Have you noticed that your job postings aren’t receiving as many resumes recently? Or the candidates applying are not qualified for the role? Given the competitive market right now, many business owners are feeling the same way, and aren’t reevaluating how they can attract the top talent from the get-go. The fact of the matter is , potential candidates have more power in the job selection process than they’ve ever had. Now may be the time to reexamine how you are posting your available positions. Job postings are the first thing potential candidates will see
before applying to your opening – so you have to grab their attention and convince applicants that your job is the best fit for them.

The idea of starting a new job posting from scratch can seem overwhelming and time consuming. But you may not need to redo the whole posting. Rather, making a few updates to your current job postings and changing the way you market your organization can draw in your next best hire. 

Here are 4 ways to maximize the effectiveness of your job postings:

1. Be Concise:
Keep it simple but be clear and concise with your verbiage. The description should remain around 700 to 2000 characters in order to receive the most visibility. Your ideal candidate is most likely busy and running from one task to the next, so it’s important to pique their interest right away and draw them in. Make your opening paragraph the most eye catching and show them your company is the next step in their career path.

2. Don’t Exaggerate or Underplay:
Be honest and set the correct expectations from the start. Whether the position is entry level or your next VP, make sure that is articulated in the job description along with tasks and desired or required qualifications. Be sure to include the most important job functions, reporting structure and any educational or certification requirements. If skills are required or there is flexibility, then just say so. All of these factors will help deter unqualified candidates from “taking a chance” and applying to the position.

3. Highlight Flexibility & Benefits:
Given the pandemic, many companies were forced to reevaluate the way their business operates. Some owners had to make the choice for their employees to work remotely and while this seemed hard at first, many have adopted this as their new way of operation. Other businesses have adopted a hybrid work schedule, which gives employees the much-needed flexibility they desire. If this is something you have adopted for your business, be sure to articulate this to your potential candidates. Prospective candidates are taking a closer look at the benefits businesses are providing, versus the dollar amount that comes along with the job title. Talk about what your company offers to employees and why they should join your team. Focus less on what you need for the role and more on what they would gain from your organization.

4. Broaden Your Reach:
Resignations are up across almost every generation, region and industry. While this is a challenge to some, it also means that there are lots of potential candidates out there. Make sure your new post is getting in front of as much talent as possible. Try looking for applicants outside of your industry. Often the core skills you’re looking for will translate even if there is an industry learning curve. Indeed is great, but make sure you are promoting your job opening on social media. This is incredibly important if you want to reach millennial and Gen Z candidates. Lastly, consider using an applicant tracking system to more efficiently get your post on thousands of job boards at the
same time.

Be genuine and clear about the role and emphasize what your company has to offer. If you are still having trouble locating the right talent, it may be helpful to get some other team members’ eyes on the posting and have them provide feedback on how you can improve. Remember, they were once prospective employees before being a part of your team. So utilize your resources, keep the posting simple but interesting, be honest in your expectations, and you’ll be sure to add a new team member in no time!