The job market is tight right now, with plenty of applicants and fewer open positions. You may have noticed you’re receiving more applications for every job you post. As a result, you might be sifting through more resumes than ever.
A number of those people may not be the right fit for the role. How can you make sure you’re finding more of the right people? Use these tips to write a job description that’s guaranteed to attract the applicants you want to find.
Use Keywords
More than ever, people are conducting their job search online. Job seekers find your posting by searching for particular terms. You might even be using technology to help you sort through the applications to receive, to see if people have the required skills.
If you want to spend less time sifting through applications, then you’ll want to make sure you’re using the right keywords. These keywords will direct more of the applicants you want to your job posting. Keywords also help applicants determine if they’re a good fit for the role or not.
Finally, the right keywords assist you when it’s time to sort through those applications.
Narrow Down Your List of Skills
When you write a job description, it’s tempting to list out every skill you want the applicant to have. You may include plenty of vague skills as well.
Unfortunately, this has the effect of making job seekers believe they might be a good fit. With such a lengthy list of skills, they’re encouraged to apply, because they have at least some of those skills, especially the vague ones.
The end result is many more applications in your inbox, and not necessarily from the people you want to hire. Using a shorter list of more specific skills will narrow the field. This more defined list encourages applicants with those skills to apply, while encouraging others to self-select out of the application process.
That means you end up with more applications from people you want to talk to, and fewer from those you’re not looking for.
Express Your Employer Brand
Your next goal is to express your employer brand to potential applicants. What does your company value?
This is a way of finding people who are a good match for your company culture. If you often value teamwork and collaboration, someone who thrives in a hyper-competitive environment may find it difficult to work with your company. They might have all the right skills, but knowing about your company culture and company brand will help them decide if you’re the right fit for them.
In turn, you only hear from candidates who are likely to have both the skills and the attitude to fill this role.
Ask Your Current Employees
As the hiring manager or small business owner, you may not have the most insight into what skills are needed for this role. It’s a great idea to ask your current employees. Ask people who are in this role, and ask others who work with them what skills they see as being helpful.
Doing this will give you better insight into what the candidate really needs to succeed in this role.
Be Engaging
A lot of job descriptions just aren’t engaging. That can make the candidates you’re actually searching for scroll right on by. You’ll want to make the job sound exciting and appealing.
Just be careful about using superlatives or “quirky” titles like “marketing ninja”. Those titles can discourage even qualified candidates from applying.
Get the Word Out about Your Jobs
Once you’ve written a stellar job description, you need to get the word out. That’s where teaming up with us can help. We use a wide network to get your job posting in front of more qualified candidates, so you can find the people you’re looking for sooner.
Ready to hire? Get in touch with Liberty Staffing Services today!
