When ads are relevant, the right people respond. The same with job ads. They are also your marketing. Full stop. So, are your job ads relevant, and when people apply, is it only the right people, so you don’t waste your or their time? Or are they answering questions no one is asking? Are they being a living proof of your brand’s personality?
As a marCAREting woman for 17 years, I’ve been on the inside of how it looks for someone epic looking for a job for the past 7 months and answering the same old “been there done that” job ads, beeing ghosted, rejected 85 times, and still believing the win-win situation can happen. So, I had to do something and wrote up these 7 ideas from my experience and from the amazing Tom Hunt’s LinkedIn magic, Zac Smith’s, and Roy H. Williams’ articles, for you to use and find the perfect match, human2human.
IDEA 1: WRITE ABOUT THEM, NOT YOU!
Bad advertising is about you, your company, and your product. This is true when you’re trying to sell to customers. It’s also true of job ads. So, don’t make your job ad about your company, your staffing needs, or what the prospect can do for you. Make it about them, their needs, and what you can do for them as their employer. Question: In the ad, do your potential employees need to know about your company, the job, and where they’ll be working?
Yes, they do. So how do you tell them about your company without making the ad about your company?
“Weave the details in through narrative,” Zac Smith says: “If you need someone who can lift fifty-pound sacks, a bad recruitment ad would have a bullet list item that says something like, “Must be able to lift 50lb sacks.”
Instead, make it about them by saying, for example: “…and when the truck comes in at 8 am, you’re there to help them unload the 50lb sacks and stack them in the warehouse. But that’s not a problem for you because you’re strong and know proper lifting technique.”
For each job requirement, skill set, or point you need them to know about your company, weave it into a story about them and when and why they’ll encounter it.
Examples:
Bad job ad: you need to be communicative, a team player, pro-active!
Good job ad:
“When the phone rings (and it rings a lot!), you will pick up with a smile (because the voice sounds better when your lips are in the smile position), and as a good communicator, you know how to listen well – you repeat their sentence, ask sub-questions, write all of it down into our CRM system, so you are on track on how to best serve those clients each day!”
“Some days will be crazy busy, and your co-worker might also be on holiday – so, hectic. But you will not mind answering some phone calls from her clients too who are urgently looking for some info, because you are a good team player and you know she would do the same for you!”
“Each morning at 8.30 (after we have our standing 10-minute check-in team meeting), you’ll write down 10 names for cold calling, research them for 1 hour and make the calls because being proactive with cold calling is your superpower.”
You get it, right? By doing so, they’ll see themselves doing the job in their mind’s eye (and also use active verbs in the 2nd person in the present tense – because this is how we create images in people’s minds). Once they’ve rehearsed it in their mind, they’re very close to acting it out in the real world.
This way, you are speaking to this person’s aspirations, interests, and strengths. Why? Because this human will probably not know much about your business/brand or the job position, but (s)he will absolutely recognize him/herself in the description. Your goal is for the person to say: “That’s me!” Talk about the HUMAN personality, traits, skills, worldview, values, not just diplomas and skills.
IDEA 2: QUESTIONS ARE THE ANSWERS! There is nothing more irresistible than a question. So write questions to challenge the prospect to answer your questions (in their head first). This is how you will weed out all the “not right fit” people. And the questions are also your company’s values and this is how they learn about you. Genius!!!
Examples:
“Do you also believe no idea should be thrown away at meetings?”
“Do you also believe mistakes are lessons?”
“Do you also believe building relationships is more important than making a quick buck?”
“Do you also believe self-awareness is the key to a great team dynamic?”
“Do you also believe one shouldn’t kill him or herself for the job and quality time with yourself and your close ones is equally important?” Of course, address also something more technical, so you “test” the knowledge you are specifically looking for!
The perfect human would say: “Damn, that is a job I would be proud to say I have!” BINGO!
IDEA 3: TALK MONEY Tom Hunt writes:
Pint of cider (in London): £7.20
Aperol Spritz in Naples: €7.00
Espresso in Rome: €1.00
Everything I buy gives me a price first, then I decide. There are just two things that don’t:
- The vet
- Job descriptions
Instead, when we discuss salary in a job description, we get:
- A ridiculous range
- “Based on location”
- “Based on experience”
- “Based on the lowest we think we can possibly pay”
Wasting candidates’ time repels the best. Publish the salary. Agree?
