One fine day, a huge wave of transformation struck us in the form of a pandemic and we evolved. Our methods and policies changed as we struggled through the crisis. This unprecedented wake-up call was enough to fasten the coming of the digital era which was due for more than a decade. The sudden impact has in fact thrown various organizations off balance. Massive layoffs and unorganized hiring structures limped companies to their very core.
With the demand-supply chain skewed towards supply, our hiring patterns have distorted. Today, we find it difficult to fill in a specific position with the right talent. The search for competitive talent is perplexed now more than ever. This leads us to focus on aspects like – ‘How to grab their attention?’
Can we deal with the state of play by just adapting to digital? Or, do we need to reform minute yet important operations such as designing a Job Description?
A year ago, this might not have seemed relevant, but today it is. Moreover, this is the age of Millennials, they not only value innovation but also seek new and fresh ways of working. Organization’s culture and the meaningfulness of their job matters more to them than the Job role or compensation. Why will someone apply for a specific position if your Job Description does not attract them? And, this is where you might have lost a potential candidate!
Consider them your customers
When you put out a Job Description, treat it as an advertisement. Something which generates interests among the target audience will also magnet a pool of deserving candidates. Gone are the days of traditional JDs that plainly stated responsibilities and roles. They might work for freshers but not for experienced professionals. While you are seeking to pick the ‘cream of the crop’, it is imperative to adopt strategies to attract and gather the right talent.
Looking for niche talent is as difficult as finding a needle in a haystack. Usually, all the promising and bright talents are already secured and taken care of by their current organizations. The remaining are busy finding opportunities through Job descriptions that are redundant. By now, it is clear how a JD is ‘The first impression’ of your company, and why it can help you make the right choice. The question is HOW?!
The ideal New-Age Job Description
Since the millennials like to explore and tap into new segments, offering them the same can be attractive. It is essential that a JD covers aspects beyond the ordinary such as complete insights about the culture, leadership, benefits, along with the role, its purpose, and significance. A detailed description that introduces the candidate on how their job will create a difference in the organization and an impact on the environment will leave them intrigued.
Also, enhancing creativity through digital platforms will direct freshness. A video JD is likely to grab more attention than plain text. Visuals and graphics will connect the audience much better. Involving some faces from the organization will give it a personal touch and including contributions from the employee being replaced can improve the understanding of the job description.
Bottom Line
During the tenure, an employee participates in several other roles apart from his/her basic job responsibilities. These tasks can be very specific to the organization, and thus requires additional attention. Whilst looking for candidates for a specific role, you are actually looking for a professional who has handled a similar set of responsibilities. This makes the hunting process even difficult and the burden falls on the JD to communicate the right information. Take a step back and rewind to the original role of the employee and address the actual role.
In subsequent blogs we will learn how to design a Job Description on paper and also look at various aspects of a video JD, let’s call it the ‘V-JD’