Write Job Descriptions That Land Great Hires

So let’s dive right in!

Some Stats that you should know

On slide 5, they give us some really great stats about what employees are looking for, and how much time most people spend on the job.

• 80% of Americans spend an extra day each week working after hours
(those extra minutes and hours through the week REALLY add up)

• 77% say that company culture is just as important to them as salary
(they want to love what they do each day, and who they do it for)

• Most of the world spends 1/3 of their lives at work!
(that’s A LOT of time, so it’s no wonder that culture is so important)

• 61% say they’ve found a new job in different ways than they expected
(which just goes to show how the landscape is changing when it comes to hiring)

Then on slide 6, we take a look at the top 5 things that job-seekers are looking for in a new position before they accept a job offer.  They review: Salary & Compensation, Career Growth Opportunities, Work-Life Balance, Location & Commute, Company Culture & Values.

#1 It’s important to customize job descriptions for specific roles

In Slides 9 and 10, they give some insight into customizing descriptions for specific roles.

For example:  78% of software engineers say that they top reason they would leave their job is salary and compensation.  So if you were writing a job description for them, it would be important to outline things like raise schedules and requirements, bonuses or profit sharing arrangements, and any other items that would affect their monetary compensation initially and throughout the course of their employment with you.

Another example: 78% of sales professionals said they would accept less money to work at a company selling something compelling.  In their job description, you would want to give them an idea of what the product is that they sell and how it benefits the people they will be expected to.

#2 How to appeal to millennials

Millennials have slightly different desires in their jobs than what most companies are used to dealing with.  For example, 42% of Baby Boomers said workers should stay with an employer for at least 5 years without looking for a new job, but only 13% of millennials agreed with them! (slide 13)

So to attract them, you have to do things a little differently.  Their top concerns center around growth opportunities, retirement benefits, and company culture. (slide 12)

Most of them also hear about companies through friends and job boards too (slide 14), so it’s important to make sure that you make it easy for employees to recommend friends for open positions and post positions on job boards online.

#3 why being mobile-optimized is important

A significant number of people do their research into companies online from mobile devices before they put in an application or accept a position.  Have you tested your own site to see how it looks on mobile devices?  Do you know what their experience is?  Is it favorable?

You also need to double-check your social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, etc) and make sure all of your company profile information is filled out completely and correctly.

#4 realistic descriptions attract qualified candidates

96% of candidates say it’s important to work for a company that embraces transparency. (slide 20)

So it’s worth taking the time to ensure that your job descriptions make it clear what is expecting of the candidate if they accept the position they are applying for at your company.  Check out slides 25-33 for more examples of these main points.

• Leave out the fluff
• Communicate the skills, qualities, and values that you expect from a person in this role
• Address your company culture
• Don’t skip over the less glamorous details of the job – they need to know the good and the bad to make a decision to choose your company.  This is for your benefit as well since they will be more likely to fit what you want and stay with you longer.

#5 Prevent buyer’s remorse

Over half of the employees interviewed said that the reality of the job is different from expectations they were given during the interview process.

In another article from Glassdoor, they review a survey conducted by Harris Interactive that expanded on that even further and said 65% of men, and 56% of women felt that way.  So men actually fall victim to this more than women do.

Employers and job candidates both have a responsibility to make sure the interview process sets the right expectations.  To help facilitate this, they recommend that:

1. You ensure every persion interviewing a candidate has a clear role.
2. You engage in social technology.  For example – previous and current employees can review your company on sights like Glassdoor.  You have the opportunity to respond to those reviews and provide additional information.
3. Engage with the candidate before and after the interview so that the in-person interview isn’t your only form of conversation with them.
4. Let your employees help explain their opinions of what it’s like to work at your company.
5. Be honest.  Don’t just share the good stuff about working for you.  It’s important that they know the less glamorous details of the job they are being asked to do as well.

Check out the full slideshow

Job Descriptions That Land You Great Hires from Glassdoor