Perfman HR: Writing Your Online Recruitment Ad
Perfman HR: Writing Your Online Recruitment Ad
The quality of your ad makes a big difference
The quality of your ad makes a big difference to how much response it will generate. Before you sit down to write, however, survey other listings for similar jobs in the sites or publications in which you plan to advertise. This will give you an idea of what other companies are doing to attract people with the same skills and how much they are paying in wages and benefits. Your ad needs to be livelier than the competition's. Grab the attention not just of serious job seekers, the people who are aggressively searching for a new position, but also of people who may not be completely happy with their current job and are browsing the classifieds to see what's out there. Think about what kind of person you're seeking, and anticipate what might interest that individual in your company. Determine what's outstanding about this particular job? Where does its appeal lie? The pay? The benefits? Its fast pace? Opportunity for advancement? It's a good idea to succinctly state the most appealing aspects of the job up front. Then add the basic details of the job description described in the section above: title, qualifications and experience, salary or pay range, a note about any benefits that you offer.
If you have also listed the job online, give the URL in the print ad, and if you have a job ID or ad codes, note them as well. Because you are not paying by the word or line, online ads can afford to be more discursive. Instead of having to describe the job succinctly, you have as many as 100 words to describe why your opening is a dream job and why your company is a dream employer. The rest of the space can be given over to other essentials, including a statement of your commitment to protecting the candidate's privacy and a more detailed description of what the job involves, again in terms designed to appeal to your ideal candidate. If your company's Web site includes an employment section, link to it: Your online ad will be more effective if prospective employees can contact you directly or go straight from the ad to an online job application. Offering an overview in your ad of how you process online applications and how long the processing takes can also help candidates get an idea of the timeline of the hiring process. Finally, give applicants a way to follow up with someone in person, whether it is the name and phone number of the hiring manager, or a general e-mail account for employment inquiries.
Outside the Box
HOW TO CHOOSE
When trying to fill a position, companies tend to look for a candidate whose last job, or next-to-last job, was an exact copy of the one they're trying to fill. However, some of the best minds in American business don't agree with this method. Instead, they advise focusing not on a candidate's past job experience but on their qualities and skills. Ask yourself, does the job call for a great deal of problem solving? Will the employee have lots of autonomy? Are the things your people learn on the job more important than the things they bring to the job? Must they be able to learn and adapt quickly? When the answer to all these questions is "yes," the authors of It's Not the Big That Eat the Small . . . advise managers to concentrate on hiring someone with the right attitude whether or not that individual has the matching experience. "Proven initiative" is what they are afterpeople with ingenuity and resilience, as well as a track record of overcoming hardships. SOURCE: It's Not the Big That Eat the Small . . . It's the Fast That Eat the Slow by Jason Jennings and Laurence Haughton (HarperBusiness, 2002).
Dos & Don'ts
HOW TO WRITE A GOOD ONLINE AD
It takes skill to craft an effective ad for an Internet site. You want to appeal not only to active job seekers but also to those who are just testing the waters by checking employment sites, socalled "passive job seekers." To make your ad appealing to both types of online job seekers, keep these tips in mind:
Do include terms that convey urgency, such as "Immediate Opening" or "Available Now."
Do use a punchy, creative teaser, such as "Innovative Thinkers Wanted."
Do place salary and/or benefits near the top of the ad; surveys have shown that this increases the number of respondents.
Don't use job titles that are unclear or idiosyncratic to your company.
Do provide a bulleted list of required skills; describe these skills in terms that are likely to be used by candidates as keywords in a search engine.
Don't abbreviate words, since online ad space is not restricted. Also, an abbreviation might not show up in a job hunter's keyword search.
Do include information about career advancement at your company.
Do include information about your work environment, any unusual benefits, and intangibles that set the company apart.
Don't forget to specify your location city, state, and region.
Do add a link to community Web pages describing the local lifestyle.
THE BOTTOM LINE
RESPONDING TO RESUMES
Once you've made your resume selection, make a point of responding to every application, sooner rather than later. The best candidates will naturally be in demand, so you don't want to lose a great hire just because you didn't get back to her quickly enough. Personal responses are preferable, but even a form letter telling job seekers that their resumes are in your hands is acceptable. Check The Small Print Carefully With Online Loans Find ftd online promo code SEO India Boosts Up Online Visibility of a Website Check The Indian Railways Seat Availability Online Revealed - Exactly How to Get More People to Click Your AdWords Ads Find Quick and Cheap Advertising Online Get Fast Traffic by Going Online SEO and Online Advertising Make Perfect Partners Get the Best of Both Worlds with Online Advertising and Social Media Free Government Grant Application Online - Did You Claim Yours? Top Christmas Gifts Online for 2010 Should Online Article Directory Sites Crack Down on PLR and Copied Online Content? Grande Vegas Casino | High Roller Casino Gambling Online