How To Write a Job Posting
Ensuring you find the best staff for your small business job posting is crucial to entrepreneurial success.
Nov 24, 2006
It may seem like the job interview is the best place to determine the right candidate for a job posting. However, successful entrepreneurs know to start the process well before a potential staff member is sitting in front of them - because when it comes down to it, your success as an small business owner that needs to hire staff depends on not one, but three factors: writing the job posting, publicizing the job posting, and screening the job applications. This article focuses on the first of these job posting steps.
Your first goal in writing an effective job posting is ensuring that it attracts the right type of person. Of course, what is 'right' is completely dependent on your own small business needs and requirements. Having said that, concision and understanding of what you will require in a future employee will do nothing but assist with the selection process. In a nutshell, by sharing what your businesses' specific operational requirements are for the job posting, you are telling all applicants of the bare minimum expectations, therefore saving yourself hours of slogging through resumes reading inappropriate applications.
As well, make sure to include the following:
- Job Title: What is the official job title of the job posting you are recruiting for?
- Basic Company Details: This can be as simple as providing a URL for job applicants to review, or as much as 1-3 lines in the body of the job posting explaining your organizations' mission, values or what it's like to work for you.
- Job Description: More than just what the individual will be doing on a daily basis, the description gives life to a job posting. Quickly review the most important tasks and what is needed to successfully accomplish them, then explain what contributions the future employee will make to the company or society as a whole.
- Qualifications Needed: When writing this (probably the most important) portion of the job posting, think about the ideal candidate for the job - the person who is being replaced or another, similar staff member are great. Then, list their skills, personality traits and qualifications that have enabled them to succeed, and you'll have fleshed out this section adequately.
- How to Apply: Try to encourage mail, fax or email applications to reduce the time spent weaving through the applicants.
- Perks and Conditions of Employment: If a criminal check, certification, or other requirements are needed, be sure to include them in your job posting.
Once you've fleshed out your job posting, it's time to post it - which is another topic that we'll discuss shortly.
