seems both worlds away and as immediate as yesterday.

In June, like so many residents of the United States and many other countries around the globe, we were spurred to fight for social justice in stronger and more direct and actionable ways than ever before.

Among the places where we chose to put our energy was this idea for writing a more equitable job post. For years we have paid close attention to the language of a job description as a signifier of how the entire hiring process can feel. Never before had we realized our responsibility to see that language as an opportunity for social justice in action.

Just last week, we were reminded by a job poster, who spoke out with strength and vulnerability, of how impactful a job post can be - how one sentence or requirement can be the difference in inspiring someone to apply, or not. 

For this reason, and countless more, we created through these newsletters a guide to making your job post more human, a distinction inspired by these words from Michelle Alexander's life-changing book, The New Jim Crow: "Work is deemed so fundamental to human existence in many countries around the world that it is regarded as a basic human right."

This week, in our last newsletter of 2020, we want to share a recap of that guide and a preview of some wonderful things to come in the next twelve months:

Step 1: Consider your Equal Opportunity Employment statement and how it might transform your job post.

Step 2: Overhaul your Job Requirements. Less is more. Language matters. Superlatives should be a warning sign. It's worth the time to turn these upside down and shake them out.

Step 3: Tap into the considerable, often overlooked, value of your Company Description.

Step 4: Be transparent about Compensation, and question the existing system of unpaid or underpaid labor - who is it serving? Who benefits? How can we do it differently?

Step 5: Before you press the 'submit' button, take one last look at your How to Apply instructions. Consider how asking for something a little different might improve the hiring experience - and thereby improve your team.

Step 6: There is no final step. We keep going. That doesn't mean you don't stop to rest, only that you complete the circle and move forward once again until we are collectively closer to freedom. 

How are we at GFJ are putting those steps into practice? By shifting our own policies, asking employers who rely on coded language to rethink their words, and putting people above profit. One way we look forward to doing that in 2021 is by creating shareable resources with these steps so that more employers can learn from them, and more future team members can benefit. If you've ever interacted with a business, large or small, on any level, you know that the small things matter, and a respected team leads to success. We're looking forward to continually adapting and strengthening these tools, right alongside you.

. . .

As we look toward 2021, here's a preview of a new giveaway highlighting someone whose work we admire:

Nicole Caruth, a brilliant writer and curator, is now the founder of Hustle-Well, a health coaching practice for all kinds of creatives. We will sponsor a free 90-minute health coaching session to TWO individuals in the GFJ community. Here's what she has to say about this incredible opportunity:

The Clarity Call is a 90-minute session that results in a 30-day wellness plan tailored to you. Working with me one-on-one, I’ll show you how to look at your health from 30,000 feet to identify your biggest wellness blocks and energy drains. We’ll cover diet, career, creativity, social life, home environment, education, joy, and more. Then, we’ll co-create a plan to help you move past your blocks and get closer to your goals. Additionally, you’ll get two weeks of follow-up email support from me. 

https://www.hustle-well.com/invest-in-you/p/clarity-call

Stay tuned in January for details on how to enter.

. . .

As the globe turns toward a New Year, we want to leave you with this reminder from Barry Lopez, whose book Of Wolves and Men was one of my favorite reads in 2020:

"A dangerous bit of American folklore is that our social, environmental, and political problems, which grow more ominous by the day, call for the healing touch of a genius. They do, but if we're intent on waiting for some such remarkable individual to show up we can count on disappointment. The solution to what threatens us, however, is already here, in another form. It's in our diverse communities. Most often we recognize the quality of genius in an individual man or woman; but the source of that genius lies with the complicated network of carefully tended relationships that sets a vibrant human community apart from a solely political community. What this has meant for me as a writer, in the simplest terms, is that if you want to be of use in the world, it's good to pay attention to what others already know."

In food, justice, and food justice, 

Dor + Tay

photo by Alexa Romano