By Tommy Mello, owner of A1 Garage Doors, a $100M+ home service business.
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Here’s what many job descriptions say: “Must be qualified. Must work weekends. Be here on time…”
Here’s the fact: No one wants to apply when it sounds like a jail sentence!
Look, I’m not saying that you shouldn’t spell out the working conditions and hours. All that is important. But these details should never be the main focus of your job description. Instead, write it like a sales pitch. Sell them an opportunity to work with you. The best employees have options, and you need to show why you’re the number one option for them.
With that in mind, here are four features to include in your job description to send that message.
1. What Your Employees Say
You can use the most persuasive words, but it won’t matter if you can’t prove what you say. A lot of companies say that they have a great culture and that they empower employees, but do you believe them?
Here’s a better way to convince superstars that you’re worth working for, without making them feel like they’re being sold to: Let your employees do the talking. For example, feature current employee testimonials so that candidates can get a feel of what it’s like to work in a specific role. When they can imagine what it’s like to work for you—through the eyes of their co-workers-to-be—they are more likely to be sold!
2. What Success Looks Like
To help them further imagine themselves in the role, tell them what they need to do and who they need to be to win. What are their day-to-day responsibilities? What skills and qualities do they need to have?
By being specific and concise, you filter out the wrong candidates right away. And for the right candidate, you help them see that they have what it takes to be a superstar. For example, here’s what one of our job descriptions says:
To be successful in this role, you will need to be organized, efficient, persuasive and have practical problem-solving skills. You will be interacting with our customers daily…
3. How You Will Help Them Become Successful
Once you show candidates what success looks like, show them how you can help them get there. Apart from benefits and perks, talk about the training you will provide to help them become a top performer. Briefly describe the type and length of training they get. Here are a few examples:
Apprentice Technician: Four weeks apprentice training in home location market and four weeks technical training located in Phoenix, Arizona.
Customer Support Specialist: Remote customer service training for two weeks.
4. How Promising Your Company Is
Competitive people will want to be part of something exciting. If you had to choose between a leaky ship, a stable but slow ship, and a rocket ship, which would it be? In your job description, talk about how your business has grown and will be growing.
If your business is new, or if it’s not doing too well, you can still attract A-players by painting a picture of your future. In 1998, Steve Jobs convinced Tim Cook to join a near-bankrupt Apple by selling him its strategy and vision. And as you know, the rest is history.
