Investigating Skill Requirements and Gender Bias in Job Openings for Human Computer Interaction Professionals Across the USA, Australia, Germany, India, and South Africa

Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) professionals are sought after in the tech industry. Therefore, knowing the specific skills required for HCI talents is important. Our study investigates the skills mentioned in HCI job ads and examines possible gender biases in the wording, analyzing 1247 job ads from the USA, Germany, Australia, India, and South Africa. Our findings emphasize the global demand for technical skills over non-technical ones and reveal differences between the countries, e.g., Germany de-emphasizes communication skills. Notably, feminine-coded language subtly permeates HCI roles. This study provides insights into the skills currently in demand for HCI professionals globally and contributes to our understanding of gendering in job advertisements.