Dice asked what kinds of facts or descriptions are often missing from IT job postings that they would find most helpful. When we saw the results, it seemed to us that the responses might apply equally well to all kinds of job applicants, especially those with skills that are much in demand. For example, Dice also seeks out candidates in accounting and finance. More than a third of respondents said that information about the actual work they would do is missing from most job postings. Here's sample language from a real job description that Dice offered as a good example: "You will be responsible for improving our foundational software to enable our company to scale to hundreds of thousands of concurrent users. You will collaborate with operations to steadily improve the scalability of the current service without suffering downtime."
Other inclusions that job seekers said they like to see are the particular skills they will need, a salary range for the position, a list of the benefits and perks the company offers, including any that are unique, what they will have the chance to learn on the job, how their work would serve the company's overall mission, and more. Dice also advises employers to show the zip code where candidates would work and include information about the culture, so seekers can tell if they'd be a good fit.
Says Dice regarding work culture, "Is your organization an aggressive Web 2.0 company with a start-up feel and an open-cube environment where flexible IT folks, who can wear many hats, thrive? Or are you more 'big company,' with private offices, well-defined jobs, and a culture that offers great work-life balance and excellent formal career paths?" We can think of lots of examples of work culture advantages that would appeal to all kinds of candidates. For example, if many employees have long tenure, you could highlight the presence of potential mentors to share their institutional knowledge.
If employees seldom come into personal contact with customers, you might highlight the casual, relaxed atmosphere. By contrast, if customer contact is routine, stress employees' roles in creating a friendly and professional atmosphere. Intrigued by the idea of podcasts or blogs to attract candidates? Dice advises that you avoid making them too slick; candidates are suspicious of hype.
So you have to ask yourself these important questions:
- what differentiates you from other employers
- is your culture nurturing
- is there job path creation
- are you getting the cream of the crop
- are you spending your recruitment budget in the right places
Your comments and suggestions are appreciated.
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