Blog #83: How to grab & keep the attention of your potential new hire? - 5 ways

I just love strawberries???. And lucky me, I live in an area where they grow a lot. There is this lady who sells them at the crossroad nearby my home. She is retired but still grows strawberries in her garden. She talks about it as if these berries are her children. She describes how she takes care of them, how she does not use pesticides, how you should treat them to keep them longer…

Her eyes???are bright, her smile???is big, she shows her love????for what she does. And she offers me one to taste.

<these are 99 words! – see further down to understand this comment.>

And before I know I have bought more strawberries than I had intended to.

She does not tell me how often she waters the plants or which fertilizer she uses. No, she authentically shares her love for her product and gives me the information I want (no pesticides for example) ánd she offers me spontaneously a sample to try it out.

When you put a job offer in the market you do hand out a detailed manual and you expect your ‘consumer’ (in your case, your prospected candidate) to be enthusiastic and to apply.

So, how can you talk about your job opportunity and grab the attention of your potential new hire?

1.??????Include 'gain creators' and 'pain relievers' in your job ad

People do not like change. And changing jobs is huge. However, when this change brings them something (=gain) or when it takes away any discomfort (=pain), they might consider going for it.

These 'gains' and 'pains' are not only strictly linked to the job itself but also to anything that is related to it, like mobility, wellbeing, culture,…

Examples of ‘PAIN’ => PAIN RELIEVERS to include in the job ad:

“I do not like traffic jams…” => "Our offices are easily accessible. You can come by bus, there is a bus stop nearby."

“I hate managers that micromanage…” =>"You will be able to organise your own work."

“I have a food allergy and I do not like to bring my own food…”=> "You will have access to our canteen that offers a wide range of food including vegetarian, vegan, halal, glutenfree,... options."

2.??????Be succinct, focus on what brings value to your potential candidate

One of my mantras: ‘A job ad is NOT a job description’, so it does not need to include all the details of the job, but only the relevant information. Relevant means that a possible candidate needs this information to be able to take a decision to go for your job offer or not.

Stick to the essentials and double-check if that is what is of value for your target audience before keeping it in the job ad.

3.??????Check the readability of your text

Did you know that the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) is an international standard for describing language ability: beginner level A1 and A2, intermediate level: B1 and B2, advanced level C1 and C2?

According to Paktaal, 40% of the people living in the Netherlands has level B1 whereas most of the texts from the government for example are written C1 level.

The same is true for your communication towards your potential job applicants. Even applicants who understand the advanced level, often prefer a more easy to read text.

?You can check the readability of your texts online for free.

?4.??????Reading is often considered as boring so think about VISUALS

A video is great, but if you do not have that readily available yet, you can start small by adding icons to your text or by adding a picture to the text. A picture that gives an idea of how a day in the life of your new hire might look like. So, no stock image, but a real picture of real people in a real setting that is happening in your company.

5.??????Be brief: the first 100 words are key

And let’s not forget the goldfish…The goldfish has an attention span of 9 seconds. The average human being of...

?? 8 seconds! ??. The attention span of human beings is declining. In 2000 it was still 12 seconds, based on the research of Microsoft Corporation in 2015.

If you know you might lose your audience already after 30 words, make sure that you have the most captivating 100 words so that the reader just feels that continue reading is the right thing to do.

This is?my?83rd?blog?to inspire you, decision-maker in the hiring process, for you to attract and keep the talent you need to grow your business, now, and in the future.

Now, it is your turn.?Please answer the question below:

How do you grasp the attention of your potential new hire?

Would you like?some help in implementing these tips to the job ads you have currently out there? Do not hesitate to take up contact so that we can discuss how I can be of any help.

Thanks a lot for reading till the end and I am looking forward to reading your reactions.??

Sharing is caring, so if you believe?this?blog?might be beneficial for other people within your network, please feel free to share this blog with them or tag them below. I appreciate it??

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Enjoy your treasure hunt journey!

Katherina?

Co-Wings, Using Everybody's Wings to Fly!

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About?Katherina Swings

An inspirational?connector, a multi-lingual?contributor?with international (working and living) experience, an inspirational speaker, a seasoned HR person with two decades of corporate experience, an experienced change?manager?with business savvy, a creative?writer, a certified professional?learning facilitator, a certified inclusive leadership trainer, a certified employer brander, a?multi-cultural networker, an active?listener…

My?vision?is to create a positive world by connecting people who discover each other’s strengths.

My?mission?is to support?10 000 managers worldwide to become (more) in-clusive.

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Below????????????you will find my?82 previous blogs??????????????Let me know your feedback after reading them!?