Improving Candidate Experience – Job Descriptions

This blog is the first in a series dedicated to improving candidate experience. At Wicresoft, we often see organizations fall victim to pushing out lengthy job requisition content for several reasons: 

• There are too many requisitions to update into good job postings that market the company, the position, and the perks of working there 
• The legal, compliance, and compensation teams are under the firm belief the lengthy requisition is required to avoid all risks 
• And, best of all, this is the way it has always been done 

Generally, someone not versed in the nuances and difficulties of recruiting has convinced the Talent Acquisition leader that the job description was their purview. The consequence? Desirable candidates are turned off and, in turn, pass over your job listing. 

The job description is frequently a candidate’s first contact with you. Think of it as your introduction with a handshake, smile, and small talk. The small talk includes a cursory overview of the position, its responsibilities and requirements, and most importantly, what the candidate can expect by working for your organization (the perks, benefits, technology, projects, etc.). Each posting is an advertisement for your company. Unless your organization is a huge brand like Starbucks, Microsoft, or Amazon, a job posting is likely the first encounter a job seeker has with your brand.  

What’s the drawback of not updating your job postings? 

• Candidates are immediately turned off, disengaged, and quickly become non-applicants that move on to the next more inviting opportunity. They see the 5+ pages, 50 bullets, an outdated description, and frankly, don’t have the desire to spend that much time reading your dissertation. 
• Since outdated job postings are not generally SEO compliant, relevant keywords and job titles will not attract candidates to your post on key job boards. 

How do you correct this? It’s pretty simple.   

• Partner with legal, compliance, and compensation to address their concerns by evaluating the hiring process and where the candidate might fully review the job requisition before onboarding.   
• Rewrite the job descriptions for the most frequently hired positions. Ensure each job posting is written as an advertisement/sales pitch for the position. 
• Remove the extras that are inherent to most positions, like great communication skills (well, of course) and the ability to lift 10 pounds. 
• Ensure all job postings are SEO optimized by using relevant job titles and keywords, in approximately 700-2000 characters. 

The Impact   

The most important metric is an increase in candidates. SEO compliance allows more candidates to find your job posting, and the quick delivery of data allows candidates to determine if they fit the job opportunity. Recruiting is hard, and it has only gotten tougher with recent economic changes. If you want to compete for talent, you must consider the job posting as an introduction as it’s the first impression of your organization.  

What's Next?

To continue reading about elevating your candidates' experience, read the next blog in this series, Improving Candidate Experience - The Application Process.

Want Wicresoft's experts to assess your job listings? We offer free job listing audits! Not limited to job descriptions alone, Wicresoft Talent Acquisition experts can help find pain points in the entire talent acquisition process including career website navigation, employer brand presence, and application process. Contact us today to see which of our services might suit your unique needs!