5 Questions Your Job Post Should Answer

Your job postings can be an effective tool for recruiting the right candidates. Many companies, however, overlook the importance of a well-crafted job post. They simply copy and paste the job description into the job site (i.e, Indeed, Monster, etc.), and post the job. Although this is a quick way to get your job advertised, it may not yield the most effective results.

There are a few things that you can do that will make your job posting more engaging and targeted toward the talent you are looking for. Here are a few questions that your job post should answer:

1. Who are you?

Top talent is likely going to care about who they are working for. In just a few sentences, or a brief paragraph, you can tell them a little about your company. This section can offer just a summary outlining what the company does, the core values, and the mission of the company. Providing this information will help candidates to determine if this is a company they are interested in. Are they interested in the work? Do they align with the mission and values of the organization? These are very key questions for candidates to consider.

2. Who are you looking for?

You want candidates to be clear about the candidates you are seeking. You want them to be able to read this section and say “that’s me”. Let’s say you are looking for a HR Manager in a manufacturing environment. Your posting may sate something like:

“We are looking or a seasoned HR professional to join our team! Are you a seasoned HR professional with experience in a manufacturing environment? Do you have a passion for human resources, employee relations, and staff development? Are you a strategic HR business partner with the ability to lead, influence, and drive results? If so, this job may be the right fit for you.”

You want to leave the candidate saying, “yes, that’s me”, or “that’s not really what I am looking for”.

3. Why would someone want to work for you?

This is a key question to answer for a candidate. It helps if you have already identified your employee value proposition (see article on employer branding). There are a variety of things that could be included in this section. It could state something like this:

“At ABC Company, we value our employees and seek to offer a great employee experience. We offer competitive compensation and benefits and opportunities for continuous development. We understand the importance of work/life balance and strive to foster a very flexible work environment. Our benefits include: health and dental insurance, 401k, paid time off, tuition reimbursement, etc…”

This is just a simple example, but you want to make sure that you are telling a prospective employee what you have to offer them. By the time they get to the job description, you want them to say: “I want to work here”.

4. What are the job responsibilities?

This is where you get into the job description. Some job descriptions are incredibly lengthy and include a bunch of professional gibberish. When possible, try to summarize and bullet point the job responsibilities. Make it as easy to read as possible and help the employee understand what they will be doing.

5. What are the qualifications?

This is where you let the candidate know what is minimally required and what is preferred. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of getting this right. Don’t make your minimum requirements too restrictive or too loose. Ultimately, this is your filter. Anyone who doesn’t meet the minimum requirements will not be considered. Make sure that you think this through. You don’t want to unnecessarily eliminate good candidates, but you also want to be clear about the non-negotiable requirements.

After your establish the minimum requirements, lay out what you would prefer. Don’t limit the minimal or preferred requirements to experience and education. Tell the candidate about the skills that you are looking for. If you need someone who is proficient with excel, make sure that you list that. If you need someone who is able to navigate complex personnel issues, make sure that you list that. Then, use your criteria to effectively screen your candidates.

In summary, job posting can be a very effective tool for recruiting. Don’t fall into the trap of copying and pasting the job description because it is easy. Take some time to effectively advertise your job and engage with your candidates. You do not necessarily have to include all of these sections, but I believe these questions will make the posting more engaging and informative to your candidates.

You may even consider partnering with your marketing team on this effort. They may have the skillset to help craft very engaging and targeted job postings! Best wishes in your recruiting.

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