A job description is such a perfunctory part of recruiting a candidate that it’s easy to overlook its importance. But if you stop and think about it, a job description is often your first point of contact with a potential candidate. Therefore, it’s imperative to take the time and effort to create one that not only effectively sells the position but reflects well on your company. Follow these tips to ensure that your job descriptions are solid and targeted to attract the right audience.
Assume You’re the Candidate
Ask yourself what’s the first thing that would grab your attention if you were considering the position. Enticing qualified candidates is the most important objective, as nothing else matters if it’s not achieved. Use captivating headlines that will speak to and stir interest in the type of candidates you are looking to find. To gather good ideas, ask a few of your recent hires what sold them on your company.
What to Say and How to Say It
Go beyond listing staid requirements and responsibilities and use buzzwords and language that will perk up the audience you want to reach. Consider telling a story, when appropriate, as stories lure people in and resonate more powerfully than facts. Make sure your job description achieves its objective quickly. It needs to entice and inform a candidate, not overwhelm them. Making use of subheadings, short paragraphs and bullet points can help achieve this.
Be Realistic
Touting the benefits of working for your company is important to attract top talent, but a good job description paints an accurate picture of the job and the expectations. Articulate the benchmarks a person would need to accomplish at certain time intervals. High achievers are motivated by challenges and thrive on knowing how their work will make an impact on a company. In addition, offer a snapshot of your company’s culture. By doing so, you are more likely to recruit candidates who will fit in.
Enlist an Executive Search Firm
In addition to working with you on the core competencies of a position, a recruiter can help you craft an effective job description. As experts at the hiring process, we have data and experience in knowing which accomplishments and accolades will likely lead to success in a certain position.
Remember, in most cases you’re asking someone to leave what they know—their current job—for an unknown opportunity. People in general are averse to change. The more compelling your job description is, the more qualified candidates you’ll attract, thus greatly increasing your chances of landing a great hire.
Attract top talent to your organization by partnering with a payments recruiting firm. IMPACT Payments Recruiting’s experienced recruitment consultants at IMPACT have been working with some of the most premier payments companies in the industry for more than a decade to connect them with top talent for high-level positions. Our recruiting team is comprised of former payments industry professionals, so we have an in-depth understanding of how to target and evaluate candidates for your hiring needs. Learn more about IMPACT – contact us today.
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