The Biggest Mistakes Hiring Managers are Making with Job Postings Today

Denise Shelton is the former Human Resources and Communications Manager of Earth Systems, Inc., headquartered in San Luis Obispo, CA.

You hear it every day in the media, in the office, from family and friends: “People just don’t want to work.” That may be true to a certain extent, but few can afford not to. So what’s up?

If you’re an HR manager or business owner looking at a daunting list of unfilled job openings, maybe you should ask yourself if the problem might be with you. Here are five things you might be doing wrong, causing prospective employees to swipe left.

1. Your job posting reads like a Russian novel

Nobody’s in a bigger time crunch than someone in need of a job. Social media has shrunken our attention spans considerably. Dense blocks of text, especially when viewed on a smartphone, are off-putting.

Less is more. Use bullet points, but not so many that it looks like a packing list for a month in Tibet. The example below shows how to skillfully shorten the list by combining more than one desired quality in each bullet point.

Our Ideal Mechanical Design Engineer…

• Team Player: Humble enough to admit mistakes. Drive to do a great job. Treats teammates with respect

• Experienced: Previous experience drafting with SolidWorks (3 years preferred). Strong computer skills. Background working in manufacturing a plus

• Innovative: Enjoys research and working with a team to uncover solutions

• Hands-on: willing to collaborate with equipment operators and spend time on the shop floor

• Good Communicator: Able to communicate effectively with teammates and other departments

• Mechanical: Aptitude for troubleshooting and improving equipment

2. Your job posting tries to disguise a grunt work situation as a noble calling

When you write a job description, ditch the rah, rah, boilerplate, especially for lower-skilled, lower-paying jobs. That may work with kids straight out of school, but it can discourage other perfectly adequate job candidates. Here is an example of what I mean:

If you are excited to deliver great values to customers every day; take a sense of pride and ownership in helping drive positive results for a team; are committed to treating colleagues and customers with respect; believe in the power of diversity and inclusion; want to participate in initiatives that positively impact the world around you; Come join our team. You’re going to like it here!

This picture is all very jolly, but the employer is not fooling anyone. The example above is for a part-time, seasonal job at a department store. The kind of mature, responsible person this employer wants to attract isn’t going to be impressed by this ode to the dignity of serving humanity. They just want a part-time seasonal job.

Applicants for this kind of job know they’ll spend much of their time picking up and refolding clothes that customers have dropped on the floor, stocking shelves, keeping an eye out for shoplifters, and ringing up sales quickly and efficiently. They may like it well enough, but it’s a rare person who finds fulfillment in this sort of thing.

They know from their friends that you’re probably not going to offer them a full-time job after the holidays, and they probably don’t want one. They just want to score a signing bonus, a store discount, and pay off their January credit card bills. Don’t insult their intelligence by pretending this job is more meaningful than it is. It’s essential to your bottom line but not to the survival of the species.

3. You’re asking too much for what you’re offering

In the aftermath of the Great Recession, when companies laid off many highly skilled workers. People were losing their homes and were desperate for work. Practically nobody was hiring. Employers got in the habit of asking for the moon, offering very little in return, and getting it. Times have changed. Your job postings should reflect that. The balance has shifted, and it’s your turn to bend over backward.

According to Glassdoor, a new hire in this job can expect under $40k a year with benefits. Here’s what the employer expects in return:

What You’ll Do:

Manage a team of content writers and updates editors.

Establish and enhance relationships with content creation leaders to make content profitable while maintaining brand authenticity and values.

Provide solutions to features, systems, processes, and partnerships as bugs or issues arise.

Top edit content and coach writers to improve actions, voice, authenticity, and trustworthiness.

Lead writers to create highly actionable connections with users through their words.

Oversee day-to-day execution of the commerce content strategy, from pitches and assignments, to being a liaison between SEOs and performance marketers, to editing to publishing.

Support search and commerce goals with a flexible mindset and the ability to change course quickly.

Enhance the user experience of commerce content through creative layout, clever copy, and choosing retailers appropriately.

Work directly with the brands on new ideas and commerce optimization.

Monitor trends and the economy to incorporate shifts into writers’ weekly priorities as needed.

Support the directors on the Commerce and Edit Teams in network wide communication, weekly and monthly meetings, and reporting.

Who You Are:

You have a minimum of 7 years of experience working in a fast-paced digital environment, with a focus on top-editing and perfecting content.

You have experience managing a team.

You have previous top editing, copy editing, and content editing experience.

You have excellent communication, organization, and leadership skills.

You possess a flexible mindset and have the proven ability to manage hectic daily deadlines.

You understand SEO and commerce content best practices and have content management system experience.

You are well-versed in using Google Analytics, affiliate revenue dashboards, and data management platforms.

You have a collaborative spirit and are energetic and approachable.

Would you do this job for $35k a year? I wouldn’t. Although I have a lot of what they’re looking for and might be an excellent hire for them, I don’t tick all their boxes and have no desire to take on that kind of responsibility for so little money.

4. Your job posting excludes salary information

It may come as a shock, but one of the first things job candidates look for on a posting is salary and benefits. So if you’re not offering that information upfront, unless the description is of their dream job to die for, they’re going to keep scrolling.

If your posting doesn’t include salary and benefits information, or you try to fudge it with phrases like “salary based on experience” or “opportunity to advance to a position with benefits,” they know two things about you:

1. You’re hoping to sucker them into taking less than they’re worth.
2. You have no respect for your prospective employees.

Nobody wants to work for someone like that.

5. You don’t separate the need-to-haves from the nice-to-haves

In a perfect world, we could open an app on our phones, conjure up an image of our dream employee’s qualities and qualifications, and a service like Instacart would drop them off on our doorsteps. That day may come, but until it does, be realistic.

Do you absolutely need someone proficient in those six software programs you mentioned? If you don’t, say so, or great candidates with proficiency in only five of them might not apply. Would it kill you to invest in a bit of training?

Is it essential for your candidate to be an “upbeat, positive person with endless enthusiasm”? A description like that might discourage a potential dynamo who’s feeling depressed about having to look for a job.

I suggest you also avoid terms like “rockstar.” To say you’re looking for a “rockstar marketing manager” indicates that you expect them to live and breathe the job 24/7, take on enormous pressure, and forget about having a life. Besides, unless they’re Mick Jagger, people who think of themselves as rockstars tend to be delusional about their abilities.

Final thoughts

If you’re having trouble filling positions at your company, look at how you’re marketing those positions to prospective employees. Keep your job descriptions lean, simple, and direct. Be honest and transparent, and demonstrate a willingness to be flexible.

In today’s world, workers have been through the meat grinder multiple times. They know one when they see one. If you want people eager to work for your company, be the kind of company where people want to work.

It’s also foolish to forget the massive pool of people over fifty who are perfectly qualified, competent, skilled, and intelligent, but who corporate America makes a habit of ditching long before they should. I know dozens of them. If you feel funny about managing someone who could be your parent, get over it. That’s your problem, not theirs.

Go back in your files and see if anyone your company laid off in the past is interested in coming back. Americans have no problem electing presidents in their seventies, and that’s supposed to be the most challenging job in the world. So it stands to reason there are 55 or 65-year olds would do just fine tackling most of what you need. So strike a blow against the ageism epidemic and give them a chance. They may surprise you.

©2022, Denise Shelton. All rights reserved.