We got a call today. Help!
The fourth this week.
A company is struggling to attract candidates for a job they need urgently.
Resumes are trickling in, nothing exciting.
Can you help? Is there anything you can do to increase our chances?
The good news is absolutely. And you can too.
You only need to make a switch.
The job market has changed in recent years in many ways, and the significant change is the difference in power dynamics between employer – and employee. The major takeaway should be that you need to start looking at your potential employees as potential customers.
Here are a few How To’s:
- Focus on your employee-client, not on yourself. Who are they? How do they view themselves? What are their aspirations? What would make them feel important? Needed? Productive?
- Research your unique selling proposition: what are you offering that nobody else can? Why should they come to work for you?
- Generate interest and curiosity.
- Tailor your tone to your target audience. Are they Anglo-Saxon? Between the ages of 20-30 or 30-40? Tailor your writing accordingly.
- Responsibilities and requirements should be short and go into professional detail rather than general descriptions.
- Add positive descriptions about you that may seem obvious (we call this the “Ikea factor”).
Now, let’s take a look at the job description that failed to bring good candidates:
The job description the company posted on LinkedIn:
About X
X is a Software that is a….(here comes a dry description of the company’s product)
What do we expect from you?
As an Account Executive, it will be your responsibility to manage the full sales cycle from leading the pipeline and closing the sale.
You will be responsible for inbound prospects, qualifying leads… and successfully closing sales
Responsibilities:
(Here comes a list of ten bullets)
Requirements:
(Another list of ten bullets, including the ubiquitous “, can do attitude,” “excellent social skills,” and “exceptional organizational skills”).
Now see what we changed it into:
Are you a people person? Are you fascinated by tomorrow’s technologies? Then your place is with us. (we are starting with the candidate).
We are looking for an Account Executive who will lead our most important asset – our customers. This is an opportunity to work with companies at the frontier of technology… (we make the candidate feel important to the company)
With us, you will be in a company that puts you first in every way: starting with a renowned onboarding and training program followed by advanced sales processes and outstanding compensation programs. (we generated curiosity: what is this training process? What are those outstanding compensation programs? They probably have large sales bonuses…)
If you have a consultative approach to selling (i.e., looks to form a dialog with your customer so you can provide a genuine solution to their needs) and have a history of exceeding expectations and cultivating great customer relationships – this job is for you. (we went into professional detail)
X is an equal opportunity employer that pledges to not discriminate against employees based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, marital status, or disability.
If you have special needs that require us to accommodate your application and review process, please don’t hesitate to let us know. (the “Ikea effect”: companies are required by law to be equal opportunity employers, but stating it projects a positive image).
Make this mental switch for all your communications with potential and existing employees. Contact us to learn more about effective employee branding.
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