Less is More When Writing a Job Posting Ad
There are a number of theories for how to write an effective job posting ad but in order to answer what needs to go into the ad, one must first understand what you want to come out of the ad. Is it the most number of responses? Many employers measure the success of job posting ads by the number of responses because their applicant tracking systems are unable to automatically determine the source of the application. That’s a travesty given how cheap and easy to implement that technology is today, but that’s the subject for another blog entry.
I believe that the best job posting ads are the ones that result in a relatively low quantity but a very high quality of applications. If you want to hire one person, why would you want to receive 200 resumes if only 10 of them are well qualified? Wouldn’t it be better to receive 12 resumes and have only eight of them be well qualified? So how do you get there? Write a job posting ad that is long enough so that the candidate understands your industry (first paragraph), your organization (second paragraph), your department or division (third paragraph), and the opportunity (fourth paragraph). That’s it. Don’t start getting into excruciating details on your wonderful 401(k) or dental benefits. Don’t include your lawyer’s definition of flex time or sick leave. And certainly don’t tell the candidate that their job responsibilities are subject to change. Duh. What job isn’t subject to change and even for the very few which aren’t subject to change, do you really need to say that in a job posting ad?
Research shows that the best advertisements do not spell out every facet of the product that you want to sell. Less is more. You need to include enough information to peak their interest, but not enough that you bore them or, heaven forbid, turn them off.
