You know how hard it is to find the right person for the job. In today’s labor market, you’re competing with a lot of other employers for entry-level positions. In particular, when you are working with young people, you’re not just selling them on your company, but your entire industry. Employee retention is difficult, but it all starts with a great job description.
So what do we do?
Let’s begin with a framing question: if you’re trying to convince a promising candidate that they should put their name in for the job, where are you going to start? What do you need to do to sell your company to them?
Tip #1:
Start with the positives.
A good place to start is to talk about what they’ll get by working for you. You’ve reviewed resumes before, so you know that when you’re looking through a stack of resumes, you’ve only got 30 seconds to get a good impression. Now think the same way with your job description.
Include a high-level summary of job duties and immediately describe why somebody should want to work for you. One of the first things that you learn in sales is that people will only buy if they see the value. This is your sales pitch for candidates, and it’s a great time for a great first impression. Show them the value that they’ll get out of working with you.
Tip #2:
Highlight the intangible benefits, especially upward mobility.
Tip #3:
Eliminate unnecessary steps.
Technology, at its best, makes things simpler.
Save yourself time, save your candidates time, and use the application process only to gather critical information.
Tip #4:
Be realistic.
This will help you find candidates that are a better fit for the position and for the company. Let them know exactly what the role consists of. No sugar coating. If there is room to advance, be sure to make them aware. If career growth is not an option within your company, that’s ok but tell them what other valuable skills or benefits they will get out of working for your company.
Tip #5:
Forget jargon.
Plain language is best. You don’t want to confuse candidates and turn them away by using language in your description that they may not understand. Your description should be very clear with summarizing the responsibilities, qualifications and skills.
Bonus Tip:
Still having problems with getting the right candidates in the door? It might be time to consider your pay rates. When you are hiring entry-level and early-career, you’re not just competing with other employers in your industry. You’re competing with every entry-level job posting out there.
