The top talent is out there. But the vast majority may be clicking on your job links, scanning your job descriptions—and then moving on to the next posting. And it’s a shame because your company has competitive pay, excellent benefits and an amazing culture. What gives? Maybe you need to take a good honest look at your job descriptions and ask yourself if you’re properly conveying your message to qualified candidates.
Here’s what you can do to up your recruiting game via that job description:
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1. Identify Your Ideal Candidate
Approach the talent search like a marketer would, by treating the ideal candidate as the target customer. Jerome Ternynck, founder and CEO of SmartRecruiters, suggests developing a persona for your candidate.
Who are they? What are they looking for in a job? What are similar companies offering these top candidates?
Once you have this information, you’ll be better able to understand who exactly your job description should be targeting and what to highlight.
2. Optimize the Job
Think about how candidates search for a job. Peter Weddle, author and CEO of TaTech.org and WEDDLE’s Media Group, LLC says, “[Job-seekers] race through job listings at warp speed, so the title is your one chance to catch their eye and pique their curiosity.”
To do that, Weddle suggests listing location, skill and sizzle in a job title. For example: NYC—Social media manager for a highly collaborative team.
But, what exactly is sizzle? It could be any number of things that attracts talent. In one situation, Weddle recalls a Minnesota company that learned their employees enjoy fishing and monetary perks. So, they split the sizzle into “annual bonus pool” and “great fishing”.
3. Optimize the Opener
If the candidate clicks through to your job description, your messaging should back up your job title. Weddle says, “Job titles should create an expectation about the job, via the sizzle, which then comes true in the body of the ad through the content that’s provided.” Consider this as an opening sentence:
As both our company and client pipeline expands, we find ourselves in need of an innovative, highly collaborative social media manager to join our team of—as Inc. magazine describes us—“leaders in digital marketing.”
By starting off with a sentence like the one above, you’re able to entice the candidate, while also creating an exciting narrative and explanation of why you’re in need of—and worthy of—top talent.
4. Be Specific about Job Requirements
The requirements section is a great place to “intimidate in the right areas,” says Gregory Ciotti, lead content strategist at HelpScout. Rather than just listing the required hard and soft skills, consider writing more detailed narratives in order to give candidates a snapshot of their day to day:
- You love collaborating on a team, launching campaigns and fostering an online community
- You’re passionate about finding new ways to share a client’s story via social media
- You’re no stranger to handling negative user feedback in a digital space
- You’re a HootSuite ninja, a WordPress warrior and you even know a little HTML
An under-qualified candidate who sees the generic “social media experience” in a job listing might be more apt to apply than one who sees the detailed listing above. And a qualified candidate will appreciate the fact that the hiring manager understands the position requires a certain level of skill.
5. Emphasize the Perks, Pay and Office Culture
Top talent want to work for companies that offer a better-than-average work environment. That’s why you want to pull out all the stops. If pay is more than competitive, be sure to mention this. Unlimited vacation time? This better be in the description!
And don’t forget the nonmonetary perks. “Job seekers want professional develop[ment] programs,” says Sydney Holmquist, PR assistant at Vantage PR. Flexible benefits and a team that is encouraging. They want a culture that will engage them on a daily basis.”
Are you proud of your company’s strong and clear leadership? Are departments mission-focused? Do you welcome new ideas from all team members? Do you strive to have minimal meetings? Are you on a “Top 50 Best Companies to Work For” list? Advertise those things that make your office culture truly special and that make your employees better off by being a part of it.
You might even stand to benefit from testimonials from longtime employees. Imagine if you were searching for a position and saw this in the description:
“I’ve learned more during my three years here than at any other job. I’m challenged daily and rewarded often. I can’t think of a better place to work.” –John Smith, digital strategist at XYZ Creative.
Finding talent via your job posting can be done. It’s all about taking the time to fully understand who you’re looking for, what they’re looking for, and then developing clear messaging about how candidates can benefit from being a part of your organization. Now go forth and reel in exceptional talent!
Once you’ve crafted your perfect job description, find your perfect hire on the Mediabistro Job Board.
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