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Hiring new team members can be an exciting step in building your company. For professionals searching for jobs, the first point of contact with a potential employer is a job listing. Here are some dos and don'ts for drafting the perfect job overview for the web:
Do be thorough and distinctive. No job hunter has ever said, "that job listing was too informative" but plenty have said "this is a little vague." Giving a full view of the position, responsibilities, qualifications and expectations, as well as some company history, will make yours the most intriguing opening in a sea of listings. If you post jobs on your company's website, make the listing consistent with your company's voice across the board. Mashable contributor Erica Swallow says articulating a company's personality is essential:
"When putting the job description together, choose a writing style and words that match your company's ethos," she writes. "If your business is a startup with a very distinct company culture, be sure to communicate that sentiment with the way you format your description, the words you use and the general feelings your description evokes."
On third party sites, look at comparable listings to avoid sounding generic.
Don't sound like a scam. Upstanding virtual office directors might bristle at the suggestion, but the web is rife with ads touting ways to earn $900 per week from a person's couch. Set your company apart from the too-good-to-be-true spam offers with demonstrations of legitimacy: What is your record of accomplishment? What is your mission? What are your industry bona fides?
You might also avoid sounding like a used car salesman when touting benefits and compensation. Those are certainly important factors to candidates weighing their options, but salary negotiations and benefit perks come up much later in the consideration process. Represent a level of dignity and integrity that's worthy of your company's goals.
Do be flexible. You might have some unyielding qualities in mind for the perfect candidate, but remember that the "perfect" candidate likely does not exist. Even someone who fits the bill on paper might flounder as part of your firm's team. Keep an open mind and reflect that in your listing. Someone who your listing dismisses outright as "under-qualified" might have the best eye for innovation. The Small Business Administration (SBA) says the key to courting the best and brightest is softening your hard bottom lines:
"Jobs are subject to change for personal growth, organizational development and/or evolution of new technologies," says the SBA website. "A flexible job description encourages employees to grow within their position and contribute over time to your overall business."
Don't lead with telecommuting. Explain the role and its significance to achieving your company's objectives first and foremost. Emphasizing the flex benefits as a primary feature will attract candidates who want to work from home more than they want to work for your specific firm. You want to hire people who would make a good addition to your team, regardless of the office structure.
Nonetheless, including telecommuting (as an option or a requirement) will produce the best pool of applicants who may have experience working from home. As virtual office managers know, that also presents an additional set of skills like time management and communication that are even more essential in a telecommuting operation. Represent the flex aspect as a challenge as much as it is a benefit.
These tips will help your company stand out and attract the most impressive professionals from the candidate marketplace. And when your firm needs physical space for meetings, interviews and conferences, On Point Executive Center offers exquisite office space in Tampa.