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Too many businesses brush over their job descriptions, and then wonder why they get so many unqualified applicants. Don’t make the same mistake. Read on to discover how you can craft descriptions that attract the best candidates, and boost your company’s reputation too!

Don’t Exaggerate

Companies know that attracting the best job candidates means they have to sell their company’s strengths. But this doesn’t excuse exaggeration. Job candidates will figure out how your company operates once they start work, or hear the truth from friends.

It is easy to unwittingly embellish job descriptions with adjectives and glowing reviews, but these are subjective. Instead, list your company’s goals and the problems you are trying to solve.

This will inspire job candidates to imagine how their strengths can help your customers, and could inspire them to apply because they share your drive and outlook. Creating these feelings in your potential hires would backfire if you lied to them!

Avoid Clichés

Stock phrases ruin job descriptions. Job candidates have heard them before, and bad job experiences could sour their view of your company. Businesses make many of the same claims in their job descriptions, and an innocent phrase that describes your company could signal a terrible work experience to a potential hire.

Learning clichés takes time, but browsing job descriptions and researching employee feedback is worth the effort. View your job descriptions like a modern novel’s dialogue. A talented author doesn’t need to show who is speaking after every quote, and you don’t need to use clichés when you describe your company. Be more creative!

Instead of using stock phrases, brainstorm alternatives. Don’t just describe your office as a positive work environment; break down what makes it a positive place to work. Remember, using specifics will make your descriptions stand out from blander listings.

Help Your Job Candidates

Job seekers want a partnership that will help them. They might spend hours every day browsing job boards, and don’t have the energy to decide if a company is a good fit based on a few vague clues. Just like product descriptions, you should tell a story instead.

Describe your past accomplishments or include employee testimonials that are relevant to your target audience. Stressing how quick commute times are could tempt job candidates that don’t live nearby, for example.Making descriptive language concise isn’t always easy; don’t worry about tweaking your posts! If you aren’t getting enough job candidates, or the ones you are looking for, consider a rewrite. You can always add more incentives or slash your word count.

Sell Your Company

You can’t convince picky people to join your company if you can’t sell it. If you don’t know why your company is a great workplace, job seekers will assume it isn’t one. Some business aren’t self-aware, and only have vague justifications for their popularity.

But asking for an employee’s opinion is risky. They might fear punishment for their honesty, or resent wasting their work day answering questions, especially if they still have the same workload! Companies do use anonymous questionnaires, but these also rely on employee honesty and self-awareness.

Also, it is hard to sell a business because it pays employees enough to buy a new house! Compensation is a vital part of any employment offer, but it won’t sell your company unless you are paying much more than your competitors.

Assuming why employees choose your company is risky too. Even wise and informed managers make mistakes; people are complex! Thankfully, you can get honest feedback if you are careful and considerate. Compensate your employees for their time, and avoid making feedback mandatory unless they are okay with it. Forced feedback is one more excuse for resentful employees to sabotage their employer!

Write Professionally

It is easy to find writers for hire, but like any other profession, their talents vary. Just because a description is technically correct doesn’t mean it isn’t clunky! Job candidates are looking for reasons to dismiss your company; don’t give them writing quality as an excuse.

Look for writers with a strong work history, and the ability to craft simple descriptions without buzzwords. Using obscure words and phrases is fine if you are looking for a highly technical position, but general job descriptions don’t need them; they are too confusing!

You can find cheap ghostwriters, but most don’t know English well, or are just starting out. Hiring one for a project is risky, and it is usually safer to work with someone who charges more because they have a stronger work history and skill set.

You can always use one of your employees to create job descriptions, but writing ones that work means mastering a unique skill set. If they are already an experienced writer, they will learn quickly, but you could still miss out as perfect team members slip by.

If you can’t prove why your company is worth working for, job candidates won’t apply. Don’t undervalue your job descriptions and start selling your company’s value today!