Business Tools

Tips for Attracting Top Talent: Step 1–The Job Description

By Amelia Zwecher

career center
Finding the best employment candidates can be challenging, oftentimes because skilled individuals are often selective about where they apply and even more so about the job offers that they accept, especially if they are currently employed.

Most managers and business owners would agree that finding the best employment candidates can be challenging, time consuming and costly. Skilled individuals are often selective about where they apply and even more so about the job offers they accept, especially if they are currently employed. It’s a safe assumption that top talent seek employers who appear well structured, professional and employee friendly.

An abundance of published articles highlight the importance of branding in talent acquisition, but fewer focus on how the job description actually portrays a company. How can an employer create a standout job description that is easy to understand, but doesn’t leave too much ambiguity to the job seeker? Here are some simple tips to assist automotive industry employers:

  • There’s a fine line between too much detail and not enough. Always include the basics: job title, summary, key responsibilities and duties, skills and qualifications, department and supervisor, salary range and benefits, location, type of employment and company overview.
  • Use direct language and less industry jargon.
  • Always spell check and ensure every job description follows the same layout and format. Consistency and accuracy are important.
  • Make every effort to avoid using exclamation points and all capital letters to emphasize specific words or phrases. The message may not relay to the reader as intended and could offend someone.
  • Embody the company culture and personality of the organization in a couple of sentences. It’s ok to include fun and friendly information that’s appropriate and will attract candidates. The SEMA Career Center offers some exciting job posting enhancements that are worth a look (social media recruiting, digital job video and featured job).

“Remember first impressions are often lasting ones.”

The SEMA Career Center is a one-stop shop for expert advice and talent acquisition. Look out for upcoming articles in SEMA eNews identifying additional steps to attract top talent. Visit the SEMA HR Hub for more information on developing job descriptions and check out the HR Hub User Guide.

For more information, contact manager of career services, Amelia F. Zwecher, PhD, PHR, at ameliaz@sema.org.