A job description is like an employer’s sales pitch to candidates – you’ve got to make them descriptive enough to get a candidate’s attention, and interesting enough to keep it.
The economy is steadily improving and it’s increasingly a candidate’s job market. The following tips will help you write compelling job descriptions that help your openings rise above the competition.
Get more advice on staffing,
read The Secret to Hiring for Culture Fit.
Lose the Buzzwords
Terms like “rock star” and “ninja” are played out. For real. They don’t make you seem hip or cool, they just make job seekers’ eyes roll. At one point in time, they may have made you stand out of the pack, but now, they’re just tired clichés.
Instead, consider the job search process from a candidate’s point of view. Serious candidates are searching for “data scientist” or “social media specialist.” When writing your job descriptions, try to home in on the keywords your target audience is searching for and make your job descriptions as specific and direct as possible.
No Purple Unicorns
There’s a difference between absolute requirements and “nice to haves”. Avoid listing “required” specialized skillsets that would most likely be spread out between three or four employees (i.e. make sure what you’re describing is truly the job of one person).
Consider having the description vetted by someone who has worked in that role, or someone outside your organization who is working in a similar-sounding job, to make sure what you’re seeking is realistic.
Follow these tips and you’ll find yourself swimming in consistently deep pools of awesome candidates.
Stay tuned for Part 2 for more ways to write a job description that catches applicant’s attention.
Source: Erin Engstrom, Recruiterbox