Are your job postings fueling employee turnover?
Posted July 7, 2017
By Michael Henckel, associate editor, J. J. Keller & Associates
Job postings and job descriptions work hand-in-hand to help you find the best candidates for your organization. Written effectively, job descriptions let employees know what to expect of a job and what that job expects of them. As an extension of job descriptions, good job postings help attract highly qualified candidates. But when job postings fall short of providing an accurate picture of the job, candidates are misinformed, and retaining them as employees becomes much more difficult.
This isn’t what I signed up for
If you have ever had employees leave your company shortly after coming aboard, you are not alone. A recent survey from BambooHR revealed that 31 percent of employees have quit a job within the first six months. Naturally, the reasons for leaving varied, but the second most popular was that the job didn’t match the employees’ expectations – namely, the job posting didn’t reflect the work actually performed.
Draw them in, and keep them long term
To ensure your job postings accurately reflect the realities of the positions in your organization, consider the following:
Review and update job descriptions regularly. Employers often feel a sense of urgency when a position needs to be filled. Instead of reaching for the standard job description on file, take the time to (re)examine what you expect from the role or how the job duties might have changed since the last person was hired. Talking with a supervisor, or with an employee currently performing the job, can give you clear insight into the current role. Also, periodically reviewing job descriptions and comparing them to the duties performed will ensure that your descriptions are up to date, allowing you to be nimbler when recruiting is necessary.
Define responsibilities. Not all job duties can be detailed in a job posting, but being too vague will not help you attract the best candidates. Clearly defining the duties of the job, and focusing on the purpose it serves within the company, might help attract the type of employee you want for the position. Instead of listing only requirements, explain specific skills needed as well as growth opportunities that candidates will gain in the position. Many job satisfaction surveys show that workers feel more valued when they understand how their individual contributions impact the bottom line.
Provide salary information. Some employers prefer not to list a salary range within a job posting, but it may ultimately save time for both candidates and hiring managers. It can be disappointing for a hiring manager to spend time in multiple interviews only to find out that the candidate would never accept a position under a specific salary point.
Describe your company culture and mission. Candidates looking to build their careers want to be passionate not only about their jobs, but also about the company where they work. Explaining your culture and mission will help candidates decide whether they share the same values as your company.
About the author:
Michael Henckel is an associate editor at J. J. Keller & Associates, a nationally recognized compliance resource company that offers products and services to address the range of responsibilities held by human resources and corporate professionals. Henckel specializes in topics such as the Fair Labor Standards Act, employee classification, and compensation. He is the author of J. J. Keller’s FSLA Essentials guidance manual. For more information, visit www.jjkeller.com/hr and www.jjkellerlibrary.com.