Per the World Bank, 98 economies have legislation mandating equal pay for women for work of equal value. However, only 35 economies have pay transparency measures. Pay gaps persist, including in developed countries.
The persistence is attributed to discriminatory laws and practices. Businesses can lobby for new laws, which takes time, but they can end their discriminatory practices now and make significant inroads in closing the wage gap for women and minorities. There are two sets of practices to target. One is evaluating the current status of equal pay for equal work among employee groups and making adjustments when gaps are identified. However, a company serious about closing the wage gap for women and minorities will identify and correct the factors that led to the wage gap in the first place, starting with the job descriptions and evaluation criteria used to ensure they are free of bias.
Creating Unbiased and Inclusive Job Descriptions
Making unbiased pay decisions requires intentionality. Job descriptions play a pivotal role in perpetuating pay discrimination. They are the first point of contact between the hiring company and job candidates, and they define job duties for current employees, including those seeking promotions. A job description with racially biased language and gendered terms acts as a barrier to inclusive hiring — and that’s not all. Biased job descriptions directly contribute to pay discrimination. For instance, job descriptions written with biased language can lead to the hiring or promotion of white males in higher-paying jobs, while women and minorities are excluded, thereby perpetuating or widening the pay gap.
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