The 3Cs for Employers: How to Write Non-Discriminatory Job Advertisements

In an earlier article, Think You Know What Your Job Needs? Why Skipping Job Analysis Could Cost You, we explored how conducting a job analysis helps employers identify the skills, experience and qualifications required for a role. 

Once these requirements have been identified, the next step is to translate them into a job advertisement that communicates what the role requires clearly, objectively and fairly.

As Singapore prepares for the implementation of the Workplace Fairness Act (WFA), employers should continue to review their hiring practices to ensure they remain fair and merit-based. The WFA will prohibit discrimination in employment decisions based on protected characteristics, such as age, nationality and sex.

This includes taking a closer look at how job requirements are expressed in job advertisements and ensuring that they reflect the actual needs of the role, without introducing personal preferences or assumptions unrelated to the job. 

A useful way to do this is through the 3Cs: Craft, Check and Confront.

How can I CRAFT a fair job advertisement that reflects the job requirements?

Use the findings from job analysis to set out the qualifications, skills, knowledge and experience needed for the role.

When writing the advertisement, clearly distinguish between criteria that are essential and those that are good to have, so candidates can identify what is required for the role and what would be an advantage.

Clearly stating the job requirements helps candidates understand what the job entails and assess their suitability before applying. This can increase the likelihood of a better candidate match, reduce misunderstandings and potentially make the screening and shortlisting process more efficient.

What should I CHECK before publishing a job advertisement?

Once you have drafted the advertisement, review the words and phrases used. Look out for references to personal characteristics or attributes, as well as other wording, that may be perceived as discriminatory or unintentionally discourage suitable applicants.

Describe the job requirements, not the person’s characteristics or attributes 

For example, wording such as “Looking for a young and energetic individual” focuses on the candidate’s age rather than the requirements of the role. Instead, employers should describe the specific skills, competencies or demands of the job, based on the requirements identified through job analysis. For instance, “Candidates will be required to handle heavy equipment.”

Similarly, when recruiting for an entry-level position requiring no prior experience, communicate the experience requirement rather than making assumptions about the type of person who may apply. For example, this could be expressed as “Candidates without experience are welcome to apply.”

Where exceptions relating to protected characteristics may apply

The WFA provides for exceptions whereby protected characteristics can be used as a selection criterion, such as a genuine occupational requirement (GOR) or to support national objectives. A protected characteristic may be a GOR where this is necessary for the reasonable performance of the job, or for health and safety, privacy, or legal and regulatory reasons. 

Proficiency in a particular language, for instance, may be necessary for the reasonable performance of a translator role. Where a language requirement is specified, employers should include the job-related reason. Stating a language requirement without a job-related reason may be considered a breach of the WFA. For example, “Translator for a leading Malay sports magazine. Proficiency in Malay is required.”

As a check, consider asking:

• Does the wording describe the requirements of the job rather than the characteristics or attributes of the person?
• Where a personal characteristic or attribute is specified, have I included the job-related reason for it?

How can I CONFRONT blind spots and biases when writing a job advertisement?

Even a well-crafted and carefully reviewed job advertisement may still be influenced by assumptions or unconscious biases about the “ideal” candidate.

Recognising that we may all have blind spots is an important starting point. Before finalising the advertisement, take a step back and consider whether assumptions about the “ideal” candidate have influenced the requirements you have included or how you have expressed them.

Ask yourself:

• Are the requirements I have included objectively related to the role, or could they reflect personal preferences, assumptions or biases?
• Could any of these assumptions lead me to overlook candidates who are capable of performing the role?

Get a fresh perspective before publishing

A clear vetting and approval process provides another opportunity to identify requirements or wording that may need a second look.

Ask the reviewer to look for:

• Wording that may discourage or exclude suitable applicants;
• Descriptions that could be expressed more objectively; and
• Assumptions about who can perform the job.

A fresh perspective can help identify issues that may have been overlooked. For this review to be effective, however, those involved in drafting and reviewing job advertisements should understand what to look out for and be familiar with the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices (TGFEP) and the WFA. Providing relevant training and guidance can help build this capability across the organisation and strengthen fair hiring practices in day-to-day recruitment.

If questions about a requirement arise during the drafting or review process, revisit the job analysis and assess whether the requirement is objective and relevant to the role. If it is not, consider whether it should be revised or removed.

What else should employers keep in mind when publishing job advertisements?

Employers should continue to comply with the existing Fair Consideration Framework (FCF) and its job advertising requirements. Unless exempted, employers submitting Employment Pass or S Pass applications must first advertise the vacancy on MyCareersFuture and fairly consider all candidates. The WFA will legislate the existing FCF job advertising requirements. 

Writing a fair job advertisement goes beyond avoiding particular words or phrases. It means clearly and objectively communicating the requirements of the role, while being mindful of assumptions or biases that may influence what is included and how those requirements are expressed.

As employers prepare for the WFA, the 3Cs: Craft, Check and Confront offer a practical way to support fair and merit-based recruitment.

For more resources on fair recruitment in preparation for the WFA, employers may refer to the Fair Recruitment Toolkit and other resources at tafep.sg.  

This article was first published in 2020 and updated in 2026.