6 Telltale Signs That Your Job Postings Are Terrible (And How to Fix Them)

If you haven’t been impressed with the caliber of job candidates that have been inquiring about your jobs, the first thing you should do is evaluate your job postings. If you don’t believe it, just try scrolling through a job board and reading some of the generic, boring, and uninspiring listings that are out there. It’s not easy to spot the ones that you’d apply to versus those that sound awful. To do some job description soul searching, start by making sure your listings don’t fall into the following categories.
More
 

ThoughtLeaderBanner.png
/// Guest post by contributor Maryellen Adams, CareerCo 

If you haven’t been impressed with the caliber of job candidates that have been inquiring about your jobs, the first thing you should do is evaluate your job postings. If you don’t believe it, just try scrolling through a job board and reading some of the generic, boring, and uninspiring listings that are out there. It’s not easy to spot the ones that you’d apply to versus those that sound awful.

To do some job description soul searching, start by making sure your listings don’t fall into the following categories.

1. They only take you a few minutes. You might be efficient, but if you’re targeted job seekers with a very specific skill set, you should spend time crafting a job posting that attracts qualified candidates.

2. Your job postings are indistinguishable from each other beyond title. 
The more generic your listings, the more generic your applicants will be. Each and every position you have should have unique responsibilities and qualifications. The only section of your postings that should remain a boiler plate is where you describe the company culture.
3. You have a fax number listed. Can you say outdated? Job seekers will no doubt find it inconvenient to have to fax over their resume. While you don’t necessarily have to have an applicant tracking system, you should at least have a generic email address that accepts job seeker correspondence.

4. There are typos. 
If you can’t take the time to put up a job posting that is accurate and grammatically correct, then how could you expect more from your candidates? Just as you’d tell an applicant with misspellings on her resume that proofreading matters, take a few moments or enlist in another set of eyeballs to carefully inspect postings before they go live.

5. The postings are company focused instead of employee focused. 
While you do want to talk about the company, you should do so in the context of why it’s a great place to work. What set your firm apart from others like it in the industry? What great perks does your staff enjoy? Does the position offer a path to advancement? These are the things that will attract the best job seekers. 6. They are filled with jargon.

It’s OK if you have to include a couple of acronyms when listing a required certification, for instance, but watch out for the corporate speak. It really is a turn off if a candidate has to Google your catch phrases. Instead, be conversational and approachable in tone, and be honest about what the job entails.

By addressing these problems, you can improve your job descriptions and hopefully start seeing results in the form of better qualified applicants. 

{Guest Post} Guest post provided by Maryellen Adams, CareerCo. A NATSO endorsed service provider, CareerCo is a network of pay-for-performance job sites that reaches more than 5 million job seekers monthly. Employers can save time and money in their recruitment by setting the job requirements and only paying for candidates that meet them. All NATSO members receive a 10% discount. Discount will be applied to your monthly invoice. To qualify, be sure to identify your company as a NATSO member. Learn more about CareerCo.

The opinions and advice given by guest post contributors are not necessarily those of NATSO Inc. The posts should not be considered legal advice. Qualified professionals should be sought regarding advice and questions specific to your circumstances.

Subscribe to Updates

NATSO provides a breadth of information created to strengthen travel plazas’ ability to meet the needs of the travelling public in an age of disruption. This includes knowledge filled blog posts, articles and publications. If you would like to receive a digest of blog post and articles directly in your inbox, please provide your name, email and the frequency of the updates you want to receive the email digest.