It’s 3 pm. You’re just wrapping up a production meeting when your operations manager starts screaming, “I need more people!”
In a rush, you upload your favorite job board, jot down the first few things that come to mind, spend a couple hundred dollars, click post, and then pray.
Sound familiar?
Far too many job postings are written in this way, using zero strategic thought.
Remember Economics 101? The labor market—like every market where goods and services are exchanged for money—is governed by supply and demand. To stand out from the crowd and position your company to attract great talent, your job postings must look and feel different than, and superior to, the rest of the pack.
Put together a coherent job posting that tells the amazing story of your company.
When posting a new job online, make sure it appeals to the audience you’re trying to attract. The job title is crucial. Include one or two things that make the job appealing. Ex: “Payroll Administrator – $500 hiring bonus after first month”.
Pro tip #1) Don’t create a job posting that looks like a short story. Too much writing or a long list of job duties can scare someone away. Remember, it’s a job posting (a sales piece), not a job description. You can introduce the job description and its responsibilities after you’ve settled on your top applicants.
Start with the basics. How many years have you been in business? Describe your work culture? How are you changing the world? What are the perks of working where you work? (Free food and coffee in the breakroom?) Is there potential for career growth?
Make the job sound like something that’s a no-brainer to a candidate with plenty of other employment options.
Sell the position. Bullet points help organize the job duties to make them stand out. List only the key duties that are essential to achieving success in the position. And list what a candidate would find exciting about the position.
List the working hours and the payrate. What benefits do you offer?
Specify where the job is located. When looking for a new position, the commute is important, so listing the city and state are essential to drawing the right candidates. If you’re in a large city, specifying the neighborhood helps pinpoint the location. Ex: “Cherry Hills, Denver, CO”.
Double check to make sure there are no typos or grammatical errors. There’s nothing worse than skimming a job posting and spotting off-putting errors. Sloppiness makes candidates wonder what type of company they’re getting themselves into. The best ones will shy away unless your job is for a writer and grammarian—and if it is, they will be sticklers for accuracy on everything that goes public, to protect their professional reputation!
Last, specify how to apply. If there are other steps an applicant needs to take, include them in the job post.
Good Luck and Happy Job Posting!
Written by:
Shayla Jennings
Program Manager
sjennings@marathonstaffing.com
