WP Job Openings
A lot of organizations are out there with the same goal, which is to lure the best candidates to their organization. Most of the time they are successful and able to close the open position quicker than you. This makes you wonder how they were able to attract more candidates and close the open position so quickly while you are still waiting for more applications and far from finding the perfect one.
The only way to attract a good number of candidates is with a well-crafted job post. But the majority of recruiters still use a job description instead of a job post with the notion that they are the same. In reality, they are not. A well-defined job advertisement can be a crucial factor when it comes to attracting candidates.
To attract talented candidates to your organization, you need to write job ads that entice candidates, create the best first impression, put your organization in the limelight, and are worthy of their time. Before we look at the top ways to write job posts that will attract a large pool of talented candidates, we first need to distinguish a job description from a job post.
The Difference Between Job Description and Job Posts
There’s a fine line between a job post and a job description. Unknowingly the majority of recruiters still use a job description instead of a job post to advertise an open position. In reality, both of them are different and serves a different purpose. So, knowing the difference between the two is vital when it comes to attracting talented candidates.
What is a Job Description?
The job description is mainly meant to stay inside an organization. This is an internal document, more of a technical document that refers to the roles and responsibilities of a particular open position, which is created after hours of research. This also includes the experience needed, the educational background, duties, soft and hard skills, and many more. The job description acts as the foundation from which we build the job post.
One major point to always keep in mind is that the job description focuses on the candidates and not on the organization. Job descriptions allow recruiters to craft appropriate interview questions, screen the candidates properly, and can also be used as a benchmark to rate the candidates.
Key points that are always in a job description are :
- Job title
- Overview of the position
- Job location
- Responsibilities
- Needed skills
- Required experience
- Education qualifications
- Salary range
An example of a job description will be like this:
| Job Title: PHP Developer Position Summary: Work with the product team. Job Location: Texas, Hybrid Responsibilities: Focus on timely bug fixes, updates, and enhancements. Test the products on a daily basis Needed Skills: Good knowledge of PHP, HTML, JS, and database management. Experience Required: 3 years of experience needed Educational Qualification: Engineering background Employment type: Permanent Salary range: $5000-$6000 Perks and benefits– Medical insurance, paid sick time off |
What is a Job Post?
When it’s time to announce to the world, make it official that you have an open position, then you have to go with a job post. A job post is what the possible candidates will see and want to see. The job post can be defined as the marketing version of the job description. The main goal of a job ad is to attract candidates to your organization. The job advertisement can be seen on websites, online job boards, newspapers, and so on.
The job post does talk about the organization, its values, benefits, work culture, and mission, unlike the job description which doesn’t. A few recruiters still make the mistake of using a job description instead of an actual job advertisement. The job post has to grab the attention of the candidates, invoke a sense of curiosity and has to make your organization stand out from the rest. Therefore language and tone are critical.
Even though job posts share some similarities with the job description, it is the way in which things are delivered to the candidate that makes all the difference.
Key points that are always in a job description are:
- Job title
- An overview of the company
- Position Overview
- Work location
- Benefits
- Required skills
- Selection procedure
- Salary
Example of a job post:
| Lead JavaScript Developer About Us: We are a web product studio that focuses mostly on providing the best of design solutions and web products that help organizations to elevate themselves in their respective fields. We cater to clients globally and have a wide range of online products and services. Our product is library growing and expanding as we are speaking right now. Job Description: As a part of our growth and expansion, we are on the hunt for a Lead Javascript developer. You will be in charge of managing the products and ensuring timely updates of enhancements, updates, and bug fixes. You will be working closely with the product development team and the other core developers of the team as and when needed. Duties and Responsibilities: – Spearhead the development of current products and set up a proper workflow for future enhancements. – Listen to user queries and feedback and tackle the issue appropriately. – Keep a proper record of issues and discuss with the team the possible solutions to maintain a good user experience across all our products. – Provide feedback on new features and ensure consistency all around. – Make sure the products are optimized across different operating systems. Job Location: Scotland, Hybrid. Pay Range: $6000-$7000/monthly Benefits: All our employees are fully protected with health insurance and can also avail paid sick leaves. We focus on getting the work done, which means you can work from the comforts of your home, or from any place you please. We also provide biannual salary appraisals to our employees and team outings twice a year to take the steam off. Selection Criteria: The successful candidate should have 8 years of work experience. Ideally, the candidate should have an engineering background, but in the end skill and experience will prevail. The candidate must also be well-versed in React, Angular, and jQuery. Contact Information: Send your resumes to [email protected] on or before xx.xx.xxxx |
Now as you can see, there is a clear distinction between a job post and a job description. Now, ask yourself, which will attract more candidates, a job description or a job post? The candidates want to know more about an organization, its values, and its work ethics. This is also your chance, as an organization to make an impact on the candidates and drive them to a successful response.
