It's not you, it's me: A blind date guide to job descriptions that don't suck
By Trevor Stafford on March 10, 2008 - Comments (View)TS: Hi there! I’m Trevor, nice to meet you
JD: Yes it is. Before you sit down I have a list of things you need to be able to do.
TS: Sorry? (reads bulleted list of responsibilities) Uh, well I can do all of these things. I even…
JD: Wonderful. As part of your dating obligations you’ll be expected to take care of my essential needs—creativity and innovation are important to me. You also need to work hard, because I’m the best date that you’re going to find. I’m such a knockout that I don’t even shave my legs.
TS: So that’s what was in my drink. You know, I’m really looking for a relationship where I can build on what I’ve learned and explore some new ideas with the right partner.
JD: Don’t worry, I’m incredibly dynamic, fast-paced and challenging. It says so right on my t-shirt.
TS: You know, you remind me of an ex of mine…
JD: That’s hardly the positive attitude I’m looking for. This relationship requires a ‘can-do’ approach and great communications skills. You need to innovate and be creative while you work independently in a team.
TS: You said some of that already.
JD: It’s important that you understand my needs.
TS: Your needs sound like everyone else’s. What about me? How will we grow and what will we share?
JD: This isn’t about you. I’m a stunning success story, haven’t you heard? I just put out a press release!
TS: That’s great, but what are you like
JD: Look, you’ll love meeting my demands. Please show me your qualifications.
TS: Oh hey! I forgot about my double root canal, I have to run.
JD: When you come back we’ll evaluate your suitability. Do you have strong problem-solving and communication skills?
TS: Cheque please! (runs away)
JD: Call me! (shouting) On second thought, just send an email to this generic address!
Sound familiar? It should, because 90% of technology job descriptions are a lot like a bad blind date. They say the same things—in the same vaguely selfish way.
In fact, the impression I get from most job descriptions is that I’d be joining a work gang in service of the great leader.
My guess is that a parallel of this scenario plays out out on tech job boards and career pages across the country.
Viewers click. They scan. They leave.
It doesn’t have to be this way.
| Four ways to improve your job ads • Write down what your role offers the ideal person. Create a paragraph with that information and call it ‘The opportunity’ • Don’t say what you want them to do. Say what they will get to do • Speak in second-person (you’ll) so that they can visualize themselves in the role • Talk positively about your company and its recent wins or product developments |
There are headlines left, right and centre about Canada’s technology talent shortage. So how do you succeed in a lean market? By differentiating.
Most technology job descriptions do not differentiate, they ignore three golden rules of advertising:
1) Identify your ideal (target) candidate
2) Put yourself in their shoes
3) Speak to their specific needs and desires (make it more about them and less about you)
And if I might add my own pet peeve:
4) Speak well
But a job description isn’t advertising!
Yes, it is. Particularly when there’s slim pickin’s in them thar fields. A job description is the first (and usually only) contact between your company and your ‘perfect’ candidate. It’s an advertisement for the position and indirectly for your entire company.
If you were to have a conversation with a candidate, would you read a job description aloud to them? Of course not. You’d tell them what they’d be working on, introduce them to who they’d be working with, and generally try to help them feel positive about the role.
Why don’t job descriptions do that?
Most technology jobs ads read like instructional movies from the 1950s. Just substitute a toothy ‘hey, that’s swell!’ grin with ‘we’re fast-paced, dynamic and challenging’, and add shiny phrases like ‘problem-solving’ and ‘written and verbal communication’ skills and you have half a tech description.How to turn what you’ve got into something they want
You don’t need to be a combination of Hemingway and Seth Godin (would that be Sethingway?) to write a good job description. I write 90% of the jobs you’ll find on Red Canary and most of the time I’m able to excavate the interesting bits of a job from the sediment. Things get even easier when I know something about the company.
My approach? Take that doughy, ‘roles and goals’ doublespeak and squeeze out the opportunity.
Exhibit A
Here’s an example of a Senior Product Manager role for CiRBA. The original job description is actually pretty decent, I’m merely using it here as an example of how ‘decent’ can very quickly become ‘compelling’. All it took was a visit to CiRBA’s website and some interior decorating.
Old Description
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This privately held, VC-backed vendor of Systems Management solutions has a growing number of Global 3000 clients. Serving industries as diverse as Financial Services, Telecom, Oil & Gas, Technology and Managed Services, CiRBA enables cost-effective virtualization and consolidation. We are seeking a Product Manager to join the Product Management Team. As product manager, you will articulate product features from existing ideas, and help to develop new ideas based on your consolidation and virtualization industry experience, and your contact with partners, customers and prospects. You must possess a unique blend of business and technical savvy; a big-picture vision, and the drive to make that vision a reality. |
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New Description
Put your stamp on a sizzling product and company that isn’t simply leading its market, it’s shaping it. This role blends long-term vision, strategic decision-making, and hands-on tactical savvy. Your industry experience will give you perspective; feedback from partners, customers and prospects will help turn perspective into ideas, and your expertise will turn ideas into well-executed success. It’s the kind of job that has you racing to work on a Monday morning. There are a dozen reasons why CiRBA has been recognized as the #1 virtualization vendor to watch in 2008. Your gusto, big-picture vision and tactical skill could be reason 13. About the Company Serving industries as diverse as Financial Services, Telecom, Oil & Gas, Technology and Managed Services, CiRBA’s cost-effective, optimized virtualization continues to attract global interest. |
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What changed?
