Here is an article from Selling Power that is spot on – Fishing for Recruits?
The first step, says Silverman, is to get creative with your titles. “You can write a great job description, but if it’s buried under a boring title such as ‘Account Manager,’ no one is going to click on it. A good title [like a good headline] is going to create a call to action.
He’s right. The days of counting words, employment ad shorthand and simple position titles are gone. I still see companies using this approach as I stated in a previous post. Stop now and make the adjustments. The only part of an ad the candidate will see is the title so it best be strong and distinctive.
Finally, some excellent questions from the article to help focus your ad towards the right candidate. Remember, the strongest candidates should see themselves in the ad.
“What is the job’s primary purpose or contribution to the department or organization?
What are the essential duties and responsibilities?
What are the all important aspects of the job?
Are they performed daily, weekly, monthly, or annually?
Think about what is necessary to the job €“ is it really a bachelor’s degree?
How will the candidate be challenged on the job?
What does the company want them to accomplish? Is it realistic? Has it been done?
Most important, what’s in it for the candidates?”