I’m on a mission.

Anyone who has dealt with me in business for any length of time knows I’m hard-core against best practices… at least, I say I am. Like anything in life, love, and money, it’s all about the nuance. Simple fixes aren’t simple very often. There is a whole set of complex things happening in the background. Your business has the same unique properties and complex flows that make it happen, and you need to figure out how to create more effective job ads to save you time and frustration. 

Are best practices bad? No, they’ve often been proven to be successful, but they are often the average of what is being done; “common practice” would be a better term for what people do, claiming “best practice.” Let me break down my analogy for you. 

The Patient-Doctor Experience

I have a friend who is a doctor. She practices in the field of anti-aging medicine. What is anti-aging medicine? Well, that’s the hook, the term ‘anti-aging.’ She’s really intense when it comes to hormones, hormone balance, hormone replacement, cardiac health, and lifestyle. One of the things she speaks often about is when people go to their physician and are told their numbers are average, or on the low side of average. 

Given the health averages in the USA, the average never seems to be the optimal level.People who go to their doctor seeking treatment for an ailment are often overlooked because they are average. They have a complaint, they know something is wrong, the doctor looks and says, “Well, you’re average, so there is nothing wrong.” Do you want to live in average health, or do you want to live in optimal health, given your circumstances? 

Bringing it Back to Business

The same question applies to business. Everyone is having the same problem with hiring right now: overwhelmed with applicants, lack of qualified applicants (I will talk about this, but not right now), people no-showing for interviews, employees that wash out in a couple of months, wasted time on advertising, hiring external services and those costs, on-boarding, the list goes on. Then you have the added hard-to-account-for time of replacement. If you’re a small business owner, you don’t have time for these calculations; you just know they are costing you more money than you can afford to spend. You have sleepless nights, you berate yourself for not being good at the employment selection game, and the shame spiral starts. You can successfully avoid the shame spiral when you learn the secret behind an effective job ad.

So, you make up the hours on your personal time, which isn’t sustainable, but it’s what Charlie down the street is doing too. You’re doing what you can, and you’re getting average results, not optimal results. 

What if you stop doing what Charlie down the street does? He’s getting your same results, and he has the same complaints. You know what? You look further down the street, and Sarah is getting similar results, and she has similar complaints. What do all three of you have in common? What can you do that is different from Charlie and Sarah. 

That’s where I like to help businesses shine. Here are some tips I’ve learned over the years when it comes to attracting the right person to your business.

Get Real with Recruiting

Be vulnerable and real in the ad. Years ago, when we were still figuring out online employment ads (Gen-X checking in!), a local recruiting firm wrote an advertisement that went viral. The ad went something like this:

Picture this: It’s 7:59 AM. A herd of barely-awake, coffee-clutching creatures shuffles through the door, grumbling about how it’s too hot, too cold, too rainy, too dry—basically, the weather has never been correct, not once. Someone’s knee hurts. Someone else’s knee also hurts. No one knows why. The coffee machine is either broken or the coffee “just doesn’t taste right.” The thermostat is adjusted approximately 14 times before lunch.

And yet… somehow, despite the chaos, these thick-skinned beasts pull it together and make, on average, over $125K a year. Miraculous, really.

We’re looking for another hungry alligator to wade into the swamp and make some money. Ideal candidates have a strong bite, a good sense of humor, and the ability to thrive in an ecosystem of high-performing complainers er… Executive Recruiters. Thick skin required. Hunger for success a must. If you’re too easily miffed (not including coffee issues), easily discouraged, or prefer a workplace where everyone arrives bright-eyed and bushy-tailed…this is not that place.

If you think you can thrive in the swamp, let’s talk. Just don’t complain about the thermostat.

Several other firms did their own twist on the ad, and it was around for a while because a lot of inside salespeople understood what the environment was like based on that ad. Probably the most real ad I’ve ever read in my career. You don’t need to be that clever, but you do need to stand out. 

They Know the Job, They Don’t Know YOU! Do this instead.

Get beyond your job description. The job description invites a bunch of people with the same title to apply, and they don’t know anything about your company. The best job ads will say:

• What the culture is like
• What the manager is like
• What the growth opportunities are (or aren’t)
• What the pay is (this will weed out so many people!!!)
• Then all the typical small print stuff, but put it at the top: benefits, hours, average tenure, schedule, holidays… all of it

Keep your ad different from Charlie’s and Sarah’s; post the job duties after the sales pitch:

• Only have 3-8 bullet points of job duties (that’s it!)
• No more than three background requirements
• 2-5 skill requirements

The people who are interested in the job are more likely to apply, and the people who aren’t are more likely to screen themselves out. While this isn’t foolproof, I’ve noticed my applicant responses slow down and have better contenders when I give them the information upfront. 

Hurdles and Hoops Are for Show

Don’t make them jump through needless hoops. Why? Because some people are good test takers and some people are good workers, some people are both. AND!!! Desperate people will move through hoops; people who don’t have time for hoops or value their personal time won’t. You want someone on your team who will also value your business time. Let that sink in. If you want them to value your time, you must value their time.

So unless you need a good test taker, don’t make the job a series of tests. I know these tests are made to help screen people out fast. Tests can be as simple as “put your favorite video game in your response” to as complicated as “write a cover letter telling us 1) why you want to work here, 2) what in your experience is a slam dunk, and 3) outline a five-year marketing plan for us.” The first one about the video game is likely relevant with tiny companies that don’t have an ATS system, I’m not totally a fan, but I know why it’s used. For the longer requirements, you’re just asking for AI to do the work for the candidate. Or you are getting a good test taker, but maybe not a good employee. 

When you write an ad properly, the applicant count will have already reduced. This will help you get past the average result, and into the optimal result. 

The Proof is in the Pudding

I recently followed my own advice with two clients who had very similar openings. One client office was super quiet, mostly onsite work (hybrid was a one-off there), and required a degree and a very specific professional goal. I had it posted for 14 days online, and we had about 85 applicants; most of the interviewees spoke about wanting a quiet environment, and the other portion of applicants had the professional goal required. 

The second position was a fully remote position, which you know everyone and their brother seems to apply for these days; we could hire anywhere in the nation. This company loves personality tests and Brene Brown, so that was all over the ad, along with the need for the same degree and whatnot. I received 111 applicants in six days. Job search statistics right now would normally have 300+ applicants in 2 or 3 days for a remote job (and that did happen to me recently). Why did I get so few applicants? Because I created an optimal ad that was true to the culture of my client. You better believe the people who cited reasons for applying beyond “remote” were taken seriously in the interview because they read the ad. 

I did not require a cover letter or an online application for either. They just sent their resume through the one portal. Easy peasy. Had I posted a job description out there, I’d still be combing through the responses for a qualified candidate. I like to provide a solid solution and quick turnaround time, so a little upfront work makes all the difference.

Wrap It Up!

In business, you have a niche that sets you apart, it’s optimal for your client. Why should your job ads be standard? Think of your employment ads as the extension of what makes your business uniquely optimized, not average and lackluster. 

Try the format I listed above, and send me a note telling me what changes you see or didn’t see when recruiting without a job description. Also, what practice is right for your business that is specific to you. I want to hear all about it. If you need help managing your next recruitment, get on my schedule for a free half hour of conversation and problem-solving.