HRevolution

I've just read a post where the writer advocates writing accurate job descriptions to ensure applicants aren't disappointed with their jobs. Here it is:

"I know this article is going to be controversial because businesses that rely on employer and recruiters are very reluctant to admit, that the customer isn’t always right. If employers do not put what they are looking for accurately in the job description they can’t expect to find it. It is like going on a road trip through New York State with a map of Arizona. Good luck.

In my experience as the President and Founder of several online career centers and an HR Consulting company, the vast majority of disappointed employers tend to complain about the unqualified applicants who apply to their jobs. However, the root of the problem is really the unclear job posting. The employers complain that the unqualified candidates who apply to their jobs are wasting their time but in fact it is them who are wasting the candidate’s time. All of the articles I read in the marketplace are for candidates helping them write cover letters, format their resumes and conduct a job search. Nobody does anything to help the employer with writing a clear job description.

The job description should include the following:
1) Brief Description Of The Company
2) Accurate Job Role and Task Description
3) Clear Directives Of Mandatory Requirements, Licenses, Skills or Years Of Experience
4) How, When And On What Criteria The Employer Will Follow Up With The Candidate.

Title is important as well, it should include the following:
1) Job Title
2) Level Of Job (Senior, Junior, CEO Etc)
3) Geography City & State/Province"

The author leaves his contact info in case we need to hire him. I find it odd that this advice appears on Collegerecruiter.com where I assume the emphasis is on entry level recruiting. Getting a job description right, as the author suggests is sound practice. But to those hiring entry-level people, following his prescribed format has limited utility. Job descriptions are written by insiders - people familiar with the company, the job's surrounding roles, and the industry. The reader is an outsider. The entry-level applicant is an uber-outsider. They know little about any company, and even less about yours.

Clarifying your job description for the college market means translating it from corporate speak into terms they can understand. For example, the corporate norm "the position has 5 direct reports" is very different from "responsible for the production of 5 people, and at our company supervisors act more like a resource than a boss." Its surprising how entry-level people respond when you do it right. Its worth the time testing different approaches as you hone your message for a specific audience.

While I'm at it, let's take the critique beyond entry-level. Job descriptions can do only so much to describe a job. Again, the writer is an insider and can relate the elements to a world not described in the job description. For example, some companies have lots of titles. Others have very few. I worked at a company that had only 3 or 4 titles and when you hit "manager" it meant a great deal, as there were only VPs and a president above you. When I left there, I went to a company where "manager" described the entry-level role. The job description writer takes such things for granted. The reader has no insight. In my experience, the best you can do is try to make the job description brief and accurate. You simply cannot presume you can convey your understanding of a role in a job description. Simply outline it accurately, and get on with the business of recruiting.

Remember, recruiting is a contact sport. Keep the job description simple and spend your time making contact.