How to Advertise to Attract the Best Candidates

Posted on March 12, 2014

I use “Snazzy Job Descriptions” when it is hard to find and attract ideal candidates for a position.  It has only one goal:  To get ideal candidates to contact the company.

It does that by:

1. Being different than all the other job descriptions.
2. Creating an emotional reaction in the reader that makes them want to learn more.
3. Speaking to their motivations for having or wanting a job.  What would they love?
4. Making accurate assumptions about the ideal candidates, and speaking just to them.
5. Being and feeling honest.
6. Being clear about what the company does, and about the job.
7. Coming from a human, to a human, in a conversational, human way.

Accidentally pushing away one great candidate is far worse than attracting fifty unwanted resumes.

The Snazzy Job Description does not:

1. Tell candidates about every aspect of the job or company.  Do that when they show up.
2. Heavily promote self-screening.  It will not reduce the work you have to do to sort through lots of resumes.
3. Tell candidates every requirement you have for eligibility.  You can always choose not to call some applicants back.

Recruiting in a difficult environment is no different than marketing.  You send messages out to load the “funnel” with possible candidates.  That’s what the Snazzy Job Description does. Then you sort out the candidates based on quality, and invest most heavily in the best ones.  For those best ones, the very next step should not be a one-directional medium (letter, e-mail) but instead a conversation (phone, in-person).

When reviewing a Snazzy Job Description, the key question is, “When an ideal candidate reads it, what will they think?”

Answer these questions, then edit them into a snazzy job description:

Note to hiring manager:  This form was created to help you lay out all the hooks to get great people to join your firm.  Please answer as many of these questions as you can, but don’t sweat it if you need to skip a few.  If the answer to one is the same as a prior one, just say so.  Also, please try and be as position specific as you can.  HR will get all the overarching reasons that your firm is a good employer in general—it’s facts about the position that we trying to get information about it. 

Also note that in addition to this, HR will still need all the standard position description, duties, qualifications, benefits, etc.

1. If you asked three people in this position now what the BEST aspects of this position are, what would they tell you?  Three bullet points please.
2. For people working in the job title you’re looking for, what part of the job do they typically love, and get most excited about?  Please answer, then also provide specifics at your firm where this position has gotten lots of this.
3. For people working in the job title you’re looking for, what part of the job do they typically HATE, and try to avoid?  How does your firm try and minimize this negative stuff?
4. Why did some of the people in this position at the firm decide to join the firm?  Were their expectations met?  Please provide quotes, and the name of the person that we are quoting, and their hire date.  A picture of them if possible would be great.
5. In the past three months, please give us some details of cool things the people in this position did at your firm.  New hardware implemented?  Special training?  New programs launched?
6. In the upcoming 3-6 months, what cool things are in store for the person that gets this job?
7. Please put down a quote from someone that reports to the hiring manager that says their opinion of what it’s like to work with that hiring manager.  Do not edit their comments, or polish the way it sounds.  We must put their name under the quote as well.  Hire date and photo please.
8. Is there anything visual (photo of cool computer, screen, thing) that will help the graphic design look better, but also create interest on the part of the prospect?  If so, provide a still photo of this as soon as you can.  If the visual thing has motion in it, or involves people talking or moving, please note that—a short video clip may be in order.
9. Is there anything else that you know of that will serve as a hot button to potential employees?  Something they will jump at?