Boring Job postings net boring candidates

So, what is it about job postings on your company website?  This month we’re going to talk about the difference between a job description and a job posting.  I realize that as a hiring manager you don’t have a bunch of spare time in your day to be a creative writer, but if you are frustrated by the response you are getting to your job postings then getting creative might be the answer.  Job descriptions are boring – a list of qualifications and requirements for someone in a particular position at your company.  Job postings are advertisements – creative and engaging words that attract people to your position.  Here are some thoughts:
Talk to the candidate. Make the posting personal.  Speak to the candidate in terms that they can identify with.  Instead of ‘candidate will be responsible for’ try ‘you’ll take charge of’.  See how the context changes?

Create a visual. How will your new employee spend their day?  What cool projects will they get to be involved with?  If you need help articulating this they just ask your team.  What do they get excited about?  What are the fun parts of their job?  Why do they get up and come to work?  Oh, and if you can’t get good information from the people who work for you then you have another kind of problem.

1. Talk about the company.  Give an overview of the company in your posting. Talk about your team’s role and the candidate’s role and how it fits in the organization.  Who will they report to, how will they interface with other departments.  What is the position’s purpose?

2. Use plain English. Nothing is more frustrating for a candidate than to read a job posting that contains a bunch of internal acronyms, proprietary systems and other language that ONLY someone who works for your company can possibly understand.  Test your content on a friend who doesn’t work for your company to make sure you’ve removed all the internal jargon.

3. Highlight the perks. Let’s assume that salary is a given.  What else makes your company unique?  What do they get to enjoy as a member of your team?  Health club, eco-pass, volunteer service days, FACs, bonus, stock, super funky office space – these are all differentiators in the candidate’s mind.  It also speaks to the culture you have created and the ‘personality’ of your company.

4. Make it interesting to read.    Here is what I’m talking about: 1) Experience with relational databases, data models, ERDs and standard reporting packages. 2) Data is your passion!  You’ve designed data models that will blow us away.  You don’t go home until you understand that little anomaly that popped up unexpectedly and you can’t wait to create a visual representation for the executives.  Which statement do you like better?

A job posting is an advertisement for your company, your team, and you as a hiring authority.  Take time to make your posting interesting – and you’ll attract more interesting candidates.

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