Recruitment Hack #66 - Job Adverts Should NOT Be Attractive To Everyone
It may seem counterintuitive, but when you write an advert, you actually want to discourage a lot of candidates from applying.
Let's be fair: many people who apply for your jobs are unsuitable, unqualified, and waste your time.
What you want to do is repel the time-wasters by crafting adverts that are very specific to the role while also incorporating an element that requires them to exert a bit of effort. For instance, ask them to include something in the subject heading; if they don’t put “that” something in the subject line, you’ll know they aren’t paying attention and, unfortunately, are unsuitable candidates, allowing you to discard their CVs immediately.
It may seem harsh, but if they can’t follow basic instructions from an advert, they won’t follow basic instructions on the job. Hence, they are unsuitable.
So, explore various methods to deter candidates.
To begin with, when crafting the advert, present it in a way that is highly appealing to a specific individual you wish to attract.
Instead of saying “Has experience as a credit controller”, say “Has experience as a credit controller for five years within a manufacturing firm in the Greater Manchester Area.”
The distinction here is that you’re being much more specific, thereby encouraging credit controllers with perhaps only six months’ experience not to apply.
This Recruitment Hack is excerpted from my book 'Recruitment Hacks,' which is available in both Paperback and eBook formats.
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