How to Write a Job Post So Good That People Want to Take a Pay Cut to Come Work for You

5 tips to score good-fit talent

Photo by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash

In the last few days, I have looked through hundreds of job posts. I have a project that requires me to do that. And I am stunned at how mundane job posts are.

First, you can’t blame the company for it. They’ll probably get hundreds of applicants anyway. There are a lot of people looking for jobs. There is almost always a saturation. Too many applicants are chasing after too few jobs.

But there is a trickier problem — finding the right fit. We all know it’s not about qualifications. But recruiters try to make it feel that way. And there are those who try to explain stressful things in fancy ways.

For example, saying things like, “You must be a self-starter”. Nope. You use those words and you are either going to get someone desperate or a rookie. The real talent that you want will likely scroll away on seeing that.

Now, the tips here are not for everyone. Certainly, some of them may not work for you. But some of them might improve your game a little bit and that makes a whole world of difference if you are really going after talented people.

If just anybody with the right skills and qualifications will do for you, everything I will say here won’t make much sense to you. But if you want the rare breeds, if you want the exceptional talents, here are some tips for you:

1. Choose a recommendation over an application

What is the #1 nightmare of any recruiter? It is sorting through the huge pile of applications to find some good-fit people.

I have had clients who were recruiters for big companies and they tell me that 90% of the applicants they get don’t even measure up to their lowest standard. But they have to carefully look to avoid judging a good applicant by the ones they’ve seen prior.

And I have thought about this myself. If I were seeking talents, how do I make sure I am not swamped with endless work of sorting through a huge pile of CVs where 95% are not even what we are looking for at all?