What’s in Between the Lines of a Job Description?

That is a question that job seekers often ask themselves.  A job description is the first impression for any attracted candidate in the world of online recruiting.  If the job description is monotonous and uninspiring, that will likely be the caliber of candidate you’ll attract.  Be careful what you ask for, as the importance of a job description is in knowing what you want, as well as accurately conveying what’s read and what’s perceived.

Improving the quality of your response starts by having a well-written ad (often the first impression a candidate has of your organization) that is going to target your appropriate audience. You need to know your audience and your ad needs to speak to them directly in language they understand by offering them what they want. It is a carefully crafted message with the aim of attracting the best-qualified candidates for your job.

Here are a few tips to writing a compelling job posting:

1.     Use a catchy job title and keywords to get the best visibility and search results.

2.     Clearly distinguish the ‘Must Haves’ from the ‘Nice to Haves’. Stick to what’s relevant by starting with an overview of the position and then add more details by including qualifications that are non negotiable (certifications, degrees, years of experience, 2nd languages etc.) and then adding preferred attributes. Be careful not to be too heavy handed on these as they may turn off potentially great candidates.

3.     Include the compensation or salary range.  This will avoid wasting your time and the candidate’s by weeding out those that are too junior or senior for your budget.

4.     Find a balance between the interesting and the unusual, avoiding catchphrases and clichés, as well as tired language. Use compelling phrases and tell them about your company.  It’s important to connect the role and generate excitement about the company. The end goal is to sell the company and recruit better people.

5.     Consider going visual. It gets right to the point in today’s electronic age as we have become a society of skimmers, perusers and browser.  Images can be compelling and the information is easy to digest.

6.     Make sure to include a call to action:  “Click here to apply”.  Keep it simple, and user-friendly.  A great applicant applying to a compelling ad can be easily turned  off by a cumbersome application process that requires much time to complete and a huge checklist of steps. Nothing is more of a hassle than to have to replicate the information that’s already been uploaded in the candidate’s resume.

Following these steps will result in more effective job postings and better hires.