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V O L . X X I I I N O. I I JA N UA R Y 2 3 , 2 0 1 7 22 B Y H OW TO A critical fi rst step in acquiring top talent is to create an enticing position announcement. Diff erentiate your organization by attending to the fi rst critical candidate touchpoint in your recruiting process. Take a look at how you handle the details of your job announcements and design your advertisement to attract great appli- cants. ink of potential applicants as important customers who you want to "buy" your opportunity. Your goal is to get high-caliber applicants to respond to the positions you spend time and money to post. So catch their attention and reel them in. You won't do that by simply posting your company's dry and lengthy job descriptions. is is especially true if you are trying to entice people who are satisfi ed with their current employ- ment situation and are passively inter- ested in other opportunities. 5 tips to make that posting pop: 1. Sell the opportunity in the fi rst few lines If you post on a job board, the fi rst few sentences of your posting can appear right under the position title. Postings are picked up through a vari- ety of social network forums and job boards, so make those fi rst sentences count by talking about the opportu- nity or impact of the position. Start by focusing on what highly qualifi ed applicants are looking for, not what your organization needs. An example: "If leading a claims man- agement department from a functioning group to a great team interests you…" 2. Promote your company Include a paragraph about the com- pany's mission or vision, or the kind of workplace you have or are striving to be. Here is a place to speak to your compa- ny's employment brand, or best features. 3. Highlight just the job's most important responsibilities Avoid using a long bulleted task list straight from the job descrip- tion, and highlight instead just six to eight of the responsibilities. Change your perspective to thinking of your desired candidate and sell the job responsibilities. An example: "Identify process improvement opportunities, with a goal of decreasing handoff s and time to complete an order." 4. State only the key requirements for the position Include necessary content expertise as well as abilities that relate to get- ting the job done in your organiza- tion's culture. Again, stick to the most important things that an applicant must have, not an all-inclusive wish list. One of our clients, who is actively seeking a job, described his frustration with postings that feature "excessively long lists of requirements that no mere mortal could ever meet." With your key requirements, be specifi c. Instead of "excellent com- munication skills," identify the kind of communication that is required to be successful in this role. An example: "Ability to develop, communicate and present business recommendations to senior management." 5. Visual impressions count You do n't need fancy graphics, but most readers, especially those who are casually looking, won't eagerly plow through a paragraph that is four inches of dense text. Just as when you view an applicant's resume, it matters if it's easy on the eye. Your upfront time will pay off . You'll receive high quality responses and they'll be from applicants excited about what you off er, who take the time to make a strong impression. While you're at it, you'll be making a positive contribution to your organi- zation's brand. L R i s t h e founder of Career & Workplace Directions, a Portland-based human resource consulting and outplacement f irm. She can be reached at @ . B Y L E S L I E R O T H M A N Be a winner in acquiring top talent Your upfront time will Your upfront time will Your upfront time will Your upfront time will Your upfront time will Your upfront time will Your upfront time will Your upfront time will Your upfront time will Your upfront time will Your upfront time will Your upfront time will Your upfront time will Your upfront time will pay off. You'll receive pay off. You'll receive pay off. You'll receive pay off. You'll receive pay off. You'll receive pay off. You'll receive pay off. You'll receive pay off. You'll receive pay off. You'll receive pay off. You'll receive pay off. You'll receive pay off. You'll receive pay off. You'll receive high quality responses and they'll be from the applicants excited about what you offer. Catherine Wygant Fossett 798-2667 Catherine@fambusiness.org 2 0 1 7 MAINE FAMILY BUSINESS AWARDS 7 categories: • Renys Large Business Award (25 + employees) • Chalmers Insurance Group Customer Service Award • Holiday Inn By The Bay First Generation Award • People's United Bank Innovation & Technology Award • Shep Lee Community Service Award • Environmental Leadership Award • Maddy Corson Small Business Award (fewer than 25 employees) N O M I N AT E a business now for the 2 0 1 7 MAINE FAMILY BUSINESS A W A R D S www.fambusiness.org go to Self-nominations are welcome & encouraged PROFESSIONAL THEATRE FOR MAINE The Endlessly Amusing and Complex Connection between Children and Parents Jan 27 thru Feb 5 Under Skin the by Michael Hollinger A Funny, Powerful and Provocative New Play Season Underwriters: Austin Associates, Maine Magazine, Platz Associates, Sun Journal, The OX 96.9, Maine's Big Z105.5 Sponsored by: Butler Bros., Cross Insurance, Rent-It!, Mainebiz 31 Maple St., Lewiston thepublictheatre.org 782-3200 Winner "BEST THEATRE" in MAINE 2013-2016 Down East Magazine Readers' Choice Poll

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