Hiring! It has been a hot topic question of the year, especially since the employee market is so scarce right now. But every good business owner knows it’s not just about hiring somebody, but it’s about hiring the right person: someone who is the right fit and engages with the company. Because let’s face it, the companies with high retention and high efficiency in their employees? They aren’t hiring just anybody.

There is one specific key that I’ve implemented and seen implemented successfully in so many other companies that it has proven to be the #1 key to hiring in today’s economy:

A Job Description is not a Job Ad

Although this has always seemed second nature to me, it doesn’t appear to be common practice, so let’s dig in! 

A job description is the measure of success or failure: it’s a list of activities that the employee is responsible for. A job ad is what you publish to attract people to your company.

Although a job description can be helpful for attracting potential employees, it often results in candidates that don’t actually understand the job. Ultimately, I’ve found this kind of job ad results in employees that perform poorly and generally end up quitting.

The other issue? Blending in.

When you go about your hiring process like everyone else, you’re going to end up with the candidates that everyone else is looking at who are going to produce the results that everyone else is getting. And if there’s anything I’ve been talking about lately, it’s the fact that you must stand out and be different to get anywhere. 

Posting a job description is what everyone else is doing. So if you want different results, do something differently. 

The Difference…

If you want to attract the right kind of applicants, here’s what your job ad needs to look like.

Skill Highlight

Inside your ad, make sure you highlight the kinds of skills needed to perform the job successfully. All of the hard skills that make a difference in being successful in that job. Not a line-by-line description, but a quick overview of what it might look like to perform the job. 

A Quick Caveat: I don’t want you putting out something that everyone has out there. If your list of skills looks identical to that of another company, it might be time to reevaluate what you’re looking for.

Skill Match

Make sure you’re not asking the impossible with your ad. You’re not going to find the person who is creative in the overall arena and flourishes in detail-oriented work, people just don’t work like that. So when you create that list, make sure it is a list of skills that all work together. If you need a detail oriented person, don’t go looking for the person who has grand ideas and no way to make them work. When you create a job ad, decide what kind of person you want to hire and do a deep-dive into what they think like and how they’ll contribute to the company. If you can focus your ad around the kind of person you want to hire, you’ll find your ad resonates with the right people for the job.

Culture Thrive

The other aspect of the job you want your ad to focus on is the company culture. Company culture is one of the most important aspects of any company, and someone who fits into the company is going to be a lot easier to work with and onboard than someone who doesn’t get the culture. A great way to include this in your ad is to say “the person who loves ______ will love working here because we _____ in _____ area of the world.”

Short and Sweet

Finally, make sure it can all fit on one page. No one wants to spend tons of time reading up on something they might not get (unless you’re communicating with a High C in the DISC Communication Profiles). So if you want your job ad to grab attention, make sure it is short, sweet, and focused on what is unique about working with you. 

Some Extra Stuff

That’s the basics of creating a great job ad that will stand out and provide different results, but there’s one more piece that I like to add on as a sort of bonus: DISC Communication Profiles.

I love looking through the job responsibilities and figuring out what DISC Communication style will fit it best. Ultimately, it helps me recognize how to communicate with potential employees and it helps me speak in a way that finds the kind of person I need for that job.

Ultimately…

It will take you a little longer to find the right applicant with this kind of job ad. You’re probably going to get fewer applications. But that’s actually a good thing! Because your time is valuable, and it’s much better spent on 3 good applicants than 300 bad ones. 

You’ll be amazed at the kinds of responses you’ll get when you start posting job ads this way!

About the Author:

Stephanie Scheller is a TED speaker, a two-time best-selling author and the founder of Grow Disrupt. In just under a decade, Stephanie has been behind the scenes with more than 2500 small businesses. She has worked in groups and one-on-one to create total business transformation & help business owners live the life they got into business to create!