In this job search training lesson today, I answer a question from a 63 year old person wondering how they can compete against 30 million people in their job search.
Learn how to bust the myth that you are too old to find the job that you want.
Job Candidates
Do Your Job Postings Attract or Repel?
If you have to write a job posting, then write it to attract the right candidate.
Not long ago my sister Martha, a transitioning from college professor to corporate America, sent me a job posting. She said, “I think I can do this job. See, I can do these things.” I moaned. I am familiar with that kind of job. While she is certainly talented and the smartest person I know, no one would consider her for that job even though she met three of the ten tasks described.
At kitchen tables all over North America, job seekers are looking at ads and saying to themselves, “I can do that. I think I will apply.” Then they are disappointed when yet again no one contacts them about their applications.
Let’s stop this nonsense and start writing job postings that attract the right candidate. Let’s be more specific so candidates get a realistic idea of the job.
Here are some tips from a great LinkedIn eBook, How to craft job postings that convert:
- Know the main two or three things the ideal candidate will have to accomplish to be successful. Build your posting around those items and skip all the other tasks that distract from the main goal.
- What does an ideal candidate “look” like? What characteristics, interests, knowledge, skills and abilities does this ideal person possess? Draw a picture (an avatar!). Write directly to him or her as if you were talking to that person.
- Introduce your company in a way that reflects your unique company culture. What looks like warts to you will be appealing to the right person.
- Make you company appealing to the right candidate. That means the wrong candidates will not find your company appealing. That is ok.
- Use bullets not paragraphs. Make it easy to scan so candidates will know right away whether this is the job for them.
- Use keywords that the ideal candidates will use to describe the job they want. That way your posting will come up when they search using those keywords.
- Identify a distribution strategy (notice the new terminology?) so you can put your posting in front of the right candidates. You have to know where that ideal candidate hangs out.
How many of these tips are you currently using? Take another look at your job postings to increase the chances that you convert eyes into applicants, the RIGHT applicants!
Looking for ways to Improve your Recruiting on LinkedIn! Download this free ebook. Find the ideal people for those open job positions you are trying to fill.
Hiring Process Potholes and How to Avoid Them
Is your company aware of how your hiring process affects your candidates?
Janell interviewed for the perfect job three times. The hiring manager loved her. The last step was a courtesy approval from the VP.
That was in mid-June. Janell followed up regularly as she should, persistent but not a pest. After about six weeks the hiring manager stopped responding.. Finally eight weeks after her final interview Janell noticed the job was reposted with a different title.
Evidently Janell was not getting a job offer although no one told the candidate.
After analyzing the two postings, it seemed the new posting asks for an additional certification that Janell does not have.
Janell’s experience raises some important questions about the hiring process:
- Why did it take eight weeks to make a decision?
- Why didn’t anyone get back to the candidate?
- Why did the qualifications change when the job was reposted?
- Why didn’t the organization know what they wanted before they started interviewing three months earlier?
- How can the organization justify having the position vacant for so long? Isn’t that position important to the organization?
- What will Janell tell her friends and family about an organization that treats candidates like this? Think she is a raving fan? Will she have good things to say on social media?
- What is the impact on that organization’s brand if they treat candidates like this?
The hiring process in many organizations contains flaws like this. It takes too long. Hiring managers don’t know what they want. No one gets back to the candidates who are sitting on the edge of their chairs waiting to hear some good news. The organization’s brand takes a hit. Productivity is impacted.
You don’t have to treat candidates like this. Be aware of how your hiring process impacts candidates. Be considerate. Communicate with candidates. Know what you want. Save yourself the hassle of having positions open too long and candidates talking smack behind your back.
To view this video, or to view other videos featuring other strategic job search tips and tools from The Interview Doctor click here.
Why use Social Media for Recruiting
What is it worth to you to have the right candidate available to you when you need him or her?
Social media is the hottest thing in recruiting these days. Everyone in the recruitment industry is talking about using social media to identify passive candidates and increase employer brand and recognition.
In my experience many companies say they are using social media to recruit but actually they only slap a job description or the same old advertisement out on the Company website or LinkedIn page. Technically they are using social media to recruit. But in my view if that is the extent of your recruiting, you are missing the whole point and power of social media.
It is time to step away from reliance on job postings even in social media and consider some ways to leverage social media, particularly LinkedIn to find candidates. It is time to do some marketing.
Here are some ways to really use social media for recruitment:
- Share what is going on in your company – events, social activities, customer feedback, internal initiatives and company celebrations. Put this information on company pages in LinkedIn and Facebook. Tweet about these employee and community oriented activities. Build the “cool” factor by encouraging Likes and Followers. These are people who already think your company is great. They can be potential employees.
- Be visible and active in LinkedIn Groups and specialized social media pages and blogs where your target potential employees hang out. If you regularly search for mechanical engineers or sales people then be active in places where mechanical engineers and sales people gather on social media. Share information and ideas that can be useful to others. Write white papers and answer questions. You will be cultivating relationships with people interested in your businesses’ priorities.
- Identify the competencies or characteristics of the ideal candidates for key positions you recruit for. Go out in LinkedIn and search for people who have those competencies or characteristics. Connect with those people over business issues. Share information. Keep them close. Someday they might be the perfect candidate for a vacancy and you already found them!
- Encourage your employees to participate on LinkedIn then have them share job postings with their connections. Your employees might already be connected to the right person who may not even be aware they want to work for you.
This method of recruitment marketing takes some time. Weigh the cost (mostly time) against the benefits of better qualified candidates available when you need them. What is it worth to you to hire the right candidate to help you achieve business goals?
To view this video, or to view other videos featuring other strategic job search tips and tools from The Interview Doctor click here.
LinkedIn – the Talent Acquisition Secret Weapon
You have been accumulating LinkedIn connections for years now and finally hit that 500+ mark.
Good for you!!
Now what can you do with this resource? There must be a way to put these connections to work in the talent acquisition process. After all everyone talks about it.
LinkedIn is a powerful tool if used correctly and creatively. You just have to know how.
Here are three tips to using LinkedIn connections to find talent for your business.
- Ask questions. We start with a series of questions to understand which LinkedIn connections will support talent acquisition in your organization:
- What do you want the ideal candidate to accomplish? You have to be very clear about the outcome you seek.
- What keywords, interests and accomplishments would the ideal candidate possess? Create a picture of the ideal candidate so you know who you are looking for. This does not mean physical characteristics like age, sex or race. The characteristics you are looking for transcend those physical characteristics.
- Where does the ideal candidate hang out? Understand where you can find the ideal candidate: geography, LinkedIn Groups, blogs they read, interests, companies, etc.
- Once you have these answers you can start identifying your talent pool. Use the Advanced Search function to identify people who describe themselves like your ideal candidate. Research your competitors, LinkedIn Groups and interest groups.
- Then you reach out to people who fit the criteria of the ideal candidate. Your goal is not just to add these people to your LinkedIn connections which of course you should do. Your goal is to talk to them. Exchange emails, ask questions, talk professional to professional about real issues. In this way you build relationships with people on LinkedIn who can fill your talent pool.
LinkedIn is a powerful tool useful for many purposes. Most people just accumulate connections. We encourage you to dig deeper to build relationships with people who can expand your talent pool.
A word of advice. You don’t have to be in Human Resources to do this. Every hiring manager should be utilizing LinkedIn to expand your personal talent pool. You are ultimately responsible for creating a strong team to accomplish your business goals. Don’t leave it to chance. Don’t delegate all of this responsibility. Start building relationships with the right talent today.
To view this video, or to view other videos featuring other strategic job search tips and tools from The Interview Doctor click here.