How To Write a Rock Solid Job Requisition

Job requisitions are easy to write but hard to perfect. Like any advertisement, requisitions need to be simple, informative, and persuasive in order to make an impact on job seekers.

Did you see how we just called them advertisements? Remember that what you are doing with a job post of any kind is convincing people to do something.

A great requisition will be written with specificity in mind – attracting the desired type of candidate in the job market with its clear, concise and targeted message. At the same time, the job description should be accessible enough to entice a range of job seekers to apply. Finding the perfect balance between position requirements and flexibility is the most important aspect of creating any solid job requisition.

• Know your audience: Finding the right candidate begins with knowing what skills to look for. You’ll have to verse yourself on the profession you’re sourcing in order to understand which skills are important and why (You also have to be able to impress candidates with your authenticity and industry knowledge when they come in to interview).
• Know your selling points:Every candidate is motivated to apply for different reasons. Depending on their age and background, it could be desire for a prestigious title, benefits, working at a notable company, a higher salary, etc. As a recruiter, it’s your job to listen to candidates and uncover their reasons for applying. But before you get to that point, your job requisition (which attracted the candidates in the first place) will have to contain as many selling points as possible without revealing all your cards. What this means is – in order to attract top talent, your requisition should read like a marketing document: Hook them with great opportunity and send them head-over-heels when you reveal additional perks over the phone. Focus on your employment branding proposition as it would most likely relate to the type of individual you are looking to hire.
• Include realistic requirements:The right education and experience requirements will act as a preliminary filter, deterring unqualified candidates and inviting in the right kind of talent. However, it’s best to be flexible and don’t rely to heavily on the details – you’ll never find a candidate that meets your exact specifications. Exacting educational requirements can convince well qualified applicants not to apply. For example, if you list an MBA as an added bonus, many candidates will assume that someone with an MBA will apply and get the job. It’s of course fine to have rote educational and experience qualifications, but be sure you mean what you say.
• Resist Cliches:You’re looking for a “hard worker” and a “results driven individual?” Give me a break…Lose the jargon and focus on the skills you really need. If you are looking for intangible skills, focus on really describing them, not summing them up with over-used catch phrases. Examine your current staff and determine who your most successful employees are. Are they “hard working” or are they filled with quirks and fit well into a department full of unique personalities? You often can’t ask for intangibles, but instead tailor your job posting to be enticing to the type of individual you want to hire.
• Post in relevant locations: Blasting your requisition on random job boards and social media sites is not an effective recruitment strategy. Look for career sites and networking hubs for the particular profession that you are hiring. Are currently employed social marketing professionals surfing job boards – probably not. But do they read Mashable? It is likely they do. Fish where the fish are is old, but solid advice. Additionally, make sure that you measure the results of your job posting – be sure to examine the results of your efforts, as in particular with niche job posting, the costs may outweigh the resultant benefit.

Finally, recognize that writing a job requisition isn’t rocket science – it’s advertising designed to meet the psychology of your ideal candidate. Top performers will be turned off by an unsightly or poorly written requisition. Try to put yourself in the ideal applicant’s shoes: If you saw the posting, would you be compelled to apply? When you do talk to applicants, be sure to also ask them why they applied. Did they just need a job, or did a particular statement in your job post stick out? By examining your success, you can develop your own set of best practices.