How to Write an Effective Job Posting
In our blog post yesterday, one of our 4 ways to make your online recruiting more effective was to nail your value proposition.
By that, we meant that it’s important to really communicate what’s great about your company when writing your job posting. After all–who wants to apply for a job if they’re not even interested in what the posting has to say?
In that light, writing an effective job posting is essential to recruiting the best employees. Though sometimes, this type of writing seems second nature, it’s still important to break things down so that you know why you’re marketing a job in a specific way.
Here are a few things that you should keep in mind when trying to write an interesting, effective job posting:
- Nail the value proposition. We mentioned this yesterday, but it bears repeating–be interesting! If you can convince a potential employee that the work you provide is intellectually stimulating, that your company has a great culture, and that the work will be rewarding, you’re in a great spot. Think about what makes your company unique. How do you market yourselves? You should take a similar approach in writing your job posting so that you’re actually interesting to the people reading the listing.
- Be clear about your needs. No one wants to go into an interview not knowing what to expect. You don’t need to write down every single last detail about the job, but you should be very clear about what it is that you’re looking for. If you want a web developer with 5 years of experience, say that–but don’t call it an entry-level position if you do. By being clear about exactly what you’re looking for in a new employee, you can eliminate a lot of time-wasting, both for yourself and for those reading your job posting.
- Don’t forget a good title. Just because you’re writing a job posting and not a newspaper article doesn’t mean that you can get away without a strong title. After all, the title is what they’ll see first, and you’ll only get clicks if you’re clear about what you want. Rather than saying, “Seeking New Employee for AIM,” you should say, “Seeking Web Developer with 5+ Years Experience for Non-Profit Organization in Omaha.” Describing the job position in the title makes it easier for a job seeker to find your posting.
- Write like a real person, not a robot. This is important, but it’s often an afterthought when writing a job description. Yes, it’s important to be clear about your needs and to have a good title, but it’s just as important to come across as a real human being in your posting. You shouldn’t go over-the-top, but you should let your company culture come across as much as possible in your writing. There are a lot of job descriptions out there, and the more that you can differentiate yourself by sounding like a real, relatable person, the better.
Writing a good job posting isn’t always the only thing that you have to do when you’re trying to recruit new talent to your company–but it’s definitely the best place to start.
Many employers rush through the writing of their job descriptions, which is a big mistake. You want to be as professional and detailed as possible in your job listing, and you should expect to spend as much time writing a good posting as you do on any other work-related writing project.
Those few extra minutes you spend writing and reviewing so that you can publish a quality posting will absolutely be worth it once new talent starts rolling in.
At AIM Careerlink, we’re here to help you fill your job openings with talented, dedicated employees. If you have any questions about the best ways to use the tools we provide, don’t hesitate to contact us, either through our website or on Twitter. We’re always glad to help.
