Make Your Job Posting Work Harder This Fall
The fall hiring season is officially in full swing (yes, it's that time of year again). Have you thought about how you will best allocate your time and energy to accomplish more? You know that posting your jobs on boards like Coroflot provides an excellent compliment to your other sourcing efforts, but did you know your job postings could be working harder for you? Here are some tips to ensure that your job posting delivers more traction from the right people so you don't have to work as hard to find fresh talent.
Cater to the skimmer
Who doesn't sigh a little when they run into a giant block of text online? Attention spans are shorter than ever these days, so you need to cut to the chase quickly and with precision if you want to capture the reader's attention. Start your job description with a strong action statement that quickly identifies who you are, what you're looking for, and why someone who qualifies should apply. The more interesting this is, the better, as creativity will help break the monotony of reading post after post. It also helps to identify your company, where it's located, and what it's looking for right off the bat, followed by a reason to work there. It could look like this:
"The LochRight Design Group in sunny Miami is looking for a Junior Level Industrial Designer with at least 2 years of experience working with Rhino and/or ProE in a fast-paced environment. This is an excellent opportunity to work on product development for major brand-name clients with a passionate yet laid back group of professionals."
Be specific at every opportunity
Emphasize specifics about experience, education, skills and location when you really need them. Many job seekers scan huge blocks of text in job descriptions, but they will pay close attention to the requirements if they are clearly stated. The difference between "Mid-level experience required" and "Applicants MUST have at least 5 years relevant industry experience to be considered," could mean the difference between one month and one week of sifting through applications. You may see slightly fewer applications come in, but reviewing fewer resumes gives you more time to pursue other sourcing options.
Don't just list responsibilities; communicate the impact
When people feel appreciated and impactful, they often go the extra mile to perform better. Your job description is your first opportunity to spark that fire of enthusiasm and make job seekers WANT to work on your team. Someone with the ideal skill set and qualifications is much more likely to pursue your job opening when it sounds like an opportunity to make a huge difference, break new ground, improve operations, bring the company to a new level, etc. This might take some creative writing on your behalf for some roles, but even a Graphic Design Intern or a temporary office manager has plenty of opportunities to make life and work better for everyone.
When your job postings work harder, everyone wins! Job seekers who know exactly what you're looking for are more likely to apply for the right jobs, plus you get to focus your energy on things other than a mountain of mismatched applications. Now that you've read our tips, get started on your job post HERE!