Top Ways to Write Job Posts That Attract Candidates
Now that we have clearly distinguished between a job post and a job description, it’s time to look at how to make a job ad that will attract candidates. The most important points to keep in mind to craft the perfect job advertisement are:
Be specific about the job title
When it comes to the job title one should be precise, and professional. Don’t go overboard. The job title is what initially grabs the attention of the candidates. Some recruiters like to add words that have no relation to the post whatsoever hoping to gain more attention from the candidates. But, it is only going to backfire and prevent most of the candidates from applying to your organization.
For example, using words such as expert, super, and professional is a big no. Stick to the industry standard jargon and that is all that is needed. Having a proper job title will allow the candidate to draw a route map of how their career can advance with the company. If the post is about “Junior JavaScript Developer”, then the candidate can have a higher possibility of moving to a senior position once he/she has acquired the relevant experience.
Highlight your organization
Give a short description of your organization. How, when, and where you started your journey, and so on. Make your organization stand apart from the rest. This is the opportunity to make a good first impression, so make it count. Talk about your organization’s missions, goals, and achievements and how the candidates will be playing a major role in all of it in the coming future.
Also highlight your company’s values, culture, and achievements. Give them a vivid picture of how all of these will benefit and shape their career. The most important thing is to show them the big picture, and what they can achieve. But make sure you don’t overdo it, keep it simple.
Describe the position in an appealing way
So you have grabbed the candidates’ attention. Now comes the most important part. The way you convey the job duties and responsibilities, and how effectively you can weave the words so that it aligns with the group of candidates that you are targeting. This in the end will determine how many application submissions you receive.
Most recruiters often make the mistake of plainly mentioning the duties and responsibilities of the concerned position. But that alone is not enough. Modern candidates need much more than this. They need to know what’s in it for them. Now as a recruiter you need to add various elements which will make the candidates take up action, and make them say that this is the organization they want to work for. You have to combine the job duties and responsibilities with the goals and missions that match the targeted audience.
For example- Instead of simply copying and pasting the job description which is – “Work on timely bug fixes and updates”. You can go with, “In this role, it will be your responsibility to test the products, deliver timely updates, and enhancements and maintain the usability of the product across all the platforms”. The latter will give the candidates a sense of atmosphere where they can truly showcase their skills.
Convey to the candidates how they can grow their careers much better at your organization than anywhere else. Mention all the opportunities they will get. Give them a clear picture of how a day in the office will be and how the role will put their skills to the test and the same time allow them to develop and learn new skills.
Be precise about the required skills
Now, that you have given them a strong feeling, that this is the organization to work for, now comes the skills and other eligibility criteria for the open position. Be thorough and to the point. You do not want to confuse the candidates or leave any room for doubt.
Mention the required skill as well as the good-to-have skills along with the educational background and experience needed. Leave no stone unturned and be precise about what all you are looking for.
Salary and Benefits
The final push the candidates need is a perfect blend of benefits and salary. The candidates must get a sense that they are receiving a competitive salary and also benefits. By benefits, we are referring to bonuses, health insurance, and the new norms that are an option to work from home and flexible work hours.
Once you have crafted a job description, what will make the hiring process a lot more efficient is a robust recruitment plugin like WPJob Openings. With this tool, you can handle the high influx of candidates’ applications effortlessly. You can create customized job forms, set alerts, sort and filter out applicants with ease, and more.
Wrapping Up
The first step to attracting the right set of candidates begins once you realize the difference between a job description and a job post. With a perfectly crafted job advertisement, you can increase the applications you receive from the right talent set.
