The first step into hiring a good talent is putting across the opportunity. How you do this, decides who even thinks about applying. A job opportunity is not something which no matter how you put it, people will apply for; at least not for the talent you would want in your company. Before they get to the stage of attracting your attention to their talents, you need to write a job description which would attract the right talent. If you fail to do this, you run the risk of turning potential candidates away even before they apply.
Job Shopping
While there are thousands of fresh talents graduating from colleges every year, there are also an immense amount of job opportunities on the rise. With the rise of wall-less companies, the opportunities are too many. When there is a sea of opportunities, chances are your job description gets lost somewhere if it does not have reasons to stand out. Follow these tips and you can create a description that stand out.
1. Job description = marketing tool
Don’t just write down the eligibility criteria and the requirements and expect people to be attracted by it. Your job description should look like no less than an advertisement. It should be creative and attractive with the candidates as your target audience.
2. Speak to what candidates actually care about
Keep in mind that you are reaching out to candidates so tell them what they should be looking forward to in the company. Candidates are usually motivated by the following features.
Opportunities to learn and grow: The best candidates are not here for the paycheck. Paycheck just becomes a part of a journey of learning and personal growth for them. Hence, while you talk about the job, you need to mention how a candidate can grow with the job. Nobody wants to be in a monotonous work life.
Challenging work: Throwing in challenging projects and assignments are the only way to have some tweak in your monotonous work life. Hence, give them exciting challenges and now stressful deadlines.
Making an impact: Tell them how their work will add to the success of the company or help the company in achieving their goals. Let them know that their work will matter as the last thing they would want to spend their time in is work that don’t matter.
One of the things helpful to do while writing job descriptions are to get a few of the new recruits and a few old ones and have a discussion with them. Talk to them about the most challenging and engaging work they have in the company, the opportunities they have for personal growth and the difference they think they are making. With answers to these in your hand, you will be able to write a much effecting job description.
3. When writing a job description, sell benefits, not features
Do yourself a favor and read your job description from the point of view of a candidate. Ask “so what?” To every feature you say your company has. You will realize that none of those features mean anything to the candidate. You can mention your company features but you need to add context to it. So, what if you are a start up? Does this mean that the candidate will have a bigger role to play? Then mention that. Don’t just write features and expect employees to give any attention to that or be impressed by it. Write the benefit of having those features and only then will the candidate know the point of those features.
4. Create urgency
Create a sense of urgency when you are writing the description irrespective of it actually being one or not. This will make the candidates feel like it is an opportunity missed if they do not apply quick. Adding phrases like call within so and so date for immediate consideration or informing that applications will be accepted only till a particular date does the job. Create an email id or provide a phone number specifically for this. When you provide the corporate email id, candidates already know that along with the other bunch of emails you receive in a day, their CV will get deep buried in it.
5. Draw candidates in with your first few sentences
You need to be able to have the candidates hooked right from the first line of the description. A few ways to do that is by helping them relate with the job and make the job sound exclusive. Keep them reading and eliminate the candidates who do not identify with the content in the job description stage itself. Make them feel like the best out of all companies are picked to create the ultimate company.
6. Formatting matters
Make the description look impressive as well. Highlight important points, use subtle colors, don’t make the text too cramped up, give enough space between sentences.
7. Streamline the application process
All top talented candidates have a lot of opportunities lined up for them and hence they value their time well. Make sure your process to apply for the job does not make them jump through hoops. Keep it simple with a very straightforward application process. Ask them to submit only the bare necessities and not every detail which can easily be asked for when they pass the different interview rounds. Don’t let you job description itself make talented candidates to drop off. Make the process very user-friendly.