Five Problems in Your Job Posting Costing You Qualified Candidates
Good people are hard to find, but that’s the one thing your job posting must do. Crafting a job posting is about much more than a list of tasks and desirable personality traits. It should woo your jobseeker. It should make them think, “This is an organization I want to be part of. This is the challenge I’ve been seeking. How can I afford not to apply?”
Let’s take a look and see if you might be making some basic errors that are keeping you from finding these gems.
1. Experience: Desiring Years Versus Outstanding Results
There’s a common misconception that someone needs X number of years in the field to qualify for a particular role.
I bet you there are graphic designers with 20 years’ experience whose portfolio is bland because their creative juices ran dry during their first year out of school. There are many folks with years of experience who are far from outstanding at their jobs. Focus on candidates with impressive track records or portfolios, which are a clearer indication of the type of work you can expect from them.
2. Sounding Run-of-the-Mill
Use motivating, inspiring language peppered with personality to show why your job stands out from the pack. Give a high-level idea of the kind of projects this person will work on (complex, international, ground-breaking, youth-focused, etc.). Mention what a dynamic, smart team they’ll be part of. Describe how they’ll be surrounded by some of the best people in the industry. Toot your horn, but don’t be smug.
3. Hiding the Salary
You have a clear idea if you’re going to be paying $55,000 or $95,000. But unless you tell your candidates, they don’t.
Add your salary range. It will save you time and hassle up-front by helping candidates self-select whether or not your salary offering aligns with their ambitions. There’s no reason to court a candidate across the entire process only to find out at the last minute they want $25,000 per year more than you’re offering. Also be sure to include information about opportunities for bonuses or commission.
4. Not Differentiating Between Need to Have and Nice to Have
Does the person need to be an HTML whiz? Or is it just something that’d be helpful? Be sure you spell out clearly what is mandatory and what is preferred to help you have a pool of candidates who hit the mark.
You don’t want to turn off an otherwise stellar candidate because he doesn’t have AP proofreading experience, which can easily be learned on the job.
5. Leaving out the Deadline
We all need a bit of motivation at times, and that’s exactly what a good deadline does. Have your posting open for two weeks to allow enough time to attract a variety of candidates. Deadlines open for a month or more can mean that your best applicants get snagged up by other organizations before you even get to the initial interview.
In Conclusion
Your job posting should be enticing and express some personality. A boring old list of duties is not necessarily going to attract the hard-working, energetic people you need to move your organization forward.