All those recruiters out there will agree with me that the a Job Posting, if you are using a Job Portal or a social media, is the first thing that candidates get to see about a job. It can be a tedious task to screen through hundreds of resumes that you receive in response to a job posting.
While the fact remains that many candidates apply to a job posting without going through all the details mentioned, the importance of a job posting cannot be diluted. As a recruiter, you would want those exactly fitting profile to apply to your posting. And, to achieve this, it is imperative that the job posting gives precise details about the job so as to help me the candidate see a match between the job description & his/her skills.
Most job portals have a prescribed form that a recruiter has to simply fill in. So your job is slightly made easier here. However, you get to decide what information goes in these blanks. Posting a job is mostly a routine task for us & so we as recruiters may tend to not give this task the importance it deserves. I am sure quite a few of us can fill them up without looking at our computer screens ;) Let us simply pause here & re-look at this step.
Use simple words -
As a job seeker, I want to apply to a job that spells out the job description in the way that I would spell out mine or for the one that I want. This is especially important to note since all job seekers may not be aware of the jargon that we HR geeks use. So do not make the job seem complicated by using jargons or difficult terms. Use the popularly used terms in the industry to describe the job. You may stress on the most important responsibilities of the position if you wish to highlight the seniority or high accountability of the job.
Keep it concise -
A job role can involve a number of responsibilities. Priorities the responsibilities & if there seem to be too many choose the most important ones so as to list down not more than 6-7 of these. If it seems difficult to so so, try clubbing the ones that seem supplementary & strike out the obvious ones. Neatly put down responsibilities help job seekers match their skills easily. Also, it helps understanding the scope of the position & key accountables.
Some details to never miss -
There are a few mention details that a recruiter must never miss, they are
Years if experience - Give a decent range more like 8-10 years & not 8-12 years, there can be a huge difference in the level of exposure that a 8 year experienced candidate has as compared to that of a candidate with 12 years of experience. In my opinion, it is not fair to compare their skills & experience. It is always a good idea to clarify this with the Hiring Manager. Also, once decided stick to this number. I see a lot of job postings which give a different requirement of experience in the title & the description.
Qualification - If there is a specific qualification that you are looking at, do mention it. If there is a generic qualification, like any bachelors degree still mention it.
Exact Designation - Designation for a particular job is as important as the job description. Many a times, the designation itself gives an idea of the exact job. For Ex, Manager - HR, unless specified otherwise would mean that the role requires managing a team. Having a small range of experience also helps here, you can stick to one designation & need not pass over the uncertainity to the candidate. As a recruiter, I would never prefer to tell a candidate that you will be hired as a Asst Manager if you have 5 years of experience & as a Manager if you have years of experience, FOR THE SAME ROLE. This gives a very wrong impression & shows confusion on the hiring managers/Organisations part.
Candidate Profile - This part describes the kind of candidate that would be a right fit for the job. Again, keep it concise. It is okay to list down some essential soft skills also here along with the personality traits required.
Job Location - This is by far the first filter that most candidates would use while looking or searching for jobs. It is very very important to mention the name of the city that this position will be stationed at. Also, in additional details, specify if you are okay with outstation candidates who are open to relocate applying for the job. Most job portals have this filter inbuilt.
Highlight the major aspects of the Job-
If the job requires frequent travelling, overseas travelling, managing team across locations etc, it is certainly a good idea to mention these in BOLD. There are quite a few implicit requirements that become clear with such details. For Ex - you need to have a passport !!
Keep the target audience in mind -
While posting a job, remember that you are advertising. Just like a TV commercial, your ad has to appeal to the audience that you intend to target. Make sure you make the job opening sound interesting & challenging, ofcourse without faking it.
I have a strong belief that all recruiters have their own style of recruiting, sometimes varying & other times consistent. We all innovate in our own small ways. It is of utmost importance for us to reflect professionalism & give an impression that this is serious business.
However, I do hope most of you can relate to these details I've jotted & are smiling reading them :)
While the fact remains that many candidates apply to a job posting without going through all the details mentioned, the importance of a job posting cannot be diluted. As a recruiter, you would want those exactly fitting profile to apply to your posting. And, to achieve this, it is imperative that the job posting gives precise details about the job so as to help me the candidate see a match between the job description & his/her skills.
Most job portals have a prescribed form that a recruiter has to simply fill in. So your job is slightly made easier here. However, you get to decide what information goes in these blanks. Posting a job is mostly a routine task for us & so we as recruiters may tend to not give this task the importance it deserves. I am sure quite a few of us can fill them up without looking at our computer screens ;) Let us simply pause here & re-look at this step.
Use simple words -
As a job seeker, I want to apply to a job that spells out the job description in the way that I would spell out mine or for the one that I want. This is especially important to note since all job seekers may not be aware of the jargon that we HR geeks use. So do not make the job seem complicated by using jargons or difficult terms. Use the popularly used terms in the industry to describe the job. You may stress on the most important responsibilities of the position if you wish to highlight the seniority or high accountability of the job.
Keep it concise -
A job role can involve a number of responsibilities. Priorities the responsibilities & if there seem to be too many choose the most important ones so as to list down not more than 6-7 of these. If it seems difficult to so so, try clubbing the ones that seem supplementary & strike out the obvious ones. Neatly put down responsibilities help job seekers match their skills easily. Also, it helps understanding the scope of the position & key accountables.
Some details to never miss -
There are a few mention details that a recruiter must never miss, they are
Years if experience - Give a decent range more like 8-10 years & not 8-12 years, there can be a huge difference in the level of exposure that a 8 year experienced candidate has as compared to that of a candidate with 12 years of experience. In my opinion, it is not fair to compare their skills & experience. It is always a good idea to clarify this with the Hiring Manager. Also, once decided stick to this number. I see a lot of job postings which give a different requirement of experience in the title & the description.
Qualification - If there is a specific qualification that you are looking at, do mention it. If there is a generic qualification, like any bachelors degree still mention it.
Exact Designation - Designation for a particular job is as important as the job description. Many a times, the designation itself gives an idea of the exact job. For Ex, Manager - HR, unless specified otherwise would mean that the role requires managing a team. Having a small range of experience also helps here, you can stick to one designation & need not pass over the uncertainity to the candidate. As a recruiter, I would never prefer to tell a candidate that you will be hired as a Asst Manager if you have 5 years of experience & as a Manager if you have years of experience, FOR THE SAME ROLE. This gives a very wrong impression & shows confusion on the hiring managers/Organisations part.
Candidate Profile - This part describes the kind of candidate that would be a right fit for the job. Again, keep it concise. It is okay to list down some essential soft skills also here along with the personality traits required.
Job Location - This is by far the first filter that most candidates would use while looking or searching for jobs. It is very very important to mention the name of the city that this position will be stationed at. Also, in additional details, specify if you are okay with outstation candidates who are open to relocate applying for the job. Most job portals have this filter inbuilt.
Highlight the major aspects of the Job-
If the job requires frequent travelling, overseas travelling, managing team across locations etc, it is certainly a good idea to mention these in BOLD. There are quite a few implicit requirements that become clear with such details. For Ex - you need to have a passport !!
Keep the target audience in mind -
While posting a job, remember that you are advertising. Just like a TV commercial, your ad has to appeal to the audience that you intend to target. Make sure you make the job opening sound interesting & challenging, ofcourse without faking it.
I have a strong belief that all recruiters have their own style of recruiting, sometimes varying & other times consistent. We all innovate in our own small ways. It is of utmost importance for us to reflect professionalism & give an impression that this is serious business.
However, I do hope most of you can relate to these details I've jotted & are smiling reading them :)
