The job hunt can seem like a never-ending stream of applications and interviews for candidates. And it can feel that way for the companies posting jobs too. AmdIn order to stand out from competitors, keep the job posting fresh for as long as possible and, ultimately, find the ideal fit for the position, companies need to continually refine their job-posting processes. That’s why we asked entrepreneurs from Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) the following:
“What is your preferred method for making job postings stand out for as long as possible? Why does this approach work so well?”
How to Make Job Postings Stand Out
Here’s what YEC community members had to say:
1. Target Specific Personalities
“Know the type of potential employee you are targeting. Understand the persona you’re looking for — the type of person who will fit in with your company culturally and professionally. Use language that would be receptive by this type of person. Are you looking for someone fun, creative and quirky, or technical and by the book? Tailor your listing accordingly so it sparks a connection with readers.” ~ Stephen Beach, Craft Impact Marketing
2. Emphasize Perks
“We like to highlight the benefits of working for us, like remote work and flexible schedules. We also emphasize our culture. [And] we show that this is a place you want to work. Also, a lack of culture fit is just a waste of time and energy because the person will end up leaving or we will have to pull the plug. It works because the perks draw people in and the cultural aspect helps refine the search.” ~ Blair Thomas, eMerchantBroker
3. Highlight the Skills
“Our job postings start with a list of skills required, taking a different approach from the traditional description-based posts. We are a software company, and we need candidates with the same tech stack as ours. The skills-based posting format effectively automates candidate sourcing and drastically compresses time-to-hire, especially for roles that require a set of must-have technical skills.” ~ Sean Hinton, SkyHive
4. Encourage the Team to Circulate Postings
“I’ve seen an incentivized newsletter list be quite effective at catching people who can find quality candidates. Offering something in the realm of $200 for a successful applicant is a good way to get people to consistently read the posting and to share it with relevant people.” ~ Nicole Munoz, Nicole Munoz Consulting
5. Make It a Social Ad
“We turn our job posts into ads on various social networks so they can appear at certain times and remain top of mind. This also allows us to target certain audience segments that may be looking for us like we are looking for them.” ~ John Hall, Calendar.com
6. Incorporate Different Media Formats
“Instead of making your job posting just a wall of text, incorporate different media formats. Add photos, videos or even infographics that either help to describe the job position or help showcase your company culture. Adding different media formats will not only help you stand out for longer, but it will keep candidates engaged as well.” ~ Chris Christoff, MonsterInsights
7. Add the Word ‘Remote’
“If you truly want to stand out and find the best talent, let them work from home. A lot of candidates these days are only choosing to apply to remote jobs, so having someone come in to the office every day will limit the amount of interest your post receives.” ~ Syed Balkhi, WPBeginner
8. Use the Job Board’s Easy Way to Apply
“If you integrate your posting with the job board, your posting will stand out more. For example, if you give users the option to apply via LinkedIn’s “Easy Apply” button, passively looking candidates will be able to filter and find your posting much easier, and then conveniently apply to your job opening.” ~ Jared Atchison, WPForms
9. Keep It Simple
“Job postings that stand out are simple and easy to get through. By using tools like bullet points, italics, numbered lists and the proper use of paragraphs, your posting is more likely to be read through to the end. Remember, just like you probably look through lots of resumes when hiring, the same goes for job seekers. Make it as easy as possible to read your posting.” ~ Andrew Schrage, Money Crashers Personal Finance
10. ‘Pin’ Them to Everyone’s Social Profiles
“The most effective tactic we have for awareness on critical roles is asking our team and advisors to “pin” the job posting to their profiles. On Twitter and Facebook, this can literally live up top on an individual’s profile. On other networks, we just ask for consistent reposts. When you identify something as your first priority, people listen and try to help, which leads to great referrals.” ~ Aaron Schwartz, Passport
11. Share Business Info
“Including business information in a job posting is a great way to stand out. Most companies are overly specific in their job postings, in terms of tasks and actions they need from the employee. If you share the business background first, tell more of a story, then explain the role, you’ll find it more compelling to more candidates.” ~ Baruch Labunski, Rank Secure
12. Update the Posting
“I will update the job posting about once a week. Many employment advertising services will move the post to the top of their list and treat it as a new posting every time it is updated. This trick is very helpful but does not work with every employment service. You will need to check with each service you use to confirm.” ~ Matthew Podolsky, Florida Law Advisers, P.A.
13. Make It Interesting and Add a Twist
“With job postings, we highlight our company, culture and the challenges the role will take on, but we also add a twist to the post to give it personality and filter out applicants that don’t pay attention to detail. We’ll add what we refer to internally as an Easter egg to the post; it may be something like: “Let us know what your favorite movie, book, etc. is when applying.”” ~ Brian David Crane, Caller Smart
14. Don’t Follow the Typical Format
“Most job posts follow the same type of format and they all look pretty much the same. So if you want your job posting to stand out from the crowd, don’t follow the typical format. Show some personality or humor, add extra detailed information about your company or fun facts. Whatever you do, just do it a little differently and you’re sure to stand out.” ~ Blair Williams, MemberPress
Image: Depositphotos.comw
Aira Bongco
You need to think like a marketer when you target people you can hire as well. Think of what will attract them to your posting.