If you want your career site to attract and convert the best candidates, it helps to borrow lessons from the best storytellers. Screenplay writers, for instance, are masters at getting us (the viewer) to sit down for: 2 days, 15 hours and 30 minutes (first 7 seasons of Game of Thrones) 22 hours and 40 minutes… Read more »
If you’re a recruitment marketing or employer branding leader, you probably have tons of energy around company review sites like Glassdoor. A new Glassdoor alternative that has grown rapidly is Comparably. I spent some time with Comparably CEO Jason Nazar to dig in on this important new part of the employer branding space. Special thanks… Read more »
If you’re into employer branding, you’re in for a treat. Below is my interview with Andrew Levy. Andrew and I first met in 2012 at a TMP Worldwide/Intuit vendor day. Jason Webster of Ongig/Glassdoor/Greenhouse fame was there too. Since then, Andrew has worked on the talent branding teams at WeWork, Uber and Autodesk. He’s got a… Read more »
People with disabilities can, of course, be your most productive workers. But just one word or phrase could make them feel excluded. This bias against people with disabilities is also called ableism. One type/example of ableism in job descriptions is the words we use to describe physical demands. If a candidate has a physical disability,… Read more »
In February, I wrote about 6 ways to avoid age bias in your job descriptions. Apparently not everyone got the memo. Just a cursory look at job boards finds numerous examples of age bias are still out there. I hate to be a buzzkill but these oversights can get you fired or sued. Note: Most… Read more »
I’ve written what I hope you find useful content on job descriptions (see job description articles, job ad articles and our free Job Descriptions Guide. But there are so many awesome articles out there written by others. And I love giving shout-outs where they’re due. Here are my favorite articles on job descriptions, job postings and job ads. 20+… Read more »
If you look at the best job descriptions (below) you’ll notice a pattern. Most have: Multi-Column Format — Easier to read. That’s why most magazines and newspapers use them! Good Employer Branding — Consistent color, font and perhaps even corporate messaging (especially helpful if a candidate comes from a job board and hasn’t seen the… Read more »
In my view, there are 3 major types of job description software now available. And each has its own purpose. Here they are: 1) Candidate Experience Job Description Software Some clients of applicant tracking systems are not satisfied with the ATS job pages. It might be because: The URL shown is that of the… Read more »
The apply rate for job ads is one of the most important recruitment metrics. An average of 11 people who visit your job ad end up applying. 11% convert and the rest of the 89% leave. But I’ve seen the apply rate pop up to 60%+ with the right tweaks (see below). Note: Special thanks to… Read more »
If you’re a customer of the awesome Greenhouse Software ATS, you may be looking for ways to enhance your job pages. Remember what James Ellis of The Talent Cast said about ATS’s: “Applicant tracking systems were never meant to be pretty (external), they were meant to help manage workflows (internal)”. A default, out-of-the-box Greenhouse job page might… Read more »
Women are less likely seen as good candidates if the job mentions a high degree of intellectual ability, according to a new study. In 3 tests, published in the journal American Psychologist, more than 1,150 participants were asked to refer individuals for a job. Half of the participants were told that the job description required… Read more »
Every word in your job ad counts. But your job postings often have complex words or phrases you don’t need — they sound more like legalese than a job advertisement. Replace or cut these complex words/phrases and your job ad’s apply rate can see a major boost. You’ll also often see an increase in good candidates…. Read more »
My head of TA friend Marnie (name changed to protect her identity) told me this before agreeing to do business together: “Rob, I want more pipeline, but the last thing I want are more “crapplications”. By “crapplications”, Marnie meant that she didn’t want crappy (low-quality) applications. Crappy applications are often worse than having no applications at… Read more »
If your job ad doesn’t stand out, neither will you. Here are 5 ideas you might not have thought of. Enjoy. 1. Employer Branding Tab A lot of employers talk about their employer brand. Dutch clothing manufacturer Hunkemöller has actually written it into their job descriptions. Candidates click the middle tab (see below) and get a… Read more »
I love job ads. I just found a study on them that I feel silly for missing. Sorry! It shows that speaking to a candidate’s needs in a job ad gets you 13.6% more applicants than focusing on the skills your job requires. In other words, focusing on THEM beats focusing on YOU. Not only… Read more »
