It’s no secret that the technology industry has one of the highest employee turnover rates. This is partially due to how culturally acceptable and normalized it has become too frequently change jobs. This coupled with the increased access job seekers have to information. You can’t personally change that it’s become normal to have four job changes by the time you’re 32. But employers can learn how to write job descriptions and job posts. At least that way, applicants are focused on seeking opportunities to grow along with your company.
Your Vibe Attracts Your Tribe: Understand Your Audience and Talk to Them in Their Lingo
A job post can be thought of as an advertisement for your company. As a result, hiring managers and employers should follow the same guidelines as any great marketing or advertising campaign.The key to developing any significant campaign is to start with clearly defining your target audience. It’s pretty hard to sell someone on a product or service without identifying who you are trying to reach. This is the same with job postings. Make sure you fully identify your key audience and talk to them in their lingo.
The language you use to hire a marketer is not the same language you will use to hire an engineer. This is also applicable to attracting employees who will thrive in your workplace culture. A more conservative workplace should write job postings in that voice. Conversely, a startup should write job postings to attract candidates who can easily adapt to an ever-changing environment.
Free Pizza Isn’t a Raise: Offer Challenges Instead of Rewards
Yes, free food and flexible work hours are nice, but not what will keep a long-term, dedicated employee around. What motivates and keeps these stellar employees is probably not bagel Fridays. It’s the potential for growth opportunities, creativity and taking on additional responsibilities. In fact, Glassdoor recently found that job title stagnation really hurts employee retention.
So, if you want to retain employees, attract them with job postings that clearly advertise how their career can evolve over time. Highlight the learning and management opportunities that are available. In addition, make sure they understand the review process that will get them to the next level.
Always Be Closing: Be Specific and Clear about the Immediate Opportunity
To find the right candidates, your job post needs to be precise and clear about your immediate hiring needs. If you really need someone who is a master at Microsoft Excel, be clear! Instead of writing “knowledge of Microsoft Excel,” consider “knows everything possible about pivot tables.” Always make descriptions as clear as possible.
At the same time, make sure to highlight how your company will support the career growth of this candidate. Careful, though, be sure to market accurately. You don’t want to hire someone for an admin role today and promise that they will become an engineer tomorrow. If you do that, you will have the adverse effect of retention! In your job post, make sure to be specific about the immediate job duties. But still, share what the potential is that will keep this person long-term.
A job posting is often one of the first interactions a job-seeker has with the hiring process for your company. A stellar job post is essentially an advertisement for your company. Think strategically and creatively to attract the candidates you want to hire.
About our Author: Yarden Tadmor is the Founder and CEO of Switch, a job search app that easily connects employers and job seekers available on Apple and Android. He is a serial entrepreneur with over 15 years of management and investment experience at ad tech and consumer Internet companies such as Convert Media, Taboola, Dapper Quigo, and Yieldmo. Most recently, he held the role of Chief Revenue Officer at Convert Media and Taboola. Yarden received a BA from Israel’s Tel Aviv University.
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