Are Your Job Descriptions Scaring Away the Best Talent?

It’s a dark and stormy night. Hundreds of candidates are reading your job descriptions right now, but the hair is standing up on the back of their necks. Why are they spooked by what they see on the page? It’s not ghosts or ghouls; it’s the job description itself. Are you scaring away the best talent with your descriptions? Here’s why and what you can do about it.

It’s Too Long and Technical

Just like resumes shouldn’t be more than one or two pages, job descriptions should also be short and easy to understand. You may think that adding a lot of technical jargon will weed out people without experience, but it may even scare off those who have the skills you need. When a job description is too long and too dense, many people will stop reading before they ever apply.

It Doesn’t Give Them Incentive

You need to provide potential candidates a good motivation for applying. Sure, they may be looking for a job and you think that’s incentive enough, but there’s more that will attract top talent. What’s in it for them? Talk about the reasons why someone might love a job in your company.

The Headline is Boring

We know, in this world of social media, that headlines matter. There’s even an entire category of headline known as “clickbait” which encourages people to click on articles that may or may not have the substance promised. We aren’t suggesting you create over the top headlines, but you should make headlines exciting and relevant to the post to entice job seekers to read more.

It Doesn’t Provide the Essential Details

While you don’t want to drone on about too much unnecessary information, you also need to be sure to include the most essential details. Any requirements that are dealbreakers need to be mentioned along with overall expectations and, most importantly, how to apply. This can include contact information but also the specific way in which you want someone to submit their resume.

It Doesn’t Show Your Personality

Finally, your job description shouldn’t just be a laundry list of job requirements, it should showcase what’s best about you and your company. What makes you stand out from your competition? What’s special about your office culture or environment. You don’t just want qualified employees to apply; you want the best employees for your company to apply.

Do you need help hiring top talent in the Dallas area?

Contact CornerStone Staffing to start the conversation on how we can assist with your hiring needs in Dallas, Texas, and Phoenix AZ.

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