suggests the unemployment rate has climbed to 5.2 per cent, noticeably higher than levels seen in recent years outside the pandemic period.
Job openings are also shrinking. Vacancies across the UK have fallen to their lowest level since 2021, with London reportedly seeing the sharpest drop in available roles.
The City has been particularly affected by the slowdown, as hiring activity cools and firms become more cautious about expanding their workforce.
Against this backdrop, the debate around recruitment language is likely to continue, with some arguing the guidance could make hiring more inclusive, while others question whether such measures address the bigger challenges facing the job market.
