How to Reinvent Your Job Description and Posting - Part 2

By Jessica Miller-Merrell 

Read part 1 of our series on job posting revention by clicking here. 

Job postings as we know them are a thing of the past. So much has changed in the way of job searches and what candidates care about, making the long-form, boring list of requirements and responsibilities an ineffective way of reaching candidates. It’s time for us to get creative, think like marketers and rethink what the job descriptions and postings mean.

In part one of this series, I mentioned that we need to start seeing job descriptions and postings 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. I also shared that the successful, modern job description caters to how candidates search, empowers them, highlights the employment brand and encourages them to take action.

But how exactly do you make that happen? It all centers around thinking about your candidates – they are your how, why and where. How they search shapes what form you use, such as catering to mobile searches. Why they’re looking influences the language you use and what benefits of the position you highlight. Where they’re looking dictates which job sites, boards and other resources you post on.

After you’ve used those considerations to determine the logistics, use these four tactics to reinvent your postings and attract the best candidates:

Get visual

Whether it is graphics or video, visual images tell a story that a 300-word job posting just can’t. People are so accustomed to seeing photos and video, and passing over text, that it’s much more effective to rely on visual communication. Video in particular works well to engage mobile job seekers.

Personalize your posting

Customize your message and job listing to attract a very small, unique audience instead of focusing on a broad reach. The idea is that by strategically targeting a small sector of candidates that you know would be a good fit, you will obtain the highest quality candidates.

Tell a story

Instead of focusing on a list of qualifications, tell candidates what makes the role unique. Stories help candidates picture themselves in a role and stand out amongst list after list in other job postings. Consider talking to your current employees to better understand the position and what makes the role, and working for the organization, unique.

Share via multiple channels

Consider sharing using many channels instead of one. With the rise of social media and the talent network technology available, like TalentCircles, you are only limited by your time and creativity when it comes to sharing and reaching candidates about your opening.

Check out part 1 of our series on job posting revention by clicking here. It's time for something new. 

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.

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 Your Job Ad is Dripping with Nonsense

By Jessica Miller-Merrell

We all want to draft job postings that grab candidates’ attention, convey the scope of a position, are easily read and completely knock it out of the park. The sad reality is that the majority of postings do the exact opposite of all that. In fact, they’re mostly total nonsense. They are oozing, dripping and overflowing with absolutely ridiculous and outlandish things. Your job seekers realize this too. It’s the reason so many of them apply for a job even when they don’t meet the minimum qualifications. We’ve conditioned them to expect inflated responsibilities, marketing talk and shoot-for-the-moon qualifications. They can barely cut through the clutter to discover what it is the position is and what it requires.

So why, when no one sets out to draft an insane job posting, do we have so many that just aren’t cutting it? It all starts with how we look at it. From purpose, to tone and everything in between, sometimes what we’re saying and what we really mean don’t go hand in hand. Even worse, sometimes it does, but we’re off base about what we should be saying.

An effective job ad is a lot like a commercial. It’s an opportunity to compel your candidate to come to your careers page or talent network to learn more. It is absolutely not a novel, a chance to show off your industry jargon or a page-long bulleted list of everything you could possibly think of for the position. Throw what you know out the window and start re-vamping your job listings with these five keys in mind.

Get visual

We live in a time when a picture is worth far more than words in nearly every situation. For the best results, create a visual that will attract candidates and make them want to read what you have to say. After you’ve developed the visual you wish to use, get creative with places you can use it.

Create a Campaign

A good job description is just one piece of the recruiting puzzle. Think strategically about what channels you’ll use to share it, when it makes the most sense to and how you’ll support the posting. Will it lead the candidate to a talent network? Will you direct them to a careers page that reinforces the look and feel of your employment brand?

Focus on the long term

Keep the desperation and urgency out of your job postings by viewing every posting as an opportunity to build a long-term pipeline of potential candidates. Seeing recruiting through these lenses will likely change the way you think about individual postings.

Be honest

It’s important to be honest with yourself about what you really need, and to be honest with your job seeker about who you really are as a company. Don’t pretend to be someone else because this only lends to higher turnover for the long term. Keep your tone consistent with your company culture.

Be engaging, and then engage

Your job posting or ad should absolutely engage your potential candidate by providing a call to action other than applying. How can they connect with you? It may be through social media, a careers page or talent network but they should have a place to go to engage with you.

 Jessica Miller-Merrell, SPHR is a workplace and technology strategist specializing in social media. She’s is the Chief Blogger & Founder of Blogging4Jobs. You can follow her on Twitter @jmillermerrell.