How to Make Your Job Postings Seem Exciting

Employment Crossing outlines key elements that can make your job postings more successful by making them more exciting to job seekers.

Source: http://www.employmentcrossing.com/

Graphic Appeal

The Internet is a graphic medium. Sometimes, we in the HR business do not always remember the impact that the simple page layout can have on job seekers. And it is different than the newspaper business.

Include your logo wherever you can. Your logo and any unique graphics give the jobseeker the feeling that your company is important. It may sound superficial, but the way your company looks on the Net will affect the attitude of the seeker looking at your posting. Accentuate your company’s personality and image and maintain the “look and feel” that reflects the culture of your company.

Make the copy look appealing. Long paragraphs or lists that have too many entries are harder to read, especially at a computer monitor. You have the ability to include as much information as you need, but break it up in a way that is eye-catching, and make it easy for the jobseeker to find the most important elements of your job.

Some of our customers actually have a graphic artist help them out. While that may be a little extreme, the idea is that image is important.

Sell Your Company

It is easy to assume that everyone is completely familiar with you and your operation. Frequently, that isn’t true, and even when a seeker knows your name, they don’t really know what makes your company tick.

The company description quickly becomes boilerplate, copied from one posting to the next. That is probably okay, but every once in a while, it pays to take a close look at how you present your company’s unique nature. What are the key elements that a jobseeker finds out from your Internet job posting?

The section of your job posting that describes your company is a great selling opportunity. It should explain why your company is a great place to work and why it is becoming even better. Try answering at least some of the following questions:

• What are your main products and services?
• What distinguishes your company from the competition?
• What are your likely sources of growth and prosperity?
• How long do people stay at your company?
• How does this job relate to your company’s future?
• What are your company’s goals?
• What about in-house career advancement and training?
• Do you have new products or services?
• Are you growing?
• What achievements are a special source of pride to your company?

You can think of more, but you get the idea-set yourself apart. Make your company special and tell the jobseeker all about it.

Sell Your Community

I remember an old song lyric that went, “eight hours to work, eight hours to sleep, and eight hours to play.” While long hours and commuting may cut into that play time, the place where your employees live is important. You can also include one more line in your job description, and that line can tell the jobseeker what it is like to live in your neighborhood.

Community events, local websites, and anything else that makes you, your company, and your community attractive to the jobseeker is not only fair game, it helps you land the perfect applicant.

The bottom line is this: HR has evolved into a marketing function. Selling the right jobseeker is the key to your success.