When is the last time that you actually sat back and thought about that job ad that you keep using?
Like job descriptions, many companies don’t continually read and revise job ads before posting. They don’t take into account what they have learned about the position that now needing filling, changes to the role over time, new software, etc. and continue to post the same thing yet wondering why they don’t find that “right” candidate.
Remember the adage: Doing the same thing over and over again but expecting a different result?
Your job descriptions as well as your job ads should be reviewed on an annual basis for needed updates. Best time to do that? While you are doing performance reviews with your employees and receiving their feedback!
Worse yet are the Hiring Managers that are now adding ridiculous requirements to a job posting that truly have nothing to do with the position. For example: a Hiring Manager demands that medium-to-advanced Excel skills be a requirement for a position….except that position will never use Excel. Including needless skills will not get you a better candidate and may even prevent you from finding the right candidate for your role. You aren’t going to find a “smarter” candidate. You are alienating those that truly have experience in the role you need to fill just because you think it will yield a better candidate pool.
Then, of course, you have the LONG job ads that you have to keep scrolling down on in order to read the whole thing because instead of focusing on the necessities for the role, the company has decided to include EVERYTHING and hoping the right candidate will simply “pop out” at them. Translation: We don’t really know what we want other than a superstar candidate and we will just know it when we see it. Most jobseekers will give up on those types of ads because it screams “we don’t really know what we want so be open to constant criticism.”
Just as employers prefer two-page resumes with highlighted accomplishments rather than a listing of their duties, candidates also want to know more directly the duties of the role, benefits and salary and expectations that will affect their home life and performance reviews. The longer or more in-depth the process you create, the quicker they will move on from your ad onto the next one.
Recruiters look to match 7 out of the 10 top requirements for a role when presenting candidates. Why? Because no one will perfectly match the role and expecting you will find that “needle in a haystack” candidate is, well, unrealistic. Yes it may happen, but not as often as companies expect. Each company will have its own way of doing things and each company’s environment determines how that candidate will be able to perform so there has to be some wiggle room. I would much rather hire a candidate that is willing to learn how the company wants them to carry out their tasks than hire a candidate who will want to change their job to match what they know.
Want to understand what the jobseeker experience is? Just go and scroll through ads for a position similar to yours, as if you were seeking new employment. What are the reactions you have to some of the postings you view? Would you apply to those jobs? Now, go back to your job ads and edit them to the type of ad YOU would apply to.
Timeless HR Solutions 