Right now, unemployment is at its lowest in more than a decade. In fact, according to the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 3.9 percent of Americans were out of work at the end of 2018, and these record lows were maintained during the first quarter of 2019. While this is great news for employees, employers have an incredibly difficult time finding qualified candidates.
Many employers fail to attract talent right from the start of their recruitment process. They do not pay enough attention to the description of their work. And as a result, job seekers ignore the available opportunities of the company.
Having great job descriptions means more than just updating your task information. You also need to create them in such a way as to gain the interest and trust of qualified job seekers. To successfully attract talent, it’s time to learn more about how job seekers interpret job descriptions and what their expectations are.
Here are four secrets that will make your job descriptions more appealing to candidates:
Focus on being friendly and welcoming
Job offers are like a first impression. Using biased or exclusionary wording is one of the fastest ways to get job seekers to choose themselves from your hiring process.
But these are not just obviously offensive words and phrases that you need to remove from job descriptions. Each word has a unique connotation that creates an image of the type of candidate you are looking for. If candidates do not see themselves meeting this description, they will not apply.
For example, despite their literal meaning, there are adjectives that are considered masculine or feminine. Words like competitive and strong are more often used to refer to a man than a woman. On the contrary, understanding and intuitiveness are perceived as feminine adjectives.
If your job descriptions use gender language, you’ll automatically exclude half of the population. A 2016 report from ZipRecruiter found that job advertisements with gender-neutral wording received 42 percent more applicants.
For your recruitment success, it’s vital that you learn the difference between gender and neutral descriptors. For example, an ad with a masculine expression would say “We are looking for an assertive candidate”. A gender-neutral alternative would be to say “favorable, motivated, or goal-oriented.”
Another type of biased language is jargon. When trying to find talent, many employers are looking for candidates with transferable skills outside their industry. However, these job seekers will not understand how they actually qualify for a job if it is described in complex industrial jargon. Instead, explain the jobs and skills needed in familiar terms. When you find the right candidate, they can learn industry-specific vocabulary as they work.
Break with breach requirements
Naturally, any job requires certain skills for an employee to be successful. Job descriptions are the first step to getting you and the candidates on the same wave with these expectations. Many employers get into trouble because they make too many requests to “interrupt the transaction”.
If a job seeker reads your company’s job advert and sees that he does not have the right field or is slightly lacking in previous work experience, he will not apply. The catch is that they could be a really great candidate to excel in the role.
Do not risk losing quality candidates because you are hyper-focused on non-essential requirements. This does not mean that you have to lower your standards. Rather, look at the skills you require and carefully consider whether they are really “necessary”.
Try to limit yourself to five absolute requirements. If you’re having trouble narrowing down your list, ask for help from employees who will work closely with the new employee. Tell them to choose the skills or qualities that an employee would need from day one to succeed.
For example, although it is always pleasant to find employees with leadership experience, these skills are not necessary for entry-level work. Your hiring team may still look for signs of leadership potential from candidates during the interview, but they shouldn’t be required to just apply.
Check your ads with the right look
Often, hiring managers or HR professionals are the only ones who check job descriptions before publishing them. But since these people do not see all the everyday details, the job descriptions they write are not one hundred percent accurate. Job seekers will be hesitant to apply for a job when they think they don’t have all the information.
Assemble a team of current employees who have a thorough understanding of the position. It is good to have at least one collaborator and one individual who has held this role in the past. Before you show them the initial draft of the job description, ask them to describe the role in their own words. Pay attention to their language and see if it is consistent with what is used in the job description.
Pay special attention to all the details that they mention and that have not yet been included. Then, show them the current version of the task description. Discuss the differences in phrasings and how the variations affect the reader’s perception of the position.
Also, ask your review team to add any details or benefits that will interest the candidates. The more the description reflects the reality of the position as a whole, the better. For example, if the team that the candidate would join has problems every month, include this in the job advert. This will show job seekers that they could work with a narrow group of co-workers who enjoy each other’s company outside of work.
Think about how you share job adverts
Writing and editing job descriptions are not the only steps that can limit the number and quality of your candidates. The place where your company posts them can also hurt your chances of finding a great employee. For example, some job boards list so many vacancies that yours gets lost in flipping. Instead of relying solely on traditional work sites, find other unique ways to share your carefully crafted job descriptions.
One good option is to pass on information about vacancies to your freelancers. Nowadays, many companies are using contract employees to expand their workforce. Just because an individual is a freelancer doesn’t mean they’re not open to full-time employment. Knowing their job, you can be sure that these candidates will have the skills you need.
Social media can also be a great place to share job descriptions. Your followers are already interested and investing in your organization. If they find a position that suits their professional needs, there is a good chance that they will culturally suit and be in line with the values of the company.
If your following on social media is less, find relevant professional groups on LinkedIn or Facebook and share your opportunities there. These communities support each other in finding a job, so even if a member isn’t qualified for the position, they’ll likely pass it on to anyone they know would be interested.
Job description has been the basis for talent acquisition for decades. But that doesn’t mean you can’t get better at how your organization advertises your open position. By reviewing these four aspects of job descriptions, you can ensure that you find more candidates and hire quality new employees.