Where this job description said ‘you must’, I helped it say, ‘you get to’ at a company where ‘you want to’.
The old description told the candidate that they would be joining a team. The new one says they will be valued. I asked myself “what would the right candidate get, career-wise, from this job?”. The answer: they get to take a young product to market for a hot company.
If I was a product manager I’d be drooling. Why? Because this is the kind of role that would prep me for an even more senior or executive-level job.
Bottom line: a description shouldn’t hand the reader a ransom note with a list of demands. It should get them excited about the opportunity in front of them.
| The single-best reason to write a good job description Chances are good (especially on Red Canary!) that the person reading your job ad is gainfully and even happily employed. Some of them will be ‘A-league’ talent that’s not really looking, but might be curious if the job could improve their career or offered a challenge. Your description needs to be extra enticing if you’re going to get even a glimmer of interest from what could be an excellent candidate. |
But we’ll be swamped with unqualified applications if we lower our standards!
Just because you demonstrate why a job is great doesn’t mean you can’t also be stringent about what you’re looking for. Good candidates want to know they will be challenged. If the job is technically demanding, say so! Besides, would you rather receive 50 resumes that are terrible and one that’s perfect, or 10 resumes that hover between rotten and average?
But this position is dull!
So what! Is the company dull? Is the group dull? Are the customers dull? Is there no room for promotion or professional growth? There’s always something about a job that’s cool or promising. For example:
• Would a junior find growth and professional development in this role?
• How much responsibility and/or autonomy would they have?
• Would a developer be building from scratch? Would a sales person benefit from a strong support team or good comp plan? Would a product manager get to own a roadmap?
• Would they get to work with a particularly accomplished mentor? (Note that young musical prodigies are often described as having ‘studied under Maestro so-and-so’.)
• What’s great about your team or product or methodology?
• How is the company doing? Is there job security?
• How many people have you hired recently?
• Is there a good chance of promotion?
• Do you have an example of someone who has moved up fast? Can they comment on the position?
Are all jobs sexy? God no. Do all jobs have aspects that might tantalize the right candidate? Absolutely.
I don’t want people who think we owe them something
It’s possible that you think your company shouldn’t have to write attractive, candidate-focused job descriptions. It’s possible that you think people should earn their jobs and that applicants are lucky to be accepted as employees in the first place.
Don’t let your job description grow up to be vapid and self-serving |
Go ahead and feel that way. I’m challenging some fundamental assumptions about the nature of this whole work-for-pay thing, I admit that. I also think you’re dangerously wrong.
If you’re saying ‘but we’re so-and-so company and everybody wants to work here’ and your company name doesn’t rhyme with frugal or dapple then I think you’ve been dipping into the company kool-aid.
It isn’t difficult to re-write a job description. I can do it in less than an hour and my guess is that you could do a much better job with insider information.If that hour is the difference between a great candidate and one who thinks that your company is demanding and self-centred, then it is time well spent.
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Comments
mar 13 2008 11:58
5 Reputation Points
Couple of other thoughts on these terrific recruiting points… mainly that the best ads are still going to depend on ‘who’ is screening the resumes you invite…
How do you treat that excited candidate at the first point of contact? While applicant tracking systems at least acknowledge a candidate, many companies do not even automate a courtesy e-mail response – how big a turn-off is that….
The ‘20-Second Look’ – is anyone reading the cover letter…? If the screener thinks they are just a time grabber, you could be missing out. Great candidates will likely take the time to lay out their strengths and connect it with your ad.
You’ve laid out your wish list, but is your screener ticking boxes for today – or do they really have the savvy to know that diamond in the rough for tomorrow when they see it…?
Edit (for another )mar 13 2008 13:42
10 Reputation Points
I couldn’t agree with you more. What you’re suggesting is another piece of the puzzle in terms of a holistic approach to hiring.
HR (and/or hiring managers) could to take a few lessons from product management and marketing here: devise a strategy, implement a candidate-friendly message, and get buy-in from internal resources up and down the org chart.
What I don’t understand is why companies aren’t already doing this. Is it that hard?
Edit (for another )apr 17 2008 10:23
0 Reputation Points
Trevor,
You’re so right. Most job descriptions are not only flavours of vanilla, they are also not helpful to the candidate.
Providing information on “why” and selling the company and role to the candidate is critical.
Also critical is providing a thoughtful description of required competencies in addition to a short list of absolute “must-haves.” Competencies need to link to company values, management’s own required competencies and a meaningful method of evaluation. And, when the must-have list gets too long it becomes irrelevant.
geoff
Edit (for another )www.talenttech.com