The Emperor's New Clothes
Recruitment reflected pt 5
The nature of most recruitment advertising is that they don’t show why a reader should consider applying.
Adverts describe what the vacancy is, but not why it matters.
Puns aside, I’m not a particularly imaginative writer, but I do know how to write words that are effective in starting a conversation with candidates.
I do this iteratively, by looking at what I can do differently every time I write an advert, whether that’s for a job board, for a DM or a phone call.
The crux of these words is the answer to two questions.
Why does the vacancy matter to the employer and why might it matter to the reader?
The first question relates to context.
Show context in your adverts and you’ll already stand head and shoulders above many adverts. Here.
Context alone might fulfil a reader’s personal needs.
However, context doesn’t matter a jot to the reader if it doesn’t relate to their why.
What might appeal to their ikigai?
Do they want to make a difference? Do they want to be challenged? Do they want development?
You can’t possibly know what your readers want, can you?
But you can identify what your vacancy and company offer that might fulfil your employees, and these points might well be enough to appeal to your next employees.
And you can also relate these points to why people move jobs, why they might need a job or why they might want the job.
Why do people resign from their roles?
Ask any poll and you’ll get these answers interconnectedly:
Money
Career development
Culture / bad boss
Flexibility
Lack of training
Lack of fulfilment
Fancy a change
Even if a reader is out of work, they’ll likely have these points in mind based on previous experience.
It’s likely related answers were given to you by your employees when you interviewed them and asked
“Why are you looking for a new role?” or “What are you ideally looking for?”
Their answers are gold dust, especially if you can cater for it.
Simply reflect what they told you, in your adverts, and you’ll appeal to others who have the same issue.
“My company refuse to pay for training” becomes
‘You’ll be joining a company that invests in your future, with fully funded training.’
“My boss is a micromanager” becomes
‘We’ll enable you to get your job done, and encourage you to make mistakes as you learn.’
“My company doesn’t pay me enough” which few are bold enough to say becomes
£Competitive salary…. Ah, no. Tell them what you’ll pay them, that’ll help. If you’re offering more money than they earn, that might be enough alone (high risk though and can lead to a cycle of salary inflation).
“I want my work to have more meaning” becomes
Your work will contribute to developing technology that will improve the lives of millions of people through this that and the other… if it’s true.
The more you recruit for one particular employer, the bigger your bank of answers from current employees and candidates.
If you look for feedback on their ‘why’, you can build it iteratively into your adverts, and you can use them over and over again.
Coming back to my approach, this is why every phone call and direct message talks to the candidate’s needs and aspirations. If it aligns with what I’m offering, they sell the opportunity to themselves.
And if I periodically recruit the same role for one employer, I look back on the conversations that were most productive and build that insight into my next adverts.
In a sense, adverts aren’t so much about selling, as they are about making it easier for readers to buy, or at least make an enquiry.
Why should they do that?
For roles you are familiar with, you have access to those answers already, you just have to show it.
For new or problem roles, you can at least rely on what makes you a good employer, but for unknown unknowns, you might seek help.
Nail the answers to those questions at the top, then you can look at writing more creatively.
Go for creativity without answering those questions, and you’ll have the Employer’s New Clothes of an advert.
Your peers will tell you how wonderful they are, they may even believe it; your readers may not even tell you they don’t care.
I’m happy to be the child in the crowd that shouts out and says you’re actually naked if you like.
If you’re a decent UK employer, ask me for a free ad review, and I’ll help you answer your Whys.
Thanks for reading.
Regards,
Greg
P.s While you are here, if you like the idea of improving how you recruit, lack capacity or need better candidates, and are curious how I can help, these are my services:
- Go-to-Market, operational and technical key hire recruitment
- manage & support part or all of your recruitment on an individually designed basis for one client. Flexible, insourced recruitment for projects, writing and direct hires. Save money, save time, and employ better candidates.
- recruitment coaching and mentoring
- recruitment strategy setting
- outplacement support
Just hit reply to check if my approach is right for you.