When it comes to job postings, first impressions are everything, especially if you’re competing for talent in high demand. Sometimes, it’s the only chance you’ll get at making an impression. Unfortunately, many organizations simply fail at creating effective job ads – they’re boring, too “salesy,” and they’re not even pleasant to look at.
Many employment agencies know that anyone who’s in charge of recruitment for a position has to deal with the messy and often painful process of conceptualizing job ads and putting them out for people to see. So, what exactly can you do to maximize your job postings’ potential and use them to find great talent? Below are a few ideas on how to do just that.
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Think of Job Postings as Marketing Tools
The biggest mistake you could make with your job postings is to simply plaster your job descriptions – often two pages long – on your ad copy. Your postings are advertisements, and like any other ad, they should be made with one thing in mind: Your target audience. In this case, it’s job candidates.
Detailed job descriptions don’t attract talent, and neither do wish-list requirements. Your job postings should be written with the job seeker’s needs and wants in mind – not your HR or legal department.
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Answer the Question: What’s in it For Me?
Take a “What’s in it for me?” approach when thinking of how best to reach out to your audience. What does the average employee in your industry want? What benefits and scenarios will encourage them to be productive?
- Offer Challenging Work – Monotony kills passion. Great talents will relish the opportunity to tackle real challenges, which will keep them interested throughout the long run.
- Offer Continual Learning and Growth – Market your employer brand as a place of continual education and growth, where workers are paid not just to work, but to develop their skills and learn from mentors.
- Make Them Matter – People want their work to matter. Great talents want to use their skills on something that will make an impact on the company, the community, and maybe even the entire world.
Obviously, these are general ideas. To develop your own list of “marketables,” talk to job seekers and long-time pros in your industry to gather their ideas and insight.
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Focus on Benefits
Job seekers are tired of seeing ads of organizations priding themselves for being a Fortune 500 company, for example; for having x number of customers, or for being the new “hot” startup in town. These are all claims to fame, and while there’s nothing wrong with mentioning them in your ads, it’s always better to back them with something more meaningful. For instance, instead of saying you’re a startup, say you’re looking for people to join you in unique opportunity to build something from scratch.
Job postings should highlight the benefits of joining your company, not just the features. They should provide answers to the “So, what?” reactions many job seekers will have to your ads.
For more tips and tricks on how to create perfect job postings, contact the staffing experts of Star Staffing! Visit our contact page to get in touch with one of our job search agents.