Of course, the sentence below falls into the “easier said than done” category.

Hoping to make the doing a bit easier, I wanted to share with you four very effective job descriptions tactics…or dare I say four of the world’s most interesting job descriptions. Adapt any of those tactics to your company’s voice and employer brand and watch candidates’ reactions to your job posts change.

1. Using a trendy/interactive format

nrp-job

Sometimes what your job posting looks like can be more important than what it says. Using eye-catching formats shows that your company is innovative and willing to present information in easy to digest manner – pretty important if you are a news organization like NPR.

tattoo

The second example above is a tattoo parlor challenging candidates to test their precision drawing skills. Now, granted that tattoo artists probably aren’t your typical target demographic. Still, this ad is a great example of using a very engaging and interactive format, while showing off some tech-savviness by using CQ codes. Great way to show that your company is innovative.

2. Speaking in the candidate’s language

Engineers are typically pretty tough demographic to recruit since there is so much demand, but the two examples below show how you can stand out from the pack by speaking the candidate’s language. Both job postings scream, “We get you, we speak your language, we like geeky” and reassure the candidates that the company posting the ad is a great cultural fit. Also, what a great way to very quickly weed out candidates who don’t have the knowledge, inquisitiveness or persistence the job requires. (hint: the first ad is a billboard for Google)

google

airforce-job-ad

 

3. Using humor

This one is not for everybody and not all companies can make it work, but if you do…then get ready for viral fame. Humor instantly makes any job posting shareable on social media. It shows a lot about your company culture and the people you are looking to hire.

For example, lululemon posted a hilarious CEO job ad earlier this year that went viral within a day. Every major media outlet covered the story and the company received plenty of interesting CEO candidates. Although there is a risk of quantity over quality in such situations, at least lululemon was loud and clear about the CEO personality they are looking for.

 lululemon ceo

Another example is the job ad below targeting school bus drivers. The employer took a position that may not be very glamorous and infused it with humor. The tag lines on the side of the bus not only clearly list the perks and upsides of the job, but do it in a way that will get a chuckle out of everybody. What a big win for school bus drivers and their employers.

bus-ad

4. Showing “a day in the life of”

Sometimes the most effective job description is just showing what a day in the life of this professional would look like. Descriptions like that are subtle yet very eloquent when it comes to the type of personality the company is looking for, the work hours the candidate should commit to, and the type of challenges they will encounter.

The ad below shows a day in the life of an account manager in a creative agency and oh my, is it clear that they need to put the customer first and be very patient and friendly while doing it.

agency-ad

 

Do you have examples of other job posting formats that are very effective?

 Employer Brand Playbook