Many employers believe that job seekers read want ads because they’re looking mainly for positions with more money and/or prestige. They’ve concluded that these needs are dominant, and will automatically yield a diverse applicant pool.
In reality, potential applicants—especially those underrepresented in higher-ranking and leadership roles, including women and minorities—tend to parse the language of firm websites and job postings to assess the attractiveness of the position relative to gender or race. When organizations view candidates, especially women, as individuals shopping for a fair and sustainable work culture, they realize that they need to focus on crafting and leveraging first impressions. For law firms, that means focusing on the firm’s website.
