The art of the effective job posting is often overlooked despite being a vital action when assembling a great team. Remember, your team is your company’s greatest investment and no decision has a bigger impact on your business’ future than whom you hire.
While many job ads are hastily sketched out with little forethought, these descriptions can be one of the most important tools to finding the best people for the job. Paying careful attention to your ad ensures your team understands the role you’re trying to fill, as well as broadcasts your needs to the world.
After all, you’re not going to attract the right people if you haven’t defined what “right” means for you.
This doesn’t mean that putting together a job requisition needs to involve all the blood, sweat, and tears of writing the next great novel. Follow these five steps and find the perfect hire.
Go through any previous requisitions that you or any other hiring managers in the company have written before. If an ad has worked well for you in the past, it may need only a few minor tweaks. If nothing else, you have a starting point.
Research the requirements of the role by soliciting input from those who are working in a similar position as well as those who will be interacting with the new staff member on a regular basis. What are the must-have skills and traits, and what are the nice-to-haves?
It’s important to be realistic about the requisition. If your list is too diverse, you might be trying to fill an impossible role. In addition, be clear about the level of experience required for the job. Advertising for the wrong skill level sets your candidates up for failure and creates unnecessary tension in the company culture.
Just as you are looking for that great candidate, they are looking for that great opportunity. If this is a role you’ll be recruiting for regularly, consider running some A/B testing on different titles, so you know which ones are the most effective.
Finding the right employee entails more than skill-sets and experience. While you’re naturally looking for a top-notch customer service agent, you also want to find people who fit well within your company culture. Inject the vibe of your organisation into your job and company descriptions. Be sure to stress the work environment, company values, learning opportunities, and any other details that will accurately represent what your company is all about.
Once the requisition is written, you will need to post it for the world to see. Be thoughtful about where to place your job ads: your goal is to attract the right candidates, not as many candidates as you can. In addition to the careers page on your company website, think about the preferred avenues and networks for your target candidates.
Social networks present one of the best opportunities for finding your best hires because they provide good access to your target audience. Have your team members share job openings through their personal Facebook profiles, LinkedIn updates, and Twitter feeds.
Encourage employees to use their own authentic voice to introduce the role and company to people in their networks. Employee referrals are generally considered the best source of new hires, and as such, social networks have transformed recruiting.
Putting the time and effort into designing an interesting job ad with clear expectations and cultural values will ensure you get resumes from well-qualified applicants suited to the role and your organisation.
See: Job Descriptions Gone Wrong
Source: Fast Company
