Want to know a recruiter’s greatest fears? Writing an ineffective job description. Imagine this, a recruiter just posted a job listing to their website and they have hundreds of applications coming in. However, only a handful of those applicants are actually qualified for the job. A small percentage of those applicants are actually interview-worthy. Meanwhile, the recruiter is trying to figure out why he/she is having so many underqualified applicants applying. He/she reviews the job description to see what exactly is causing the problem. Come to find out that the problem is that the job description is actually inaccurate. Take it from us, your job description is not a place where you want mistakes to live. We’re going to provide you with a few pointers on how to make all your job descriptions polished.
Always make the job description current.
One of the biggest reasons why some recruiters aren’t creating new, fresh, and updated job descriptions is that they’re using the same layout for every single listing. Don’t continuously allow yourself to get caught into this foul practice as it just doesn’t work. Keep in mind that job positions develop over time and that’s what job applicants want to see. Be sure to include as much information as possible about what is to be expected of the new hire. Top talent will be attracted to your listing when they know exactly what they are facing and how they can grow with your company over the next few months or years. Recruiters will write the job description based on what the business currently needs from the position as well as benefits to the applicant. That way there are no misunderstandings about what is expected of the new hire.
You need to be specific about everything.
Every little detail matters in your job description. This is another reason why many job descriptions attract the wrong candidates because sometimes recruiters can be too vague on their job descriptions. Your job description should include what is expected of the job right now, and how it will evolve over time leaving no room for confusion and absolutely no room for interpretation. Have you ever taken a second to think about your applicants? Do you ever wonder what’s going through your applicants’ minds when they’re applying for these jobs of yours? The common thought that comes to an applicant’s mind when they come across listings that are vague is – “I might be a good fit for this job.” This is a big no-no! If an applicant isn’t qualified for the job then they should know right away. Let’s face it, if you are vague and only put 2 requirements on the description then you are misleading them to think that they are qualified when in reality they actually aren’t as it relates to what you left out. To avoid this from happening, you may want to look into a staffing firm. Recruiters at a staffing firm won’t mislead people. They are experts at job descriptions because they get hundreds of applicants a day for several different positions. They understand that it is a waste of time to attract unqualified candidates and have to look at all of those resumes.
Show the personal qualities needed for the position.
Once you have made the job description current and are specific about everything required you then want to include some personal qualities. After all, the person who’s actually going to complete the job is actually going to be a person. It’s one thing to have an applicant that has all the professional qualities but it’s important that the person has the personal qualities needed in order to perform that job to standards as well. Personal qualities such as professionalism, attention to detail, and excellent communication skills are great to include. Personal qualities along with professional qualities will result in a better applicant pool.
The actual worry about writing an effective job description can be a little scary especially when you don’t have anyone that can effectively perform this task. But, that’s why staffing firms like us exit. At Athena, we provide job descriptions that accurately convey what the position entails and attract only the best for your business. Plus, we have an entire Jobs Search page on our site with current listings. You can learn more about our staffing services here and if you are ready to get started, send us an email.
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