03 May How to Write a Great Job Posting
With an overwhelming number of jobs and candidates meeting on social media sites like LinkedIn, it’s more important than ever that you know how to write a great job posting. It’s easier than ever for great future employees to pass right by your job opening with the next click.
Here are some key ways to write a great job posting:
The deal is in the details. A vague job description could seem tempting – casting a wider net to pull in a larger pool of applicants. But actually, the world is getting more and more specific.
People are specialists and good job seekers will look for opportunities that most align with their skill sets. Don’t waste your time or theirs with generic statements. List computer skills, language needs, years of experience and industry-specific certifications.
Lock down your keywords. Keywords are important for two reasons. For one, certain words are associated with certain positions, and job seekers are likely to look for them in their searches. Plus, some programs will send you resumes that match based on those keywords.
So if for example, it’s common to say “human resources”, you might also want to include key words like “talent manager” or “people development”. Look at what others are doing – you’ll see trends that will help you write a great job posting.
Be memorable, but not cute. Even though hiring Millennials is a goal of a lot of companies, you don’t want to try so hard to sound hip or cool that you just end up sounding like…someone trying. Avoid words that don’t really mean anything – “rockstar” should just be “talented” or “ambitious”. If you want someone with great people skills, don’t say “irresistible” say “extroverted” or “great networker”.
Keep it clear. While it’s important to give the information above, make sure that the basic details aren’t buried. List together the name of the company, the title, the website, the email address or other contact details. Obviously any conscientious job seeker will work to find the information they need, but it doesn’t send a good signal about the organization if even the posting seems unclear.
Take the extra time to write a great job posting.
It’s tempting to quickly pull together a job description and post it in ten different places. The software of recruitment sites is easier than ever. But just because you can do it in five minutes doesn’t mean you should. Take your time, be thoughtful and dynamic – the same things you want in the people you hire.