RULE 4: TRANSPARENCY Be nakedly honest and transparent about the process of getting this particular job – so candidates feel calm and confident about it and can arrange their time to go through it all! You can imagine the stress, so it’s only fair to take some of it off their shoulders with transparency.
The job application closes on _________ (date).
The job starts on _________ (date).
The chosen candidate will know the final decision by ________ (date – at least ______ days before the job starts).
After you send your application, you will receive an email confirming we’ve received it, and we will give you the timeline of the whole recruitment process, so you will be able to plan and prepare without too much stress.
“Please send your CV and X (if you want something else with it – video, audio, motivational letter, etc.) to _______________ (email, address, etc.).
This is what your 1st email says (and this can easily be automated, of course):
Dear _____________ (name and surname),
It’s a pleasure and honor to “meet you.” Thank you for considering our company and taking the time for all of us to meet. We believe lives can be changed during this process, ours and yours, and we can’t wait to read your application and get to know you.
In order to take a bit of the stress out of this process, here is the timeline of the process (of course it depends on your process but here are just some examples):
– 3-5 days after the job application process closes, we will notify you whether you have been picked for the live interview, which will happen ____________ (on Zoom, during the morning until 11 am with __________ (explain who the person will have the meeting with, for example: your future department leader, HR person, and CEO), and it will last 45 minutes.
– Or the meeting will take place at ___________(at our headquarters, give the address), which will last _____ (how much time?) and usually happens at _______ (what time). You will be compensated for the travel costs and receive a complimentary breakfast or brunch (or not! Just be transparent about it, so they can plan and prepare). We will also need you to show us your drawing skills by drawing X (if, for example, you are selling doors).
– In 2 days after this interview, we will send you a written answer about our decision and also call you on Zoom for a short 5-minute chat (whether you are accepted or not).
If you are chosen for the 2nd final interview with our CEO, we will invite you to our headquarters _______ (address) or on a private Zoom call, where you will have a 30-minute chat.
– If you are chosen, we will send you a written answer about our decision and also call you on Zoom for a short 5-minute chat (whether you are accepted or not).
– Then our HR director ________ (name) sends over the contract, waits for your feedback, then you sign it at our headquarters with a little welcome “ceremony” or you sign it online and we have a quick Zoom chat doing so.
– And then it’s time for a win-win time together at ____________ (company).
Do you have any additional questions? I’d love to hear from you!
Yours sincerely,
name/surname, job title, email
Get it? Just so simple, clear, practical, transparent, and human2human and with respect.
RULE 5: LOVE IS IN THE EAR (YES, EAR :)
Your brand is unique and memorable, right?
Now do something unique and memorable in your job ad: use the emotions of audio and record a few of your current employees’ statements (who explain the values of your company or how a day in your new job would look and feel like with all of them as a team), and make a welcome video out of it for all people applying for the job. Put this as a link into your job ad, put it also on your website, social media, or the radio (if it’s a job for a certain part of the country, use a local radio station).
RULE 6: BE CURIOUS
Empower your hiring process by looking beyond diplomas to uncover true talent and potential. Sole reliance on diplomas can overlook key attributes and talents. Consider the HOLISTIC profile of the candidate: practical skills, both technical and soft, hands-on experience, and real-world problem-solving. Ability to learn and grow in dynamic environments. Diverse backgrounds foster innovation and fresh perspectives. Be curious, curious, curious to know the person behind the diploma or no-diploma.
RULE 7: TAKE A CHANCE ON SOMEONE
Tom Hunt writes: “If you interviewed 17 people and didn’t make an offer…
It’s time to start looking in the mirror.
Perfect candidates don’t exist.
If someone: Gets it. Wants it. Can do it!
Give them a chance. Remember, who took a chance on you?”
The most effective marketing? CARE. For your brand, for the person on the other side, for the marketing induustry! This is marCAREting.
Lenja Faraguna
