Help Wanted! (who cares?)
It’s 2016, and lots of employers are hiring. Lots. Every time I pop onto LinkedIn or Twitter, it’s filled to the brim with posts about open jobs. 99% say “We are hiring!”. It’s interesting that employers still believe that by simply posting a virtual HELP WANTED sign, that talent will respond. Is ‘HELP WANTED’ compelling to you?
This week, we are hosting a webinar and the topic is aptly named “Job Descriptions are Great Advertisements… Said No One Ever!”. Job descriptions were originally intended to be internal documents that somehow got repurposed into job postings. They are not sexy. They are not fun. They are 27 bullet points of what you’ve got to have to be considered. There’s almost no information in most job postings to help a person to know WHY they should apply… well, besides the obvious. Obvious: The company is desperate to hire a person fast. And they often attract a person who is desperate to get a paycheck fast. Until, the company realizes that person will happily trade that company in for a slightly higher paycheck. Or that person realizes that company made a mistake and trade that person in for a better person. And the process starts all over again with a new HELP WANTED post.
Come on, 2016. You’re shiny and bright. You are full of possibility. Job postings need to be better. Everyone says it. But, yet few companies improve their job postings so talent is EXCITED to apply. HELP WANTED isn’t going to cut it. It never did, but we’ve gotten away with it for so long, that lots of employers have just accepted job posting’s suckiness.
Let’s make job postings great. Share your culture and what makes your company the coolest kid on the block. Talent should be eager and excited to apply, instead of hiring the least objectionable candidate who ran the gauntlet through your application process. Culture is your best asset because it’s your unique fingerprint. Share your culture in a simple and transparent way to edge out your competition.
Written by Betsy Rowbottom, Co-founder & Chief Culture Officer
betsy@thegoodjobs.com
