Technology and a candidate-driven market have changed the way you create job postings – at least if you expect to draw the best-qualified candidates. You can’t just “put it out there,” you have to think strategically. And you have to remember that hiring is a two-way street. Your posting has to sell your company as a desirable place to work, not just a place with a job opening. The best candidates expect you to be among the best, too.
How can a simple job posting accomplish all that?
Start with the past.
Who responded to similar postings in the past? Were they qualified? If not, your ad may not have been specific enough. Or alluring enough.
Choose the right job title.
This is the first thing candidates look for. Since you’ll be posting online, you have to appeal to search engines as well as humans. Since the job title serves as our headline, put that first, then you can add other words such as location, “great job,” etc. if you want. It’s a good idea to stick close to standard industry job titles to avoid confusion. Some experts advise that you use the exact same titles as your competitors to boost visibility.
Make your ad easy to read.
With so many people using smartphones and tablets for everyday searches, mobile-friendly presentation is a must. Use your brand-specific colors and include your logo. Keep paragraphs short, with a blank space between. Use short sentences and a bulleted list or two to make your key points. Try to keep lists to no more than five bullets, rather than a laundry list. (After all, you’re going to invite them to “click here” to read the detailed job description.)
Use keywords.
What words are your most-desired candidates using to search? Beyond your headline, the body of your posting should include a few of these keywords to ensure your ad shows up in front of the right people.
Tell them a little about yourself.
Bypass the boilerplate “about us” paragraph. Candidates probably don’t care that you’ve been in business since 1956, but they do care about what it’s like to work at your company. If you have great or unusual benefits, say so. If the work atmosphere is casual, flexible, fun or otherwise enticing, say so. If you offer superior work/personal development opportunities, say so. What differentiates your company, making you the preferred employer?
Call them to action.
You want them to apply, so invite them to do that. Make it easy to apply online, download the form and detailed job description. Include your company’s contact information. No, you don’t want to be inundated with calls, but including contact information adds greater credibility to your posting.
Proof before you post.
Just as a mistake-ridden resume or cover letter is off-putting to you, the same holds true for prospective candidates. If you wrote it, have someone else proofread it.
Follow up, with everyone.
Use an auto-responder to acknowledge every application, giving people some idea about your decision-making timeframe. When you’ve made your final decision, notify every applicant. Too many employers don’t take this simple step, but a company with bad manners soon gets a reputation as an undesirable employer.
Putting these tips to use when you craft your next job posting will help you attract top talent and show them you’re a top-choice employer, too. That’s the kind of match that leads to a working relationship everyone can appreciate.
