How to write a job posting online

These steps will improve the quality of responses you receive and decrease your time to hire.

Be specific with your job description

A quick search turns up mostly short postings with no clear definition of job requirements. If half the people reading the job description imagine themselves to be qualified, your inbox will be full within hours.

To avoid this, work closely with the hiring manager to understand his specific requirements. If your CFO will only hire CPAs, state that requirement clearly. Don’t say you need a human resources assistant who “knows benefits” if you actually need an expert in workers’ comp. If you need an executive assistant who has experience organizing huge corporate conventions, don’t write “plans company events,” which could mean arranging the annual company picnic.

Crafting specific posting requirements takes a little longer, but by helping job seekers understand your needs, you’ll reduce the number of applications from unqualified candidates and ultimately save more time than you spend.

Make your job posting clear

Make sure the job requirements and duties are easy to understand by someone who doesn’t already work for your company. Some job descriptions include so much corporate jargon that it’s difficult for job seekers to tell if they are qualified, leading many to simply press the button and submit their resume.

For example, one company advertises for a product manager to “create wireframes, product specification/MRDs/PRDs and scope documentation.” Compare that with another posting for a product manager, which states: “Must have a network of contacts among key decision makers within the entertainment industry (particularly film and music).” The second is easier to understand, more specific and likely to attract fewer unqualified applicants.

If you’re not sure whether you have included company-speak, have a friend or fellow HR professional review your posting and give you feedback.

Be up front with your job requirements

Dissuade those speculative applications by adding a statement explaining that your requirements are firm. For example: “The successful applicant will have to get up to speed quickly and therefore, we will only consider those who meet all the criteria listed above.” This won’t stop everyone, but it will help deter people who are unsure whether you’re serious about all your stated requirements.

Be demanding with your application process

Don’t make the application process too easy. Instead of just asking for a resume, include an assignment in your posting.

For example, a company looking for a webmaster could include the following: “Please provide an outline of your approach to site design. The successful applicant will be asked to completely overhaul our site, so we’d like to know how you would approach that process.”

Or a retailer looking for a customer service representative could ask applicants to write a cover letter outlining three challenging customer situations they handled successfully. Qualified candidates will be excited to have the opportunity to stand out from the crowd, while casual applicants may be less willing to put in that much effort for a long-shot application.

To be successful in your recruitment efforts, you must manage the candidate flow so you can effectively serve your organization. By creating specific, clear job postings and an application process that requires effort on the part of the applicant, you can reduce the number of unqualified candidates and increase your chance of making the right hire a little more quickly.

Copied from Monster.com

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