Charities told not to use the word ‘assertive’ in job advertisements because it’s claimed it puts them off applying

By JULIE HENRY

Published: 23:57 BST, 26 April 2025 | Updated: 02:02 BST, 27 April 2025

When it comes to doing good work for those in need, you might think it would be an advantage to be ‘energetic’ and ‘assertive’.

However, charities have been told not to use such adjectives in their job adverts, for fear of deterring possible applicants.

Woke advice handed down by the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) tells its 17,000 members not to ask for ‘assertive’ candidates as the word is ‘often seen as masculine, which might make women or non-binary individuals feel a job is not suitable for them’.

And ‘energetic’ gets vetoed as it excludes people who may ‘not be visibly energetic’. The guidelines also suggest people should be referred to by the non-binary pronouns ‘they’ or ‘them’ until they have confirmed whether they are happy to be known as ‘he/him’ or ‘she/her’. 

Preferred pronouns should be announced at the beginning of meetings and included on name badges and emails, the organisation says.

The advice – compiled before this month’s Supreme Court ruling that sex is binary and biological – also refers to people being ‘assigned male or female at birth’ rather than simply men or women.

Other guidelines advise against advertising for a ‘recent graduate’ because it is ‘too focused on academic achievement’ and should be replaced with ‘entry-level professional’ or ‘new professional’.

Critics last night said the guidance on gender was potentially discriminatory against charity staff and the people they serve.

Woke advice handed down by the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) tells its 17,000 members not to ask for ‘assertive’ candidates as the word is ‘often seen as masculine’. Pictured: File photo 

This ‘might make women or non-binary individuals feel a job is not suitable for them’, the NCVO guidance said. Pictured: File photo 

The advice – compiled before this month’s Supreme Court ruling that sex is binary and biological – also refers to people being ‘assigned male or female at birth’ rather than simply men or women. Pictured: A protest in support of transgender rights following the ruling

Maya Forstater, chief executive of campaign group Sex Matters, a NCVO member, said: ‘Telling people they should not use ordinary terms like “he” or “she”, requiring people to announce their pronouns, or compelling people to say boys and girls are “assigned a sex at birth”, all involve imposing the fringe beliefs of a tiny minority on everyone. That approach is anything but inclusive.’

Toby Young, general secretary of the Free Speech Union, said: ‘Given the name of the organisation promulgating this advice, I very much hope complying with it will be voluntary rather than mandatory.

‘But I fear it will be imposed with the usual authoritarian zeal of the “be nice” brigade.’

Last night, the guide had vanished from the NCVQ website, replaced by a message saying: ‘We are working on a new version of this guidance.’

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Charities told not to use the word ‘assertive’ in job advertisements because it’s claimed it puts them off applying

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