The Art of Job Postings

There is a definite “art” to creating interesting job postings that will attract candidates. Too many times we throw away our job posting dollars by simply cutting and pasting our standard job descriptions into the posting. If you take a little time to make a mental checklist of your posting, you will find much more success. The following is a list of “dos” and “son’ts” that you should consider before you click the “post” button: 1. DO Focus on the Doings Too many times we focus on what we are looking for in a candidate and mistake that for a job posting. For example: Looking for strong java developers. Must have 2+ years java and xml, as well as computer science degree. Your candidates are NOT interested in what you are looking for so much as they are interested in what they will be DOING. Focus on the typical day, responsibilities, and exciting parts of the position. If they are managing people, let them know a little about the team they will be managing. If they are dealing with technology, let them know what kind of cutting edge technology they will be working with. As a Recruiter, it is vital that you know what you are looking for in a qualified candidate but don’t overlook what is going to make that candidate look for you! 2. DON’T Be Boring. Spice it up! Think like a marketing person and ask yourself whether you would apply to this job. Don’t just tell about the position; sell the position in funny, creative ways. Talk about the environment, culture and team. 3. DO Use a Creative Title and Tagline You have one chance to get your candidate to click through to read more about your position and usually it’s through your tagline or title. If a candidate is looking for a Systems Analyst job and plugs it into Monster, there are over 1000 “Systems Analyst” tag lines that come up…very boring. If only one of those tag lines said, “Come join the best” or “What are you waiting for!” or anything just a little bit different than “Systems Analyst”, I would bet they would receive twice as many clickthroughs. <*SPONSORMESSAGE*> 4. DO Think Globally Put the details of the location and whether your company is willing to provide relocation assistance into the posting description. This will cut down on resumes from individuals who assume you are willing to relocate as well as get you those resumes of folks who would normally not apply assuming you do not pay for relocation. Remember, the more pertinent information, the better! 5. DO Let Money Talk This may seem taboo to a lot of Human Resource folks, but I recommend listing a general salary amount. I suggest mentioning you will pay “up to x dollar amount depending on experience”. By giving a general salary range you are increasing your chances of the candidate’s applying for your position. Again, giving more information will heighten the chances of better, more qualified individuals applying. 6. DON’T Be Redundant. Cut to the chase! I can’t tell you how many job descriptions I see that ask for background that is obvious to the position. For example, if a company is looking for a purchasing manager with over 5 years solid purchasing experience is it necessary to ask that they have good negotiation and communication skills? If someone has 5 years of solid purchasing experience, I would imagine negotiation and communication is an everyday part of his or her job thus not something we need to mention. By taking these simple precautions you will greatly increase the chance of getting more qualified candidates and a higher response rate to your job posting!