How to Write a Job Posting That Attracts the Right Candidates

Networking Guide
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Here’s how to write a job posting that increases visibility and attracts the best applicants.

Like any other aspect of your job, soliciting applicants for an open option position at your business or organization requires a plan of attack. You want to attract serious, viable candidates so you don’t waste valuable time wading through a slew of unsuitable applications. Here are six ways you can improve job postings so they are more effective.

1. Make sure your job description is clear, targeted — and short. You want to attract top talent that is the right fit for the position and have lots of great options to choose from. But if the candidate is an astronaut and you’re hiring an engineer, although it might be fun to have them in the office, it’s not going to work. Make sure your listing is clear and targeted to precisely what you need. Also, make it short and sweet; research shows that posts 300 words or less receive more applications than longer ones.

2. Tell candidates the role they’d play in your organization. Don’t make the listing all about your company; make it about the applicant, too, such as what attributes they should possess to succeed in this role. You may want to include some info about what kind of career track they can expect to be on and then sprinkle in a few details about the culture they’ll be entering. This will flesh out some answers they may need to determine if they want to apply. But make the post a two-way street — this is the beginning of a new relationship, after all — so, put your organization’s best foot forward by sharing a bit of what you can offer them as well as some of what you’ll expect in return.

3. Make sure you’re in the right place. Where do you plan to post your job opportunity? Before you go to your company’s usual places, do some research and make sure a pool of the kind of candidates you want to attract won’t miss it. There may be new industry-specific portals or social media options in addition to the traditional places your company usually posts. These more niche opportunities can help you find your target audience.

4. Publish the salary and benefits. Don’t be shy about sharing information about pay. You can make it a ballpark window rather than a fixed number, but being upfront about salary, benefits, time off, etc., will weed out a lot of candidates right out of the gate and save you time in the long run.

Attracting the right candidates is critical to the success of your team.

5. Post your job early in the week. Yes, it’s true that we all lose steam as the work week chugs along, so post your notice as early in the week as you can. First thing Monday morning isn’t too soon to get started. Make your appeal to all those punctual and determined professionals, one of whom you’d be happy to welcome as a new colleague.

6. Offer a snapshot of your company’s culture. Increasingly, workers — especially younger generations — want to get a sense of your company’s culture and that it would be a good fit for both parties. Does your organization embrace an entrepreneurial, all-hands-on-deck spirit? Does it value diversity and work to create an equitable and inclusive environment? Are traditional work hours expected so that teams can collaborate in real time, or is flextime and communication via email and other digital channels the norm?

Looking for Qualified Candidates?

The Bear Down Network can help you find the best fit for your organization. Create a winning job posting on the Alumni Job Board today.