Effects of gender sensitive language in job listings: A study on real-life user interaction

Dominik Hetjens and Stefan Hartmann

PLOS ONE, 2024, vol. 19, issue 8, 1-18

Abstract: The possible impact of gender-sensitive language on readers is among the most controversially debated issues in linguistics and beyond. Previous studies have suggested that there is an effect of gender-sensitive language on mental representations, based on data gathered in laboratory settings with small groups of participants. We add a new perspective by examining correlations of authentic language use with authentic user interaction on a recruitment website. Drawing upon a large dataset provided by the recruitment platform StepStone, we evaluate whether job advertisements using certain kinds of gender-sensitive language in their titles correlate with higher proportions of views by female users. Our results indicate that there are differing effects depending on the type of gender-sensitive language that is used. Overall, the strongest correlation can be found with terms that include the feminine suffix -in.

Date: 2024
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:plo:pone00:0308072

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0308072

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