Do you need to hire a new employee, but are dreading the prospect of sifting through piles of resumes in search or a mere handful of truly qualified candidates? Help yourself out by putting some thought and consideration into your advertisement. Here are our tips for writing a strong job post:
Use clear and precise job titles
Job seekers scan job board lists quickly! Use simple, straightforward, and specific job titles. Lead with the most pertinent information, usually the job title itself.
For instance: registered nurses looking for jobs will notice “Registered Nurse,” whereas “Experienced and Reliable Registered Nurse” might get overlooked. Being specific about the level of expertise and the specialties you’re hoping for is okay, however. “Senior Clinical Assessment Specialist” would attract more experienced applicants than “Clinical Assessment Specialist” might. If you really need someone with a precise specialty, by all means, let job seekers know. “Pediatric Psychiatrist” would more readily attract mental health professionals who focus on children than “Psychiatrist.”
Tell candidates more about you: fill them in on your work place culture
Whether or not a new employee meshes well with your company culture is one of the key elements in their desire and ability to remain in their job, and yet many employers undervalue or completely ignore this important consideration when looking for candidates. Increase your chances of finding the right person by being upfront about your work environment. Is it fast-paced? Creative? Do you require employees to spend a certain number of hours on site? Is there an office dog? Help people match themselves to you by telling them more about what it’s like to be a member of your organization on a day-to-day basis.
Is there an opportunity to learn and grow?
When you’re trying to attract a candidate to a particular position, it can seem counterintuitive to suggest there’s a path to “something better” available in your organization before they’ve even begun the job for which you’re hiring. Why talk about greener pastures when they haven’t even started grazing? Because the best and brightest candidates will want to know that you provide opportunities for them to get better at what they do, and to grow with the organization if their ambitions need an outlet. Be sure to include training and growth opportunities as part of your listing if you do, in fact, offer them.
Be clear about musts vs. “nice-to-haves”
Help yourself and the job seekers looking at your position by being clear about the skills and certifications are absolutely required to be considered as a candidate, and the ones that would merely give them an edge over the minimally qualified candidate. Know that in the case of an extremely specialized and hard to fill position, you may need to be flexible in your requirements or willing to train to fill the job.
