Even though we are called Recruitment Consultants, we don’t spend an awful lot of time consulting. Surely it is out job to point out things that can be improved throughout the recruitment process.
At Maru we believe that continuous improvement and better outcomes can only happen through healthy, robust, meaningful challenge and investigation.
So, rather than say what to do right – here are five things we think need to change when it comes to writing a job description.
In fact, we are setting out to create a Job Design Revolution – so read these tips of what NOT to do and check out the event at the end to get involved!
You are writing a shopping list of skills that you want to buy
You need to ask yourself: why are you recruiting for this role? What do I want this person to do, and who do I need them to be? Then write down all the things you want them to achieve and do for your organisation. What really are these skills, and where are you going to find them? This process is pivotal in building the right candidate shortlist.
You are not being honest about the true expectations of the candidate
Believe us when we say the candidate wants a true, full picture of what their everyday will look like. This is not a sales pitch and you need to tell the whole story. The good, the bad, the opportunities, the challenges. This creates an honest, adult, and progressive tone from the start – which sorts out the wheat from the chaff.
You are recruiting purely for now, and not for five years’ time
At Maru, our motto is that every time you bring someone new into your business, you have the opportunity to make it better. Not just now, but in 1, 5 – even 20 – years’ time. You could be recruiting a future CEO! Try and think about this first and foremost, rather than the tasks or projects you need them for right now.
You are not telling them about the bad bits!
You want to recruit the best person for the job, but most importantly, you want to keep them. If you hold anything back that they might not like, they will soon find out, leave, and you will then have to start the process all over again. Remember what may seem like an awful element of the job to one person, may be a rewarding challenge to someone else.
You are hiding behind the screen of your employer brand
Candidates want to see your personality – and we mean real personality, not what you think people want to hear. Talk about specific examples of how you display your culture and purpose, and how they can contribute to this. Sticking to the ‘rule book’ of the EVP to the letter often means you lose the essence of what makes the culture amazing in the first place – which is, of course, the people.
