Draw in the Best Applicants with a Top-of-the-Line Job Ad
The good news? The U.S. unemployment rate is at its lowest in seven years, steadily declining from the recession in ’08. The bad news? Fewer people are searching for your company’s new opening. That means when you do post a job, you need the most qualified people looking at it and (hopefully) applying.
Skywalk Group wants to help you acquire the best candidates possible, which is why we suggest these tips for writing a job post that gets responses:
Do your research: Tackle the hunt like a marketing pro and focus on your target market. A major online job board may not be where your target’s headed, and a general all-call post may not reach who you need. Identify what channels are most popular among your audience and shape your message accordingly.
Sell it like an ad: You’re trying to attract, not school, your audience. Strive to catch their attention above all else. Leave finicky details and play-by-play descriptions to internal documents and contracts. Focus instead on information that grabs them, such as benefits, company mission, and work environment.
Don’t shy away from specifics: You know what you want, so write like it. By being direct about the qualifications and expectations of a potential candidate, you’ll save yourself time weeding through applicants who are off the mark. What’s more effective: stating you need to fill a “sales position,” or that you’re seeking “an inside sales professional comfortable with closing deals within a few days?”
Re-word the title: Reach your audience by writing for the search engines. Optimize the job title for search even if it doesn’t match the job title on their contract to a “T”. As long as the position requirements don’t differ between titles, finding keywords that resonate with your audience helps them search smarter, not harder.
See who’s paying attention: Weed out candidates and lighten your workload by including a specific instruction in the middle of the ad, such as mentioning a certain word in their e-mail. You’ll filter out those that didn’t read carefully, a particularly useful tip if you’re on the hunt for a detail-oriented new hire.
Give homework: Typically, a candidate places the burden on your shoulders by simply hitting “send.” Share the load by asking them to give you something in return. In addition to a resume and cover letter, you might pose a scenario that asks for their creative solution in 300 words. Excited candidates will leap at the chance to show their stuff, whereas casual applicants may be put off by the effort required of a position they’re only mildly interested in.
Put simply, the better your job ad, the more qualified your applicants will be. If you need help with your job posting and hiring needs, contact Skywalk Group at 319-743-9830. We’re experts at finding experts.