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Janet H. Cho
You've got the perfect job for the right candidate, a great position with an attractive salary and am ple opportunity for growth.
Now comes the hard part: Finding the perfect employee.
How do you write that all-important job posting? You want to cast a wide-enough net to draw a large pool of qualified applicants, but you also don't want to spend the next two weeks wading through hundreds of mediocre candidates to find the real gems.
The best way to reel in top candidates is to know in advance what you're fishing for. The more details you include about the skills and qualifications you're seeking, the greater your chances of luring the "keepers."
Employment experts say it's simply not enough to have a great job opening. In today's competitive job market, job postings not only must pitch the job, they also have to sell the company.
All in less space than you have on most postcards.
"The first thing they've got to do is be honest," said Kevin Harty, chairman and professor of English at La Salle University in Philadelphia.
"I've seen job ads that seem to want everything: They want someone to teach English, coach the basketball team and drive the president's kids to school. "And then they turn around and offer them $20,000 a year."
Patti Flauto, a human resources consultant with the Employers Resource Council in Mayfield, said the listing should:
Outline the key duties of the position.
Give specific education, skills and experience requirements.
Avoid company jargon that outsiders might not understand.
Promote the best qualities of the company and the position.
"Try to put yourself in the shoes of the job seeker," she said, and consider what they'd want to know. "Answer the questions: Why would I want this job and why would I want to work for this company?"
Talking about your city's good schools or low cost of living can also make your company more attractive to out-of-towners, Harty said. "Some people want cultural activities or sports teams. Some people could care less. Some people want a vacation town within easy reach. Some people could care less."
In some cases, honest descriptions can also weed out people who might not fit in, he said. "I grew up in the streets of New York. I would never be happy living in Wyoming."
Creative postings
Job openings posted on the Internet or in mass media publications must be more imaginative to stand out, said Dave Hickman, managing partner of HirePursuit, a recruitment outsourcing firm in Indianapolis.
You need to say more than "We're not just another XYZ company," he said. "Would that catch someone's attention?"
Job hunters aren't just looking for a longer title or a bigger salary, they're looking for a place they can imagine calling home.
Smart companies know that attracting the best candidates means giving them a reason to want to work there over the competition. Lazy companies, on the other hand, spit out cookie-cut ter job descriptions and expect candidates to come to them.
With any new job, there has to be what Hickman calls a 'cultural fit' between the applicant and the firm. And the best way to convey that is by trumpeting the company's values, such as "innovation," "passion" or "creativity."
"Talk about the environment that people will work or live in," he said. "That's what catches people's attention."
Fishing for diversity
Companies looking to hire women and minori ties used to simply in clude a line in their postings saying, "We are an equal opportunity employer."
But businesses have gotten consid erably more so phisticated about recruiting minor ity candidates. Firms whose core values include diversity and inclusive ness are quick to point that out in their job listings. Oth ers list indus try awards they've won for the diversity of their workforce as proof of their com mitment to promo tion and retention.
Both men and women are drawn to companies that encour age employees to maintain a healthy work- life balance by offering flexible work hours, telecommuting and job-sharing. Such companies have a competitive edge in hiring.
"If you have aspec ts of the city that would appeal to minorities or women, I would definitely mention that," said Janet Reid, principal of Global Lead Manage ment Consulting Inc., a Cincin nati- based consulting group that specializes in diversity recruiting. Mentioning that your co mp any's headquarters is in the city that is also home to the National Un derground Railroad Freedom Center implies there are other cultural amenities that may interest black employees.
Just as important as what you say to potential minority applicants is where you post the job, Flauto said.
Seek out Web sites, industry association job boards and bulletin boards in minority neighborhoods to reach a more diverse audience.
Companies pursuing minority candidates might also attend meetings of professional groups such as the National Black MBA Association.
Some companies have even offered jobs on the spot to candidat es who are being heavily recruited by several firms, which makes a powerful impression, Reid said.
Bad impressions
Executive recruiter Laurie Mitchell, president of Laurie Mitchell & Co. Marketing Communications Executive Search in Beachwood, said too many people ignore the chance to tout their company in job postings.
"Most of them are written by human resources people who use poor grammar," she said. "They're usually poorly written, which creates a bad image for the company. They're usually very long and inarticulate and do not create excitement in the mind of the candidate. They use pretty stilted language. They're not titillating, and they're not interesting."
The best way to get around the limited number of words in most job listings is by referring candidates to your company's Web site, where you can elaborate on the job, as well as offer fascinating tidbits about how great your workplace is.
A Web site can also include persuasive testimonials from employees, which may reinforce what the company is touting in its job listings.
"Competition for top talent is very fierce," Reid said. "The best tool for attracting minorities and women is a phenomenal track record of retaining minorities and women. If you've got a great track record of attracting and retaining the best people, people are going to be knocking on your door."
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:
jcho@plaind.com, 216-999-5069
© 2005 The Plain Dealer © 2005 cleveland.com All Rights Reserved
Executive Search | Recruitment Process Outsourcing | Contract Staffing | College Recruiting | Site Map
This site is optimized for 1024x768 resolution and Internet Explorer.
