ABA Family Legal Guide

Law and the Workplace

The Hiring Process

What are the elements of a good job advertisement?

The main idea is to avoid discrimination while at the same time targeting qualified candidates. Ads should avoid words suggesting a preferred race, sex, religion, national origin, or age. For example, using "recent college grad," instead of "college degree required," could indicate a preference for young people and discourage older qualified applicants from applying. Using the term "salesman" instead of "salesperson" suggests that only men should apply. The phrase "An Equal Opportunity Employer" in an ad means the employer will judge all applicants based on their qualifications for the job, without regard to race, sex, religion, national origin, age, or disability.