6 Job Posting Mistakes

By Madison White on July 31, 2017

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As a recruiter, you may think that attracting applicants to your posting would be an easy task. However, even if you are attracting applicants, there may be things in your job posting that are driving away better applicants. The best workers will often search out the best opportunities for work, and this means they’re searching for great job postings.

To prevent your job posting from falling flat, be sure to steer clear of these six common job posting mistakes.

1. Not specifying the time frame or workload

When someone is looking for a job, they want a very clear image of the job they’ll be doing, at what times, and for how long. The general assumption is that jobs listed will fall under the weekday 9-5 office schedule, but that isn’t always the case anymore. Young people are especially looking for jobs with flexible hours, so if the job doesn’t have strict hours, let them know. Also, you should specify whether the job is full-time or part-time, temporary or long-term, even if it seems implied.

2. Too many requirements

Some companies will have huge lists of requirements for new job applicants in hopes that they’ll weed out the weak candidates. However, having a page long list of job requirements can deter even the best of candidates. It is better to have a list of reasonable requirements that you feel the job truly needs.

You can have a separate list for qualities and specific skills that would be favorable in an applicant. This way, your perfect worker isn’t going to pass on applying for your position just because they don’t have one qualification.

3. Not giving a pay range

Let’s face it, everyone wants to know how much money they should expect to earn. You may be wary to post an exact number because salary figures can change often. If you don’t post anything, however, this leaves your applicant to imagine the worst and the best scenarios that may be really far off.

I would at least give a range or a starting salary and then say that it is negotiable if you’re still cautious about putting an exact number. Keep in mind that posting the salary will help you find applicants that fit the job instead of being over or under-experienced.

4. Forgetting to proofread your posting

Your job posting is a direct reflection on the company that is hiring. If you want great applicants, you’re going to have to put out a great job posting. You probably think that many applicants just skim postings and don’t pay attention to the mechanics of a posting, but when someone is serious about a position, they’ll likely read it many times.

If your posting has grammatical, spelling, and structural errors upon closer inspection, it might be the deciding factor on whether or not they apply. Reading over the job posting a few times is an essential task to do before posting a job. At the end, ask yourself, is this a job that I would apply to?

5. Neglecting contact information

With many job postings going through third party websites, you may think that contact information is something you can neglect. Not so. Contact information is essential to any job posting because applicants may need or want extra information before applying for the position. If they can’t find you or get ahold of you, it’s likely they’ll just give up and search elsewhere.

I would recommend having at least a telephone number, an email address, and a physical address (with the city listed) for someone that can easily answer the questions of any applicant.

6. Using jargon

If you’ve worked at the same company for years, you’re probably used to the lingo that’s specific to your office. However, outside applicants are likely not familiar with all the shorthand terms and acronyms used at any given time. It is best to avoid terms that seem company specific. You may also want to avoid any jargon that is specific to your niche field as entry level applicants may not know all the terms yet. You should also avoid using strange job titles when posting a job, as otherwise it will be difficult for applicants to search for your posting. You want it to be as accessible as possible.

When it comes to job postings, think of writing one the way you would write anything. You want all the important details to be there and easily found. You want descriptions that are helpful, but not overwhelming. You want to use language that is easy to understand and free of jargon.

Lastly, you want it to be grammatically correct and professional. Stop trying to make your company sound like the most glamorous place on Earth. Stick to the basics and necessary details and you’ll have great applicants in no time.

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