Compared to men, women are more selective about the jobs they apply for, but are less likely to request referrals.

According to a new study by LinkedIn, men and women had a lot in common when searching for a new role, but women were 14% less likely to apply for a job after seeing it compared to their male counterparts.

The study also revealed that men were 68% more likely than women to ask for a referral before applying for a new job. However, women were 16% more likely to get hired when they do apply for a job.

LinkedIn has suggested this could be for a couple of reasons. One is that women only apply when they feel extremely qualified for a role, the other is that women are less likely to apply for what they consider a riskier role or one that appears to be more challenging.

The research also looked at the wording used in job descriptions, revealing that some are more important than others for women. 68% of the women questioned agreed that salary and benefits are the most important pieces of information in a job description.

The findings give employers insight into ways they can close the pay gap. Specifically, it suggests that businesses could attract more talented women by showing they offer an inclusive culture, fair pay practices and are committed to pay transparency.

If you're looking for smart ways to attract a more diverse talent pool, get in touch with Stopgap. We can help you reduce any unconscious bias based on gender or ethnicity in your recruitment practices.