In a tight job market, companies are changing the way they write job descriptions, adding a greater level of detail and tweaking the language to entice a broader range of applicants, including more women.
Some businesses are getting more casual in their lingo and more lighthearted with their tone, while others, like General Informatics, are buckling down on the nitty-gritty, day-to-day responsibilities, explaining the downsides of the job to help candidates determine whether to apply or opt out.
For example, if you’re willing to devote at least four hours a week to independent reading and learning—and then routinely incorporate the new concepts into your skill set—then you might consider applying for the software developer position General Informatics wants to fill. Otherwise?
“This will not be a good fit,” warns the second sentence of the job posting, “and let’s not waste time.”
This type of efforts, according to human resources professionals, reflect widespread frustration with job postings from both applicants and employers.
Vague descriptions can lure in too broad a range of candidates who might not be well-equipped for a role, omitting seemingly inconsequential but ultimately critical information that helps applicants make sense of a company’s culture.
Whether it’s the inclusion of an estimated salary range or the number of emails someone applying for the position can expect to answer daily, one common trait emerges among the best job postings: The more specific, the better.
Read the full story about how job postings are changing from the Oct. 8 edition of Business Report.