Copyright © 2010 PrincetonOne
Perfect Employee
September 12, 2005
Janet H. Cho
You've got the perfect job for the right candidate, a great position with an attractive salary and am ple opportunity for growth.
Now comes the hard part: Finding the perfect employee.
How do you write that all-important job posting? You want to cast a wide-enough net to draw a large pool of qualified applicants, but you also don't want to spend the next two weeks wading through hundreds of mediocre candidates to find the real gems.
The best way to reel in top candidates is to know in advance what you're fishing for. The more details you include about the skills and qualifications you're seeking, the greater your chances of luring the "keepers."
Employment experts say it's simply not enough to have a great job opening. In today's competitive job market, job postings not only must pitch the job, they also have to sell the company.
All in less space than you have on most postcards.
"The first thing they've got to do is be honest," said Kevin Harty, chairman and professor of English at La Salle University in Philadelphia.
"I've seen job ads that seem to want everything: They want someone to teach English, coach the basketball team and drive the president's kids to school. "And then they turn around and offer them $20,000 a year."
Patti Flauto, a human resources consultant with the Employers Resource Council in Mayfield, said the listing should:
Outline the key duties of the position.
Give specific education, skills and experience requirements.
Avoid company jargon that outsiders might not understand.
Promote the best qualities of the company and the position.
"Try to put yourself in the shoes of the job seeker," she said, and consider what they'd want to know. "Answer the questions: Why would I want this job and why would I want to work for this company?"
Talking about your city's good schools or low cost of living can also make your company more attractive to out-of-towners, Harty said. "Some people want cultural activities or sports teams. Some people could care less. Some people want a vacation town within easy reach. Some people could care less."
In some cases, honest descriptions can also weed out people who might not fit in, he said. "I grew up in the streets of New York. I would never be happy living in Wyoming."
Creative postings
Job openings posted on the Internet or in mass media publications must be more imaginative to stand out, said Dave Hickman, managing partner of HirePursuit, a recruitment outsourcing firm in Indianapolis.
You need to say more than "We're not just another XYZ company," he said. "Would that catch someone's attention?"
Job hunters aren't just looking for a longer title or a bigger salary, they're looking for a place they can imagine calling home.
Smart companies know that attracting the best candidates means giving them a reason to want to work there over the competition. Lazy companies, on the other hand, spit out cookie-cut ter job descriptions and expect candidates to come to them.
With any new job, there has to be what Hickman calls a 'cultural fit' between the applicant and the firm. And the best way to convey that is by trumpeting the company's values, such as "innovation," "passion" or "creativity."
"Talk about the environment that people will work or live in," he said. "That's what catches people's attention."
Fishing for diversity
Companies looking to hire women and minori ties used to simply in clude a line in their postings saying, "We are an equal opportunity employer."
But businesses have gotten consid erably more so phisticated about recruiting minor ity candidates. Firms whose core values include diversity and inclusive ness are quick to point that out in their job listings. Oth ers list indus try awards they've won for the diversity of their workforce as proof of their com mitment to promo tion and retention.
Both men and women are drawn to companies that encour age employees to maintain a healthy work- life balance by offering flexible work hours, telecommuting and job-sharing. Such companies have a competitive edge in hiring.
"If you have aspec ts of the city that would appeal to minorities or women, I would definitely mention that," said Janet Reid, principal of Global Lead Manage ment Consulting Inc., a Cincin nati- based consulting group that specializes in diversity recruiting. Mentioning that your co mp any's headquarters is in the city that is also home to the National Un derground Railroad Freedom Center implies there are other cultural amenities that may interest black employees.
Just as important as what you say to potential minority applicants is where you post the job, Flauto said.
Seek out Web sites, industry association job boards and bulletin boards in minority neighborhoods to reach a more diverse audience.
Companies pursuing minority candidates might also attend meetings of professional groups such as the National Black MBA Association.
Some companies have even offered jobs on the spot to candidat es who are being heavily recruited by several firms, which makes a powerful impression, Reid said.
Bad impressions
Executive recruiter Laurie Mitchell, president of Laurie Mitchell & Co. Marketing Communications Executive Search in Beachwood, said too many people ignore the chance to tout their company in job postings.
"Most of them are written by human resources people who use poor grammar," she said. "They're usually poorly written, which creates a bad image for the company. They're usually very long and inarticulate and do not create excitement in the mind of the candidate. They use pretty stilted language. They're not titillating, and they're not interesting."
The best way to get around the limited number of words in most job listings is by referring candidates to your company's Web site, where you can elaborate on the job, as well as offer fascinating tidbits about how great your workplace is.
A Web site can also include persuasive testimonials from employees, which may reinforce what the company is touting in its job listings.
"Competition for top talent is very fierce," Reid said. "The best tool for attracting minorities and women is a phenomenal track record of retaining minorities and women. If you've got a great track record of attracting and retaining the best people, people are going to be knocking on your door."
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:
jcho@plaind.com, 216-999-5069
© 2005 The Plain Dealer © 2005 cleveland.com All Rights Reserved
Executive Search | Recruitment Process Outsourcing | Contract Staffing | College Recruiting | Site Map
This site is optimized for 1024x768 resolution and Internet Explorer.
Copyright © 2010 PrincetonOne