Danske Bank has seen an 81% uplift in female job applicants after applying software that scans recruitment adverts for gender bias.
The bank is collaborating with start-up Develop Diverse whose software automatically scans the bank’s job adverts for biases that could attract or discourage different groups of applicants, such as a certain gender, age or ethnicity.
In a pilot project covering 40 job adverts, the number of qualified female applicants grew by 81% and male applicants by 39% when bias was removed from the job adverts.
“The financial sector remains a relatively male-dominated industry, so the self-awareness that the bank has, and the willingness to do something about it, is really commendable”, says Jenifer Clausell-Tormos, CEO of Develop Diverse. “It’s important that we do away with stereotypes, and not just make mobile banking pink to attract more women, for example. It’s about making everyone feel welcome in the company, which can be promoted with inclusive use of language, images, colours, even the fonts you use."