James “Doc” Counsilman, swim coach to the great Mark Spitz, was the oldest person to swim across the English Channel at the age of 58. What makes this story so remarkable? He had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease 4 years before that swim. In order to prepare for that amazing swim, he sat in ice cube baths to prepare for the cold water. When reporters asked about his pain level upon his completion, he said “it only hurt once… from beginning to end.”
Last week, I finished a job and hired a fabulous candidate for my client. We interviewed 38 people, had over 100 applicants, then we ran into wall after wall. We had multiple no-shows, offered the job to someone who couldn’t take it, and had someone walk out without shaking our out stretched hands. Upon our glorious candidate accepting the job, my client turned to me and said “Is there ANY way you can make this process less painful?”
The simple answer is no. I wish I could. Frankly, this process is not the most enjoyable business activity. Hence the reason businesses often put it off until the need for someone is so great that they have to begin the interview process. There will be days when you truly despise the process and even me as your interviewing coach. What you will get when you work with me is that I make your life so much easier after you go through this process and after we find the A-list new hire you are seeking. You WILL be able to take days off, you WILL be able to rest, you WILL be able to trust that things get done, and you WILL hurt a lot less once you swim that channel. And just like Doc said, “It will only hurt once…from beginning to end.”
I have read multiple articles recently about writing resumes, and the primary school of thought is that a candidate has 3 second to capture the attention of the hiring manager. The resume has to be easy to scan, because the hiring manager is looking at hundreds of resumes, and they will only look at the candidate for 3 seconds.
Did you know that the same is true for candidates looking at job ads? When a candidate is applying for jobs online, they will review a ton of job ads in one sitting, and apply to those jobs that sound appealing.
So how do you write a job ad that stands out? Here are a few tips:
1) http://city-made.com/img_1016/Do not use your job description as your job ad. Usually job descriptions are long and tedious to read, so candidates will not spend the time to read it fully and completely. They will scan it, and you have 3 seconds to capture their interest.
2) Cần GiờUse your mission statement in the first line of the ad. Candidates want to know that their work is playing a part in something larger than themselves. They want to know that their work matters, so tell them WHY your company is doing what it does.
3) Keep it short. Begin with your mission statement, use a few bullet points to tell candidates what you are looking for, and then give clear instructions on how to apply. You can always give candidates more information as the interview process continues.
When you are writing your job ad, remember this is a marketing piece. Make the ad a direct reflection of the job, the mission and the values of your company. It is an invitation for them to apply, and you want the tone to be positive. At the end of the day, you only have 3 seconds….
Every once in a while, I apply for jobs just to see what candidates have to go through in order to get a position. It is important as an interviewer to understand the process from the candidates’ perspective. The application process is a direct reflection of the company who is hiring. While every interview process is different, if you want to NOT hire good people, here are some NOT to do’s:
1. Make the application process so hard that good candidateswould rather have a root canal. One company I applied for posted an ad with an incorrect link. I was really curious about the position so I went to the company website and located the right link. I discovered that I had to write an essay of my qualifications and how they fit into the job description. I also had to send a resume, cover letter, references, and a salary history. The link to send the materials in was also incorrect so I moved on to the next one. While gathering good information on your candidates is important, asking for too much will discourage the applicant and give you more paperwork to review. A well crafted resume and cover letter should tell you all that you need to know to determine if you should move to the next step in the interview process.
2. Be disrespectful of the candidates’ time. One company asked to schedule an interview with me. They asked me to be 20 minutes early. The day before the interview, I received frantic email asking me to actually arrive another 40 minutes earlier than that. I was an hour early as requested. They started the interview at the original time.
3. Leave people hanging. I interviewed with another company that told me they would give me an answer within three days. Two weeks went by without any communication. I sent a follow up email re-iterating my interest in the position, and I still haven’t heard from them. If you do not intend to hire the candidate, at least send them an email thanking them for applying and let them know you filled the position.
4. Be confusing. One company asked me to interview and I ended up watching a 45 minute sales presentation. This is not an interview.
5. Be vague. A company that doesn’t put their name on the job ad will get people looking for a job. A company that standsbehind their ad with their name on it will get people looking for the next perfect position.
James “Doc” Counsilman, swim coach to the great Mark Spitz, was the oldest person to swim across the English Channel at the age of 58. What makes this story so remarkable? He had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease 4 years before that swim. In order to prepare for that amazing swim, he sat in ice cube baths to prepare for the cold water. When reporters asked about his pain level upon his completion, he said “it only hurt once… from beginning to end.”