How to Write an Effective Job Posting to Attract the Best Candidates
In the United States, there are 10 million job openings, but only 8.6 million people are unemployed. That means that there are 1 million more job openings than available people to fill them.
With so many job postings out there and not enough people to fill them, employers are wondering how to attract job seekers who are starting their job search.
Battling the Great Resignation and maneuvering through changing rules that sometimes require the salary in the job ad can be challenging enough. Keep reading, and we’ll offer some tips to help you attract the right candidates.
Describe and Sell the Opportunity
When you’re writing the next job posting for your business, write it in a way that the candidate will be able to imagine a typical day in that job role.
For example, suppose you’re hiring paid interns and want them to design software. In that case, you shouldn’t just write: “Looking for a software designer to create software” in your job description. That way, the job seeker doesn’t even know what they’re applying for.
Instead, be as specific as possible. Talk about what type of software you’re trying to design and what programs the candidate will use to design it.
If there are going to be any additional requirements that might take a candidate by surprise, make sure you list that as well. When you are specific, you weed out people who are guessing what the job is about, and you save yourself time to find the best applicant.
Now you need to convince candidates that this is the best job for them. Why should a candidate choose to apply to your job rather than someone else’s?
This section is where you should describe the benefits of working in this position or for your company. List any perks, benefits, equipment, and time off you’re offering.
Do some research and figure out what benefits job seekers are prioritizing. If you notice that many candidates are looking for a remote role, consider offering telecommuting with a flexible work schedule.
Another benefit you should list is the culture at your company. Many job seekers want to make sure they’re going to work at a place that values them. They’ll likely look on other job board sites like Glassdoor to figure out what it’s like to work at your company.
Lastly, highlight your company’s values and missions so that the candidate knows what kind of employer you are.
Write Without Jargon
Leave the jargon behind when you sit down to write a job posting that will attract applicants.
You might feel tempted to create a long list of all the skills and responsibilities the job entails but focus on those essential to the job. When candidates read a long list of skills, they’ll likely skip over it and assume they’re not qualified.
Instead, try summarizing what experience you want. For example, instead of listing out the requirements, summarize it all into one sentence.
Consider Posting the Salary
There has been an ongoing debate about whether or not the salary should be posted in the job posting, but now some states are taking the matter into their own hands.
Currently, Colorado, Connecticut, Washington, California, and Maryland all have laws surrounding the salary range for a job. In California, Washington, and Maryland, the employer only has to disclose the salary range if the applicant asks.
But in Connecticut, you have to disclose the salaries regardless of whether an applicant or potential employee asks. However, it can be disclosed in an interview rather than a job posting.
Colorado has the strictest rules. Employers have to put the pay range in the job posting itself. This applies to all Colorado employers who have one or more employees.
If it’s not required in your state, you should consider whether or not it’ll be beneficial to you to post the salary range. It could help attract more serious candidates to the position. However, leaving it out could give you a wide range of other candidates as well.
Before you post jobs on free job boards, check up on your state’s laws to ensure that you’re following the rules because as the conversation changes, the rules will too.
Define the Responsibilities
When writing your job title and requirements, you should keep in mind that the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that the job description list out all of the essential job functions.
This allows anyone with disabilities to figure out whether or not they would be able to perform those tasks.
The ADA defines these functions as; “functions an individual who holds or desires the position must be able to perform with unaided or with the assistance of a reasonable accommodation.”
To make sure that you’re compliant with the ADA, make a list of essential job functions and make a list of other features that are nice to have in a candidate but not required. If you still aren’t sure, try asking your hiring manager, an HR professional, or a recruiter to help you.
Include the Location
Thanks to COVID-19, there has been a rise in jobs that are hiring remotely. Many workers are looking for remote positions, so make sure you list the location of your job description.
For some candidates, the location can even end up being a deal-breaker. So don’t waste your time or the candidate’s time by listing the wrong location. If the position is in the office, you don’t want people who want a remote job to be applying for it.
If the job is going to be in the office, people may also want to know how far their commute would be. If you’re in an area where there is a lot of traffic and congestion, most candidates will want to know how long it will take to get there, so put the correct address in as well.
Have Someone Review the Job Posting
Before you post the position on job posting sites, it’s always good to have someone else review it to ensure no errors.
If you received a resume or application with errors, it would probably affect the applicant’s candidacy. Similarly, if there is an error in your job postings, the applicants might also judge your company.
By having error-free job posting details, you’ll be able to attract way more qualified candidates.
Review Posting From an Objective Perspective
Before you post the positions on your job boards, take a step back and look at the posting from your own, objective perspective.
The pandemic has been difficult on both employers and employees, and having empathy can go a long way. With how much the job market is changing, you need every bit of help to attract candidates.
Read your posting from the applicant’s point of view. Keep in mind that many job seekers look for jobs on their mobile devices, so your description should be formatted to match that format.
You should make sure that there are bold headings, bullet points, and short sentences to help the applicant scan the posting and figure out if it’s a right fit for them.
Find Help in Filling Your Job Postings
Now that you’ve written the perfect job posting, you’ll need to fill them.
Posting the positions on free job posting sites can be a great place to start. However, sometimes you still might have difficulty finding good applicants.
If that’s the case, there are plenty of ways to seek out candidates to help fill those open positions. Whether it’s from computer-powered recruiting software or on-demand recruiters, we’re here to help!
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