Have you ever wanted to create attention-grabbing and engaging job postings?
You are not alone. Every day, hundreds of businesses create postings for available job opportunities in their company. Even more people online see those posts every day. Unfortunately, not every job posting leaves a lasting impression. Crafting an enticing, carefully put-together job posting can be the difference between attracting average-level talent and landing the superstar that your company needs. It’s a job that requires time to get it right and a certain sense of style. Not everyone is up for the challenge. But, like everything else out there, a little bit of practice and advice can work wonders.
To attract top-level talent, you need to make your job postings concise and professional. The attention span of a regular Internet user today is short – you need to make use of the 10-30 seconds that it takes to quickly browse a posting and make a lasting impression. We know that it can be intimidating. That’s why we’ve compiled this crash course for our readers to provide a quick and effective guide to crafting the best job posting you possibly can.
Let’s get started!
Introduce the Company
Many beginner writers rush through their job posting pitches. They try to cram as much information into as many paragraphs as it takes, leaving out vital information for the end (or, in some cases, leaving it out altogether). A poorly structured and rushed job posting leaves a bad impression on the reader. If the impression is critical enough, it could even leave a mark on your company as a whole. Here, the trick is to grab attention as quickly as possible. It is equally important to understand that applicants may not share your enthusiasm for some of the company’s achievements but could be well interested in som other perks.
So, before jumping into detailed descriptions and promises of climbing the corporate ladder, make sure you take the time to describe what your company is all about. Think of it as an interview but instead of you asking the questions, it’s your future employees who want to learn. This is especially vital for corporations that deal with young talent. Younger employees are more impressionable than seasoned veterans and, as such, want to learn as much as possible about a project before they commit.
Some key elements of your job description should include:
- General background information on the project;
- Goals and aspirations for the future;
- Company policies and international presence;
- Possible social media outlets;
- Employer/employee relationships;
When writing about your company, try to keep a positive attitude. Most importantly, be honest and do not exaggerate things. Young employee prospects can sense when companies aren’t honest with them. It might seem like a good idea, but trying to slink away from the truth will hurt your chances of landing a top-rated prospect in the long run.
When first introducing your company, the general rule of thumb is to ask yourself: Would I work here if I had to? If the answer is yes, then you’ve done a good job. If the answer is no, then it’s best you go back to the drawing board and iron out some of the details.
Describe the Position
Once you’ve taken the time to introduce your company and its aspirations for the future, spend a paragraph or two talking about the vacant position you want to fill. This is when you can share what your expectations of the new hire are and gush about how important their role in the company would be.
A good job description combines marketing, an overview of the necessary skills required, professional expectations, the associated responsibilities, and how this position fits in the company’s grand plan. All the things mentioned above are put together to create a complex profile of what is expected from the applicant.
Remember to keep things as simple as possible when describing the position. Use simple language without pretentious terms, and keep yourself focused on the person reading the posting.
An example of a good position description will be something like:
The Position of Art Director will allow you to take part in an exciting and always developing scene at the forefront of the artistic world. We expect our candidates to be familiar with the procedure of art layouts and maintaining an art exhibition. Since our company deals with several local Art Galleries, we’ve arranged for the exhibit venues to change every week – allowing our directors to insert something personal in every project.
We expect you to be familiar with the process of training, assessing, and coaching new talents as well as appraising new artwork. The artwork we have in mind is modern-contemporary.
Describe personal responsibilities and expectations
Once you’ve dedicated some time informing the reader about your company and the flavor of the position, take the time to go through their responsibilities and your personal expectations. Position responsibilities differ slightly from personal responsibilities. For example, if the position you are trying to fill is that of a Software Engineer, the responsibilities of the position would be to design and maintain software that could be useful to the company. However, if the person hired as a Software Engineer also has excellent leadership and communication skills, they could eventually be promoted to a team leader. Emphasizing the need for leadership skills also implies that the company values its human assets and is ready to collaborate with the best pros long-term.
Of course, not every job candidate will be able to do their regular duties in tandem with additional responsibilities. You need to ask questions and find out which prospect has the talents to cover both bases at the same time. A talent who can demonstrate excellent skills in more than one area is referred to as a top-level talent. Attracting top-level talents is the dream of every large company. If you want to learn more about the hiring process and the difficulties many recruiters face on a daily basis, we suggest you take a peek at an article with questions to ask the best candidates.
Set Expectations for Qualifications and Required Skills
No matter what position you are trying to fill, you need to make sure that the applicants have the proper qualifications. There are many talented people out there, but some jobs require a level of technical knowledge that can’t be obtained through a search engine.
To find qualified personnel, you need to set your expectations to something that is manageable and realistic. Not everyone is a Harvard graduate, and not every employee will have received a scholarship for inventing the potato clock. We can’t all be multi-talented and overachievers. This is not to say that many excellent employees don’t come from humble beginnings and have the required qualifications from other, less famous institutions.
A good example of software developer qualifications would look something like this:
- Coding skills in one or more languages such as C++ and Java;
- Degree in Computer Science;
- Software testing skills;
It’s important to aim high when describing employee qualification expectations. Now that we’ve covered employee qualifications, let’s take a look at job requirements. A good place to begin is to list several ‘required skills’ that you deem appropriate for the position. Depending on the type of position you need to fill, these could range from Online Marketing and SEO to Car Mechanic and Advanced Physics. Keep the expectations grounded in reality. Make sure that what you are asking for meets the real candidate’s objective capabilities.
This is how a regular skill list would look like as part of an application for a software developer:
- Mathematical aptitude;
- Teamwork skills;
- Problem-solving skills
- Excellent organizational ability;
- Willingness to learn and self-improve
There is a fine separation between employee qualifications and required skills. One you learn through study (College or University), the other has more to do with personality and individual soft skills.
Keep it to the Point
Perhaps the most important part of writing an effective job posting is to keep it simple and short. Many people make the rookie mistake of writing long, drawn-out paragraphs filled with unnecessary — often even distracting — details. You don’t need to write a whole novel to get your point across. Focus on the details that matter rather than those that don’t.
If you allow yourself to make a job posting lengthy and uninformative, you risk discouraging potential talents from contacting you. The goal is to transcribe your thoughts to the reader in the most structured and effective way possible. If you have a chance, ask a coworker to take a look at what you’ve written. Receiving a 3rd party opinion is always invaluable. If you are interested in researching more about talent acquisition, we encourage you to read an article on the Benefits of a Talent Pipeline Strategy. It’s a wonderful read on how to set up a sustainable and organic talent pipeline that benefits you and your business.
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