Tips and Tools for Writing Great Job Postings

Writing a job posting isn’t as cut and dry as you might think. Although one can be put together in a relatively short amount of time, it does require a bit of thought and effort. In the same way your company would appreciate receiving a well written and targeted cover letter from a job candidate, potential candidates want the same thing from you. In doing so you’ll make the process easier for yourself as the recruiter or hiring manager, and help increase the likelihood that your pool of applicants are the strongest contenders. A great job posting should be easy to read, informative, honest and enthusiastic.

Be Clear About the Job

What’s this role all about? The job posting should leave no doubt in the reader's mind as to what they’re applying for. It’s important that you completely layout what the job will entail on a day-to-day basis. Providing a broad overview of the duties and responsibilities could create an opportunity for job applicants to either misunderstand or misinterpret what the role will require. If you don’t know what the exact day-to-day will look like for the position, sit down with the person who will be directly managing this new hire and ask for guidance. An even better approach might be to speak with an existing employee who does the same thing and ask for some perspective. Be as granular as possible, but try not to outline every single task that might come up unless it’s a possible deal breaker. For instance, if the employee should expect to work late nights a few times a week then that’s definitely something to mention. 

Be Professional

We live in a progressive landscape, where interpersonal norms and expectations continue to take many forms. These days, it is not uncommon to come across a job posting utilizing profanity, crude commentary or poor grammar throughout the description. While this approach may be a contemporary effort to communicate your brand or culture, this mode of operation may come across as offensive, unprofessional, or juvenile to prospective candidates. Getting people on board who will understand your company’s work environment and fit in is essential, no matter how laid back or formal that environment may be. However, keep in mind that first impressions are real. Don’t distract the reader by using language that’s too comfortable or familiar in tone. Focus on crafting a job description that will allow them to understand what your business does and what the role is about.

Be Upfront and Honest

Some job postings completely withhold salary and benefits information. Oftentimes, this information isn’t even divulged during the first interview. Do not waste your time, or anybody else’s by not being upfront and honest about the role’s compensation package. In an ideal world money, healthcare, vacation time and other perks wouldn’t be an issue for job seekers if they landed their dream job. Unfortunately, it is and a candidate may be in love with the role, the company and the people, but turn down a job offer because the compensation doesn’t match their needs. Conversely, some organizations will withhold what they are willing to pay and look to the candidate to set the bar on salary. This strategy can be confusing and nerve wracking for job seekers as they conduct their search. It wouldn’t make sense for a candidate to apply for a job that won’t pay them what they’re looking for, and it wouldn’t make sense for a hiring manager to consider a candidate that they cannot afford. Be sure to include the salary (or salary range), the benefits and any additional perks that come with the job.

Get Them Excited

Be your biggest champion! This is your time to shine as a company and sell yourself to the best candidates out there. Create a description that tells people what the benefits are for applying to this job with your organization. What’s so great about the position, the company or the overall atmosphere that you think job seekers would find great too? Perhaps the role is partially remote, or the company was recently voted as the best place to work, or the location is placed conveniently near public transportation? Whatever your company has to offer, make it sound special because it is. The right candidate will be excited no matter how modest or grand the particular details may be. And if you need help getting this excitement across, ask a member of your marketing department for help.