3 Things To Avoid Putting In Your Job Postings

We can probably all remember being shy, as kids, to approach someone we had a crush on. Being in our adolescent crush phases caused us to act pretty weirdly, if we’re being frank. We could admit to liking someone, but never wanted to make the first move. This, in fact, can often still be the case when we become adults. However, when it comes to employee/employer relationships, it’s up to the employer to make the first move. There’s no doubt about it.

Without your job posting, why would anyone apply to work for your company? So, naturally, it’s your job to present your company in such a way that it appears appealing to work for. You also want to create job postings that speak to a specific target audience: top talent who would make great fits within your company culture. Since it’s your job to make the first move, it’s also your responsibility to make a good first impression.

However, there are job postings that don’t attract many applicants because they turn job seekers off. To attract top talent, there are some things you should avoid putting in your job postings. Here are three:

1. Obscure job titles.

Some business owners think it’s cool to create what they feel are unique job titles to set their job postings apart from other businesses. In many cases, however, this can just come off as silly and unprofessional. “Technical Wizard” might seem like a fun way to advertise an opening for a Systems Repair Service Representative – but avoid it. At the same time, you don’t want to make your job titles too vague.

“When candidates are researching for jobs online, the one thing they are craving for is information,” informs Stephen Clarke of Ireland’s Social Talent, “This starts with the title of the job that you are advertising for. Vague job titles like ‘Group Manager’ and ‘Senior Consultant’ will leave potential candidates uncertain of what the job actually entails which will discourage them to explore further.”

2. Cliché characteristics.

If you really want to set your job postings apart from others, it’s best to avoid using the same old terms that job seekers are regularly inundated with. You know the ones – self-starter, team player, multi-tasker. There are no job candidates out there who will read any of those words and think they don’t apply to them. When interviewing candidates, do you really want them to describe themselves using these words, anyways? They don’t exactly set one applicant apart from the next.

3. Overuse of technical jargon.

Candidates who are worthy of interviewing for positions at your company may have the talent, but not necessarily the experience to call themselves experts. As a result, it’s important not to fill your job postings with industry jargon that applicants may not understand. Keep in mind that you want your postings to be as inviting as possible. The overuse of complicated verbiage may dissuade people from applying.

Clarke reveals some statistics that prove that the overuse of technical jargon in a job posting is a no-no. “Monster undertook a recent survey and found that jargon or acronyms in job ads puts over half of job seekers off applying for the role with 60% finding jargon annoying,” he reveals, “Over 30% said it confuses them. Terms like ‘hitting the ground running’, ‘leverage’, ‘bottleneck’ and ‘penetrating the market’ are examples of jargon you may be guilty of using.”