Tried all of the above but still no women will respond to your vacancy?! Let me explain to you which simple factors actually draw in female applicants and why companies that (only) care about these points soon end up on my 'pile of nopes'.
As a soon-to-be graduate in the engineering/IT field I have been browsing through vacancies quite regularly. In this process I've noticed that some job openings simply draw me in more than others: some make me feel underqualified and insecure, while others make me feel ambitious and included. It's important to realise that creating a diverse and inclusive workplace starts with actually getting a diverse pool of applicants for your open positions. Therefore, I took a dive into my 'pile of nopes' to figure out why those companies don't attract me as a woman and what research has to say about a diverse recruiting process. Here are a few factors that might impact the diversity of your pool of candidates (and how you can do better).
In the book
A few months ago I would stop reading a vacancy when the first 'requirement' that I didn't meet popped up. Once I discovered that most of my male friends got their current jobs by going for these stretch roles and that many employers actually assume you won't meet every requirement I decided to be less picky and go for, let's say, 60%. Though this in itself is a useful tip for other job-seeking women, I would hope that hiring companies also want to work on their half of this equation. As a hiring company or recruiter you might think adding more and more requirements will result in more suitable candidates, but what you're actually doing is creating hoops that women are less likely to jump through. You can take this into consideration by clearly separating must-have's from nice-to-have's or could-have's. You can also explicitly state that candidates do not need to fit every requirement to be considered for the position (if this is actually the case).
The first requirement listed in many vacancies is a bachelor's or master's degree. Though women have recently caught up to men in terms of master degrees earned overall, men in Europe still earn close to 3 times as many engineering and information technologies degrees as women (Eurostat, 2018). Ask yourself if what you are looking for is a piece of paper or a specific skillset. Do you want someone with a strong analytic mindset and advanced skills in Python and machine learning? Write that down instead of the master in Artificial Intelligence you had originally stated! By stating such a 'traditional' requirement you might be missing out on a lot of amazing people with a less traditional background, like those who have previously worked in other sectors.
Another traditional demand that might cause a less diverse set of applicants is asking for a referral. The same LinkedIn report stated that women are 26% less likely to ask for a referral. We can also imagine that people with a large gap in their career (for example because they were taking care of a sick relative or children) might be reluctant to ask employers from years ago for a referral. Be aware of the fact that women carry out at least 2.5 times more unpaid household and care work than men (International Labour Organization, 2016) and therefore are much more likely to have such gaps in their careers. Instead of stating a referral as a demand in your initial application you can also bring up the subject of past employers in a first interview.
Though it might seem obvious to you that you do not discriminate in your recruiting process, it doesn't harm stating this explicitly in your vacancy. In my experience, I have felt very encouraged because of statements of commitment to a fair and non-discriminatory recruiting process as well as equal pay. One example that I have seen many times in slightly adjusted forms is: '[Company name] *is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered without attention to race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, nationality, or disability status.'* However, make sure to actually commit to these promises if you make them in your vacancy. Additionally, if you do have a diversity and inclusion statement or policy (and you should), make sure potential employees are able to find it on your website! Be honest about the challenges you are facing in your road to diversity but make sure that potential candidates are not left in the dark about them. Try to be aware of the fact that just because you have never experienced discrimination in a hiring process, doesn't mean others have the same experience, or that they don't fear being discriminated against.
Countless times I have come across companies on career fairs or recruiting events complaining about how they cannot find any women to work for them. Often times, those same companies make mistakes in the points mentioned above and gloss over it with pink banners. It makes me wonder if they really want to be a diverse company or just want to hire women to hit their quota and continue business as usual. I am by no means expecting companies to lower their bar to be inclusive. What I do hope for is that companies that say they are committed to diversity also understand that that means embracing different career paths, ways of working and thinking. At the end of the day, a diverse team is the best team.
A disclaimer: these might be some useful tips to create a more diverse pool of applicants but don't forget to actually practice what you preach in your recruiting process and thereafter. Take care of your parental leave, ensure equal pay and create a safe working environment for minorities. Also, do not forget to be inclusive to other groups of minorities, such as people of colour and the disabled.