At the Future of Recruiting Summit, I gave a talk on How to Write Compelling Job Postings. Here’s a list of key points I covered and some resources where you can learn more about this topic.
The how: Mobile is taking over
61% of job descriptions were completed on a mobile device in 2020 (HRDive). Candidates’ attention spans (and their screens) are getting smaller. They don’t have the patience to read lengthy job descriptions.
What this means for you: Keep your job descriptions short and sweet. Textio recommends keeping job descriptions in the 400–600 word range. You might even want to keep them under 250 words if you’re planning to share the entire description on social media.
The what & why: Connecting to a purpose
9 out of 10 people are willing to earn less money to do more meaningful work (Harvard Business Review). You’ve probably heard about the Great Resignation. The pandemic has caused employees to rethink their jobs and motivated them to look for companies and roles that are more aligned with their values.
What this means for you: You need to really know your candidates. What motivates and excites them? If you don’t know how to answer this question, talk to people who are currently in that role or in a similar one. Ask them why they’re passionate about their job and be sure to include some of that language in your job description.
The who: Being inclusive
76% of candidates say a diverse workforce is an important factor when evaluating companies and job offers (Glassdoor). Companies are strengthened by diversity (McKinsey does a lot of powerful research on this) and candidates want to work in a place where people from different backgrounds are welcomed.
What this means for you: Job descriptions are one of the first places where you can communicate your company’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I). You can do this with inclusive language, inclusivity statements, and by sharing salary ranges and non-negotiation policies. Want to learn more about these topics? The Textio blog is a great resource on inclusive language. I’ve written about inclusivity statements on the Greenhouse blog in this post, Writing an equal opportunity employer statement? Here’s some inspiration. This blog post by the CEO of Magoosh explains their non-negotiation policy.
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