Here's a checklist for hiring documents:
- Write a detailed job description defining the title, duties and responsibilities, requirements of the job and the skills and education desired. Some companies have human resource departments that help in this function. Include any financial and staff responsibilities. Identify specific technology and tools used in the job. Note the FLSA (Fair Labor Standards Act) exempt or non-exempt status of the job, as well as the working hours and days the job demands. This will be part of your advertisement.
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List the core competencies of the job and construct open-ended questions that probe for these experiences and accomplishments. Focus questions on what the job seeker has had to demonstrate in his or her past performance that indicates potential for success in the job you have open.
- Identify the benefits this job provides. These include the compensation, medical and dental benefits, life insurance, 401(k) or profit-sharing plans and such benefits as paid parking and paid time off.
- Know the salary range, when annual performance reviews are given, what they measure and the average increases given. Don't give out the salary range to the applicant, but find out what he or she is currently making and give an indication of how that relates to your range.
- Note any incentives or management-by-objective bonuses.
- Note training and tuition reimbursement available.
- Note if relocation is provided and what that allowance is.
- Define the company culture, the department culture and the environment in which the job is done. What script will you use to define your company consistently to job seekers?
- Define the hiring manager's style and ability to coach, train and give direction. What skills does this manager most appreciate in a direct report? What things has this manager found troubling?
- Define the unique aspects of the job. What is the ability to grow and learn? How diverse are the duties? What is the measure of independence, the travel time, the budgetary responsibility and the supervisory responsibility?
- Define the selling points of the job. What is in it for the candidate that makes this opportunity stand out above other job openings? This is critical to note before writing an effective recruitment ad.
- Draft the advertising skeleton — the basics needed to post the job.
You want the best qualified candidate. You don’t need to have 25 applicants. As a matter of fact, employers have told me that they don’t want 25 unqualified responses. Rather, they say, "give me the best three or four qualified candidates."
Knowing this, it may be a better use of your time to advertise your position with a niche site, focusing on the audience you wish to target. Poynter Career Center, for example, is the number-one journalism site and will help you find the best potential job seekers in the business. We will help you address the active and passive job seeker. We will help you write an effective ad.
Next: Writing an ad that gets you positive results.
