3 Best Practices to Back Up Your Job Descriptions

The traditional job description has been in the hot seat for some time now. It’s been poked and prodded to see how it can be transformed into some miracle talent-attracting elixir. Many employers are revamping their career pages and reworking their job ads in hopes of increasing their applicant pools. The numerous tactics and techniques you’ve been soaking up to improve your employer brand just may be starting to pay off.

However, a survey by Glassdoor found that 61 percent of employees say that aspects of a new job are different than the expectations communicated during the interview process. Is your quirky, culture-gleaming job description just smoke and mirrors? Or is there genuine substance to the employment offer you’re displaying? If so, then back it up in the rest of your hiring process. Attraction doesn’t just stop after the job description. Take a look to see how you can support your job descriptions throughout your interviewing process with these tips.

Make a Good Impression

Did you know that 2 out of 5 candidates stated in a CareerBuilder survey that their perception of an employer is negatively impacted if the company’s career site is not navigable on smartphones or tablets? That’s 40 percent of your potential talent pool in the employment market ! Your insanely cool video job description is pointless without an equally insanely cool (and mobile responsive) career page.

Candidates are looking, and they’re looking to see if you’re just talking the talk. In fact, 62 percent of candidates evaluate an employer online to make sure what the company is offering them (in terms of the open positions) is true.

Make It All About the Candidate

You’ve made it past the job description and the career page. You have more applicants than you know what to do with and interviews for days. You’ve narrowed down your talent pool through your first round of interviews, and now it’s time to get down to the details. However, after that first round, you’re starting to see candidates drop out. Was it your screening process? Were your first round of interviews a little too typical? It’s a good possibility, especially with the overflow of candidates you had.

However, now it’s round two, and you’re desperate to keep those candidates interested. Bryan Chaney, sourcing executive at IBM, explains that in order to get candidates excited about a position, you have to initially identify something that is important to them. Chaney recommends polling candidates to discover what they value in their career most.

“If you take the time to get to know what someone is looking for and what drives them, you not only can qualify if they’re the right fit for your team , but customize their role and your offer to what’s most important to them. Win-win!” – Lauren Perkins (@LaurenPerkins )

Depending on what the candidates respond with, the recruitment messaging or interview process can be tailored to fit what interests the candidate most. Sixty-four percent of employees believe that compensation is crucial, yet only 25 percent of employers agree. Also, 41 percent of employees see job security as important, whereas only 21 percent of employers do. These statistics expose a serious misalignment between what employers think candidates value and what candidates truly value.

Whether candidates are driven by a strong company culture, freedom of innovation, career advancement, or the simple paycheck, tweak your conversations (check out tip No. 3 for more) to pull at their heartstrings.

Make It a Mystery

Not only should your conversations be tailored to what each candidate is most driven by, but they should also leave the candidate wanting more. Give the candidates room to imagine all of the possibilities they may have with your company.

“Leave a little bit of mystery. And that doesn’t mean keep it a secret. But don’t throw everything at your talent at once.” – Bryan Chaney (@BryanChaney )

This is extremely important in the “storytelling” aspect of the interviewing process  and in the Q&A. It’s important to paint a picture of your company culture, share your company’s successes, and maybe even introduce candidates to the team they may potentially work with — but all in good time. Don’t just put it all out there. Better yet, build the anticipation of what it’s like to be a member of your organization. What does building anticipation for your open position do to candidates?

“With this anticipation always in play, the human brain desires more dopamine. Dopamine is a chemical neurotransmitter. It’s released from the brain’s frontal lobe and acts as a stimulant that prevents pain, stimulates arousal, and causes excitement. Dopamine stimulation happens when we experience and expect good things. Anticipating positive events sustains the output of dopamine into the brain’s chemical pathways.” – Neil Patel (@NeilPatel )

Building anticipation for the position is a great way to retain candidates in your hiring process, especially if it’s a long one and requires numerous rounds of interviews. Attracting and retaining employees begins with attracting and retaining candidates. Don’t just pull your applicants in with the fluff of job descriptions and career pages that wow them. Keep them coming back for more throughout your entire hiring process.