Note - this is the third article in a series of 12 provided by Rikka Brandon. Read the next article "Building a Winning Team: An Effective Interview Process to Find Top Talent" originally published in the Feb./Mar. 24 issue of BLD Connection Magazine. 

You can’t hire a great new employee if you can’t get them in the door for an interview. And getting them in the door means writing a job ad that stands out and makes people want to work for your company.

In other words: job postings can be a powerful tool in your hiring arsenal, but only if they are done right.

As mentioned in the last article, a job description is not the same as a job ad, and vice versa. In fact, the biggest mistake people make is using a job description as their job ad.

The goal of a job description is to give a solid overview of the position, set expectations, and legally protect the company. Job descriptions definitely serve an important purpose in the hiring process, but most are way too long—and way too boring—to be effective as job ads.

A well-written job ad is more like marketing copy. Sure, it’s based on the job description, but it should be written with the goal of attracting the right people to read it and then inspire them to apply.

A well-written job ad includes:

1. A Tell and Sell About the Company

• Tell them about the company. Provide a brief bio that summarizes what makes your company unique and attractive to applicants. You may be able to pull this directly from existing marketing materials or mission statements. For example, “XYZ Incorporated is a family-owned [type of company] focused on providing quality products and superior customer service.”
• Sell them on it. Show them why your company is a great place to work. Phrases like “We are privately held, offer a family-friendly environment, and foster a culture of success” or “We have won numerous awards for safety” are a few great ones to include (as long as they’re true!).

Feeling stuck? Ask yourself and other employees what they love about working at your organization.

2. A Tell and Sell About the Opportunity

• Tell them what you are looking for. This is the “we are seeking” statement. This is where you describe your ideal hire’s attributes and experience. For example:
  “An outgoing, achievement-oriented salesperson”
  “Past success with _________”
  “Experience working with ________”
  List any certifications, licenses, training, etc. needed or preferred

Bullets are an effective way to get your needs across concisely and quickly. They also increase the likelihood that the applicants will actually read the ad.

• Sell them on the opportunity. Lay out why they want this job by listing details such as:
  Opportunities the new hire will have
  Perks they will be eligible for
  The great things about working for your company and in this role specifically

3. Call-to-Action
In this case, the call to action is pretty obvious: We want them to send a resume in!

But make sure it is easy for people to apply. If you force them to re-enter all the info from their resume, you’ll lose a large percentage of people. In fact, I recommend you actually go through the process yourself to see how long it takes to apply. If your process takes more than 3 minutes, you’re much more likely to lose the semi-passive candidate you really want versus the “desperate” candidate..

Once you’ve written the perfect job ad, it’s time to get the word out. We’ll cover that in future posts.

Rikka Brandon is a leading recruiting and hiring expert in the LBM industry. She’s the founder of Building Gurus, a boutique training, consulting, and executive search firm for building products manufacturers and distributors. She’s also the creator of Hire Power  an on-demand training for recruiting and hiring in the building products industry. If you’re interested in working with Rikka, schedule a call at BuildingGurus.com/Discovery.