How to Reinvent Your Job Description and Posting - Part 1

By Jessica Miller-Merrell 

The job posting has long been a staple in recruiting. It’s what candidates read to find out whether or not they’re qualified or would be a good fit. It has helped us ensure we communicate what the hiring manager is looking for and also served as one of the very few resources a candidates had for understanding the position and the organization. So what has decades of using the same type of job posting shown us? With time to fill higher than ever and the market more competitive than we’ve seen it in years, it’s just not working. It’s not an effective means of engaging or building a relationship with a candidate. The job description as we know it is no more. It is time for something NEW. 

It’s time that we, as recruiters, reinvent the job posting and description to align with the consumer. The places and the ways in which candidates are searching for jobs is different than it has ever been, so it’s time to move away from a six-paragraph list of jargon and requirements and towards engaging resources and marketing-focused efforts that candidates will actually care about.

Rethinking job descriptions

The technical definition of a job description is “an orderly record of the essential activities involved in the performance of a task that is abstracted from a job analysis and used in classifying and evaluating jobs and in the selection and placement of employees.” This isn’t changing. What does need to change is the way in which we evaluate what is required to perform a job, how we present that to candidates and even how we expect them to respond to such a description. Taking that into account, we need to see them as a tool for communicating our needs in a way that is entertaining, engaging and helpful for candidates in determining whether or not they would be a good fit.

A job description today should do four things:

Meet candidates where they are

A modern job description caters to how and where candidates are searching for jobs. The days of candidates reading long job postings online when they get home from work are over. Today, the majority of candidates are searching on their phone whenever they have free time. This means that descriptions can’t be long-winded if we want candidates to make it through the entire thing and take action. Where are the kinds of people you’re looking for searching? That’s where you should be.

Empower job seekers

We know that candidate fit is one of the most important considerations when making a hiring decision, so your job description should empower a seeker to decide whether or not they are qualified and how they would fit with the company culture.

Let your employment brand shine

Job postings are so much more than a rundown of responsibilities. They’re actually one of your biggest marketing tools as an employer. Let your employment brand shine through and you’ll make a lasting impression on both applicants and those who decide the position isn’t quite right.

Encourage action

Your job postings, whether on your own career site, talent network, job aggregator or job board, should capture candidates’ attention and accurately articulate the job responsibilities, but they should also leave the candidate excited and wanting to know more. No matter how creative, interesting or branded a job posting is, if it doens’t encourage a call to action, it’s not effective.

By ensuring your job descriptions and postings cover these four essential factors, you’ll see a higher-quality candidate pool, increased brand reputation and recognition and ultimately, time saved in the hiring process.

Be sure to check out part 2 of our Job Posting series by clicking here. 

TalentCircles is the most comprehensive candidate engagement platform on the market. Take a product tour or request a live demo today. 

Jessica Miller-Merrell, SPHR is a workplace and technology anthropologist specializing in HR and recruiting. She's the Chief Blogger and Founder of Blogging4Jobs and author of The HR Technology Field Guide. You can follow her on Twitter at @jmillermerell.

Why Job Descriptions Are Not Enough in Hiring

By Jessica Miller-Merrell

The problem: job descriptions are legal (not marketing documents) created for the purposes of protecting not promoting the employer in the role described. Yet, employers must take a marketing and employment branding approach when developing job descriptions, job postings and employment information to attract and engage a candidate that they hope may become an employee.

For the job seeker there really hasn’t been a place where they can go and interact with recruiters in an organization. They used to submit a resume and cover letter based on the job description and then they were placed in a purgatory type environment and would rarely hear back because of the volume of applicants for a given position. However, as HR departments become more like skeleton crews it’s important that they better utilize their time when dealing with potential employees.

Relying on job postings to communicate to a job seeker the benefits of working for your company does not work any longer. The candidate experience is becoming increasingly important in the job seeker lifecycle and companies can’t ignore the fact that good talent comes from delivering a good experience. In order to hire the best candidates, you must focus the process around the job seeker. If developed properly, the candidate experience can be one of the best tools out there to attract and the best candidates.

If you’re company is struggling with finding ways to improve the candidate experience within your organization, here are a few things that you can easily do:

Create a Talent Community: Talent Communities not only benefit the recruiter but also they give the candidate a place to go after submitting an application. After applying for a job, the candidate doesn’t know where their application goes or if a recruiter is even paying attention to them. Talent communities create a sense of belonging. Whether they get the job they initially applied for or not, you’ll keep attracting good candidates.

Engage with the Job Seeker: Engaging with the job seeker doesn’t necessarily have to be through a Talent Community (although strongly encouraged). When an applicant submits a resume, don’t leave them hanging in the black hole of resumes, but take time to respond and give direction if they were selected for the job. This could prove difficult if you received hundreds of resumes, that’s why the best tool for the candidate experience is Talent Circle’s Talent Community platform.

Focus on Employment Branding: Part of the candidate experience ties into how your company is branding itself. When companies are able to highlight the perks and benefits of working for their specific company, as well as its real culture, job seekers will be more interested in working for said company. Use employment branding to elevate your brand to the next level and engage candidates in a positive environment.

If your company is struggling with improving the candidate experience following these few guidelines will help your organization develop a stronger relationship with the job seeker and the overall process. What has your company done to position themselves as an employer of choice?

Jessica Miller-Merrell, SPHR is a workplace and technology strategist specializing in social media. She’s an author who writes at Blogging4Jobs. You can follow her on Twitter @blogging4jobs. 

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