Selling to jobseekers, or talking to yourself?

We see it all the time - companies get too caught up in their own corporate rhetoric and navel gazing, and they forget the purpose of the advertising effort - to attract candidates! To SELL them on why they should apply.

Look at job postings on any job board. Look in the careers section of the Globe & Mail, NY Times, Washington Post or any other solid newspaper with a career-minded readership. What do you see? Long copy about some company going on and on about how great they are, how they've grown so fast, how they're leaders in this, that and the other thing.... Not to sound cynical or jaded, but WHO CARES?

This is not to say that the ad or posting should be devoid of brand messages -an employer brand is essential. But it must be real and relevant.

Even worse are the companies that post full-blown job descriptions with a bunch of internal-speak, that causes a candidate to gloss over and move on. How many times have we seen job postings with one of the qualifications that require the candidate to "...be familiar with the policies and procedures of XYZ...?" How could they be familiar with policies of a company in which they've never worked?

Good candidates connect with the job, the opportunity, the chance to be stimulated, the work, the environment. A solid job posting or recruitment ad puts the candidate at the forefront and does a little - no, A LOT - of selling. What does the job entail? How will your efforts make a difference to the company, its customers, other employees? What are the 3 or 4 top qualities required to be successful in this role?

Recruiters, take the time to think about WHO you're trying to target and stop worrying about snappy slogans or catchphrases. Tell a good story about the job, think about the ideal match and lay out the reasons why your ideal candidate should consider the opportunity.

Then sit back and wait for your Inbox to fill up.