Will “Masculine” Companies Need to Change their Name?

Posted by & filed under Diversity and Inclusion.

When Kleenex (after 62 years!) scrapped its “Mansize” Kleenex tissues  (see the below tweet that helped spark the social movement for Kleenex to change), it got me thinking about what else might need to get gender-neutralized. Hi @Kleenex_UK. My 4yo son asked me what was written here. Then he asked, why are they called mansize?… Read more »

7 Best Practices for Using Bullets in Job Descriptions

Posted by & filed under Writing Job Descriptions.

How many bullets should you use in a job description? Does your job posting have too many bullets? Great questions. I’ve been asked a bunch of these job description bullet-related questions. I did my best to answer those and more below. It’s all the best practices I know about the most effective use of bullets… Read more »

12 Examples of Poorly Written Job Descriptions

Posted by & filed under Writing Job Descriptions.

Poorly written job descriptions share certain things in common. I’ve analyzed (by hand) many thousands of job descriptions and created this checklist of the”worst job description practices” to avoid. 1. Poorly Written Job Descriptions Have Long Job Titles The job title is key. It’s usually the first thing a candidate sees. Job titles with 1… Read more »

7 Examples of Well Written Job Descriptions [With Tips!]

Posted by & filed under Writing Job Descriptions.

Well written job descriptions aren’t easy to come by. Most JDs are written by busy hiring managers or recruiters. They read more like a legal contract than clean ad copy. Below are 7 tips based on examples of well written job descriptions I found on the web. For more tips on writing job descriptions, check… Read more »

3 Types of Job Description Software (and Why Each Matters)

Posted by & filed under Job Descriptions.

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 »

10 Easy Ways to Boost a Job Ad’s Apply Rate

Posted by & filed under Job Ads.

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 »

7 Tips on How to Write the Most “Readable” Job Descriptions

Posted by & filed under Writing Job Descriptions.

You’ve heard me talk about “readability” in job descriptions recently. It’s vital. I now think of readability as one of the 3 main levers for writing a more effective job description (the other 2 are gender-neutrality and positive sentiment). The more readable your job descriptions, the higher the apply rates (we’ve measured this with machine learning)…. Read more »

5 Easy Ways to Have More Consistent Job Descriptions

Posted by & filed under Job Descriptions.

Are your job descriptions consistent? If not, you risk confusing candidates and causing more work for your hiring managers and recruiters. Consistent job descriptions can also cut time-to-fill — specifically, the time it takes to get from req to candidate screenings (which can easily take 3+ weeks). For tips on writing job descriptions, check out… Read more »

My Candid Chat with Tim Sackett About Your “Talent Acquisition Stack”

Posted by & filed under Recruiting Software.

Last Friday I chatted with the always-colorful talent acquisition analyst Tim Sackett. He had sent me a PDF of his “Talent Stack” (software for ATS’s, recruitment marketing and recruitment operations). Tim’s got a new book coming out and he’s thinking hard about talent acquisition software. I like Tim because he calls ’em like he sees… Read more »

The 8 Key Stakeholders in a Job Description Rewriting Project

Posted by & filed under Writing Job Descriptions.

A head of Talent Acquisition asked me the other day:  “Who are the key stakeholders that need to be involved when rewriting job descriptions?” Here’s a quick-and-dirty list that might help you: 1)The Head of TA The head of TA should typically oversee this. If you’re lucky enough to have a head of recruitment marketing… Read more »

7 Mistakes to Avoid When Writing a Job Description

Posted by & filed under Writing Job Descriptions.

Words matter…especially in job descriptions. Update: Since writing this article, our team here at Ongig launched a new version of our Text Analyzer software for writing job descriptions. For more tips on writing job descriptions, check out How to Write a Job Description — Best Practices & Examples.  Here are 7 mistakes to avoid when writing YOUR job description: 1)… Read more »

16 Samples of an Effective EEO Statement

Posted by & filed under Diversity and Inclusion.

The purpose of an EEO (Equal Employment Opportunity) statement is to comply with EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) law but there’s also a marketing aspect to it. The words in your EEO statement (which often appear in all your job postings) are also words that a candidate will measure you by. That’s why I ran every EEO statement… Read more »

5 New Tools To Help With Diverse Hiring [2023]

Posted by & filed under Writing Job Descriptions.

Things are changing fast in the job market. And having a diverse team is super important nowadays. Today, we’re not just talking about hiring. We’re also talking about creating a workplace where everyone feels included and valued. So, we’re on a mission to discover some awesome tools that can make your hiring process better and… Read more »

7 Steps to Writing the Best Job Descriptions

Posted by & filed under Job Descriptions.

Writing job descriptions may be the single most important thing you do to attract quality talent. I recommend you use the 7 steps/sections below when writing your job descriptions. I’ve also included 20 examples of how leading employers create their job descriptions. Note: If you’re looking for an automated way to write/rewrite job descriptions, check out Ongig’s new Text Analyzer… Read more »