Part 2 of 4: A simple way to elevate your job descriptions.
"You can win by being different." - James Clear
The battle to attract local talent is fierce. The care organizations that routinely win this battle for talent tend to have a winning formula; their hiring funnel is strategically built to gain attention and interest from top candidates.
One of the essential elements of your hiring funnel is your job description. It’s the first time a candidate ‘hears’ from your organization. Yet, most care organizations do not spend the time to critically think about what they are saying in this all-important first impression.
So how do you use your job description to be part of your winning formula? In the words of James Clear, “you can win by being different.”
In part one of this series, we stressed the importance of understanding your agency’s value proposition and how you are different from agencies in your community. In this article, we’ll focus on bringing that point of difference to life in your job descriptions so you can win the attention and interest of local talent. If you don’t know what’s unique about your agency, I recommend you read part one of the series here before reading any further.
Job descriptions are both art and science. The same job can be described in a thousand different ways. These steps will help you write the best one.
Step 1: Understand what you’re up against
Search for jobs from other care organizations in your area. What do they say? You will likely find that most job ads appear almost identical - usually focusing on technical requirements and details of the role. The average time spent viewing a job ad is just 15 seconds. Which means you have 15 seconds to capture attention. Only once you have read the job ads of your competitors can you begin to understand how you can stand out and win the attention of local talent.
"build a human connection with the reader."
Step 2: Stand out then win interest
The first objective of a job description is to capture attention. Only once you have attention can you then focus on winning interest. Remember - you have only seconds to convince a candidate to keep reading.
Most agencies focus too much on the requirements of an open role. If you want to stand out, you must take a different approach. Lead with heart and save the technical details till the end.
The most effective job ads build a human connection with the reader. To make this connection, it is essential to bring the spirit of your agency to life. Open strong by sharing your mission or leadership philosophy in the first or second line of your job description. If you have spoken to your staff and understand your point of difference (as recommended in part 1), this is the place to highlight what makes you unique. Consider the first three sentences as your window of opportunity to stand out and win the readers’ attention so they keep reading.
Your job description should feel like it’s written by a human being, not a corporate robot.
Step 3: Let others speak for you
Candidates want to work for an employer who genuinely cares about them. Show that you are a great employer by including a testimonial from a staff member. Including a quote shows that you value the voice of your employees and that you deliver on your commitment of being a great place to work. Letting others speak for you is a great way to build credibility with a candidate. Try to have this quote in the first five sentences of your job posting so that candidates see this right away.
Key Takeaways
Assess your local competitors to understand how they are communicating opportunities and how you can stand out
You have only a few seconds to convince a candidate to keep reading, focus on grabbing attention then winning interest
Once you have attention, win interest by leading strong with your heart and aiming to connect with candidates on a human level
Save technical details till the end of the job description
Use a quote from a staff member to boost the credibility of your organization
At Caribou, we know these tactics work because we have seen them generate a real impact with our customers across the United States and Canada. We work with agencies to supercharge their recruitment and retention with a simple and powerful rewards program designed for home care. If you are looking to improve your recruitment and retention or have a question about these tips, we would love to hear from you. You can send us a note at contact@caribou.care or book a quick chat here: book a meeting.
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