Better Recruiting Starts with Writing Better Job Posts

If you want to improve your organization’s ability to recruit quality candidates, then start at the very beginning of the recruitment process by taking a good, hard look at your company’s current job posts.

We’ve sung this refrain before. But good advice bears repeating, especially when we see so many people continuing to ignore it. So here it is again: better job posts attract better candidates, and better candidates lead to better hires.

And better hires are, of course, the fundamental goal of better recruiting.

Because job posts are almost always made of words only, those words must be chosen carefully. Your words must paint pictures. Your words must sell. If you’re lucky enough to have a team of trained marketing professionals writing your job posts, then you already know that words matter.

But if you’re like most organizations, your posts are being penned by HR recruiters, people trained neither in writing marketing copy nor in any of the jobs they are writing marketing copy about.

better job posts attract better candidates, and better candidates lead to better hires.
And better hires are, of course, the fundamental goal of better recruiting.

Typical job seekers can spend mere seconds scanning a job post before making a decision about whether or not to pursue it any further. If your post is in any way off-putting, you can lose out almost instantly. Seriously.

Turn offs include minutely detailed job descriptions that can make a job seem overwhelming, as well as job descriptions that are so vague that job seekers have no idea whether they are qualified or not.

We see both all the time: overly long, blow-by-blow job descriptions that cover everything from the ridiculously obvious to the absurdly arcane, as well as descriptions so ill-defined that it’s impossible to tell if the person in this role does nothing or everything.

There is, however, a job description sweet spot that can help you attract better candidates. More importantly, there’s a way you can find it: ask the experts.

The experts, of course, are the people in your organization already performing the jobs similar to the ones you’re advertising. Of course asking the person who will supervise the new employee can help as well, but no one can shed light on a job like the people already doing it. They know the expectations. They understand the highlights. They can list the keywords.

So write up your next job post, and ask your current employees if it rings true. Is it a position they would apply for if they were currently job seeking? Does it convey the most compelling aspects of the job? Or does it make them want to set sail for your competition?

The job of creating a compelling post may well be made more difficult if your organization requires the use of a requisition template that prescribes the basic elements and dictates much of the wording of particular job descriptions. But that’s even more reason to make the most of whatever space you do have to make your case to job seekers.

Taking the time and effort to make sure your job posts are not just factual but also interesting enough to engage a qualified job seeker is a valuable practice. And, as a bonus, you’ll let your current employees know that you care about them enough to seek their advice when expanding their current team.

We love a win-win. And job posts that both involve and inspire current employees and attract future employees qualify. Definite win-win.

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