1THE BUSY RECRUITER’S GUIDE TO A GREAT JOB POSTING IN 30 MINUTES OR LESS

THE AVERAGE JOB SEEKER SPENDS LESS THAN 30 SECONDS REVIEWING A JOB POSTING.

That’s barely enough time to heat a cup of coffee in the microwave. And that’s all the time you have to make your job posting stand apart from the pack! We’ll show you how to grab job seekers’ attention so they’re compelled to apply or research further if they’re a good match.

Why should you care about taking your job posting up a notch? Eighty-five percent of employers agree that a weak job description can result in a negative perception of the job and company, while 81 percent agree that a strong description can result in more qualified candidates being interested.

More qualified, interested candidates = more of your open positions filled by great people, faster.

So if you’re like the 9 in 10 employers who spend less than an hour creating a job posting description, we get it — you’re a busy professional and it’s hard to find the time. That’s why we’ve put together this simple guide for you to write an effective job posting while still adding some time back to your day.

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Start with a relevant job title. Suppress the urge to spice up your job title with terms like “rock star” or “visionary.” In addition to being meaningless, it lowers the likelihood that your posting will show up in organic search results because the candidates you want probably aren’t searching for such gimmicky names.

Clearly state what you’re looking for. A recent job seeker poll showed that one of the top factors that piqued job seekers’ interest level in a job was detailed job qualifications. So don’t waste your time or theirs: Clearly outline what’s needed to get the job done.

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Tell a compelling story. If you had to make an elevator pitch to your ideal candidate, what would it be? Put yourself in the shoes of job seekers for a moment to understand what they may be thinking, feeling and searching for — and target your job posting to what would appeal to them.

What’s so great about the work? It’s not enough to communicate your fabulous perks and awesome culture; it’s important to also give candidates a realistic taste of the type of work they’ll be doing, should they get hired. Think beyond the day-to-day tasks they’ll be expected to perform — those aren’t really going to get anyone clamoring for a spot at your company. Pick one or two larger responsibilities they’ll be tasked with and highlight the impact you expect the role to have on the business and industry at large.

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Optimize your description by adding the right keywords. You can use the skills list to clearly identify what skills a candidate should have when they apply. This list will also help your job posting show up when candidates search for keywords.

Don’t ignore the compensation section. Salary ranks high on the list of what job seekers look for in a job posting, so try to include a salary range instead of leaving it blank. Even you choose to not show your salary information in the job posting, you can enter a salary range and select the check box so it’s not public. Doing so will at least enable your job posting to come up as a search result when candidates search for job postings that match your information.

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Select the appropriate job category and industry. This will help your job posting come up in accurate search results. You can select up to three for each section if you want to be more specific.

Use video to create stronger engagement and differentiate from competitors. Put on your sales hat. What makes your organization special that your competitors don’t offer (or that you just do better)? The more specific, the better. Whatever it is — free on-site massages, discounted vending machine options, employee book clubs, on-site yoga sessions, varied lunch options in the vicinity — focus your energies on conveying one or two specific advantages to show what really differentiates you from the competition.

Don’t underestimate great design: An aesthetically pleasing visual has the power to draw attention to whatever you’re promoting — and the same applies to your job postings. It’s an opportunity to show off your company’s fun, quirky or unique culture and, if done right, can give job seekers an inside peek at what it’s like to work there.