The State-of-the-Art in Job Boards Part II - Site News You Can Use

03/21/2005
Weddles

4Jobs.com found that jobs in just three fields—technology (IT), healthcare and accounting/finance—now account for 40% of all postings online. Why should you care? Because if you're recruiting in any or all of these fields, you've clearly got a lot of competition. That means your job postings have to be a whole lot better than a whole lot of others in order to stand out. What should you do? Remember the WEDaVinci Code to an effective job posting:

Write a great title. Most of the search engines for job board databases return only a posting's title; the job seeker must then click on that title in order to open and read the ad. A great title will make sure they do so.

Get the first four lines right. The best talent has the attention span of a gnat, so make sure you write an opening paragraph for your posting that leads with its strengths.

Format for the Web. People don't read online; they scan. That means you should avoid thick, pithy paragraphs and write your posting in headlines and bullets.

Use the WIIFT Factor. The best talent doesn't think about a position's "requirements" and "responsibilities;" they care about What's In It For Them. Make that the focus of your ad, and job seekers will focus on it.

Don't use classified ad copy. A great job posting is not a classified ad reheated on the Web. It's an “electronic sales brochure” that has enough selling power to convince even the most passive prospect to consider your opportunity.