I've been reviewing job postings this afternoon, and was again reminded that my recruiter buddies often don't do a very good job of crafting a solid recruiting description. Most of the jobs I see are little better than the classified ads.My rule of thumb is that a good job posting must cover at least these five things:
WHO IS THE COMPANY?
Remind me who you are - what's your elevator speech?
WHAT IS THE JOB?
Don't just list the qualifications you want, tell me what challenges I get to tackle.
WHY SHOULD THE CANDIDATE DO THIS?
Candidates have many different options. If you can't sell an opportunity, your competition can.
WHERE IS THE WORK SITE?
The address of the HR office isn't necessarily where the position will be located.
HOW DO I APPLY?
I just received a job via e-mail that didn't even have the company name or the next steps. Should the candidate apply by fax? Phone? Telepathy?
What is stopping recruiters from doing this? My guesses are time and awareness.
As the labor market tightens, they'll have to be aware. They'll have to make time. The time is now.