Finding Employees in London
| Writing Effective Recruitment Ads | Reflecting the Personality of your Business |
| Importance of Detailed Job Descriptions | Guidelines for Writing Job Descriptions |
Writing Effective Recruitment Ads to Find Employees
Unless your business is very large, your recruitment advertisement will more than likely be the first introduction job hunters have of your business and the opportunities it could provide to them. Recruitment advertisements should therefore not only contain the bear essentials and requirements of the job at hand, but should also serve as a tool to promote your business opportunities and, by doing so, attract the highest calibre job applicants to fill your vacant positions and move your business forward.
Recruitment Advertisements should contain the following:
The importance of the wording and style of recruitment advertisements should not be taken for granted. Wording which is too informal may give off the wrong impression and may encourage too many low quality applications, while wording which is too formal may discourage applications from people in general and give off an impression of inapproachability. Finding the correct degree of balance between formal and informal writing styles is equally as important as the information the words convey. If you are unsure about how to word your ad, take a look at your competition and consider how related ads from other companies are worded.
Remember that recruitment advertisements offer you an opportunity to market your business and what you do and may be seen not only by job hunters, but by potential customers as well. Always ensure that any advertisement associated with your business interests accurately conveys to people what it is exactly that makes your business special and better than anyone else’s. In London, finding employees of the right calibre in the associated highly competitive labour market environment can often help drive your business ahead of your competition.
Importance of Detailed Job Descriptions
Creating a detailed job description is an extremely important step in the recruitment process to help you find the right employees. If you are struggling to decide what your business is looking for right from the beginning, than you will find it equally as difficult to decide which applicants to consider. Equally, potential candidates will need the information to determine whether they have the necessary skills, qualifications, and experience to apply. A detailed job description is one of the best tools recruiters have to filter the quality of responses made to their advertisements and ultimately find the right employee to fill their vacant position.
The following guideline aims to help employers compose their job descriptions (not all the information should necessarily appear in the ad but it should lead to employers gaining a greater understanding of what they actually require in terms of their recruitment needs).
Job Description Guidelines
Decide on a job title
Job titles should be specific and should accurately reflect the nature of the role. Potential candidates should feel proud associating themselves with the title and it therefore helps if the job title is professional-sounding and business-like. Equally, job titles should not be vague and should give an accurate representation of the duties, responsibilities, and objectives associated with the position.
Determine the position’s place within the hierarchy of the business
This is important as it involves the question of seniority which is essential when deciding on how the position should be remunerated. It can most easily be settled on by asking the following questions: Who will the position report to? Who will report to the position? How will the role fit into the overall organisational structure of the business?
Role overview
Summarise the key objectives of the position i.e. why you need to employ someone in the first place and how such a person will move your business forward. Create a step-by-step outline of what the position needs to achieve in order to be seen as successful.
Duties and responsibilities
Allocate the key functional duties and responsibilities that the job holder will need to accomplish in terms of the position.
Location and hours
Determine where the role will be situated and the times that the job holder will be required to occupy the position. For roles which require the job holder to move around a lot, write an accurate itinerary of a likely day/night in the life of such a person.
Determine the value of the role
Once you have an idea of exactly what the position involves; what it will achieve for your business; how it will fit into the structure of the organisation; how many hours per day/week it will involve; and where it will be situated, you will be able to come to a decision as to how much money the position is actually worth to your business. For most candidates this is one of the most important aspects of the advertised position, but it is not always necessary to include an exact figure in your ad. Have a look around at what your competition is offering for similar roles and then decide how much you will be willing to offer. Put these figures in the advertisement as a general range (between this amount and that amount) or leave it out and only volunteer this information to candidates when asked to. Come to a specific decision as to how much you will be willing to offer to a specific candidate.
Once you have gained a clear perception of exactly what the position involves and how it relates to your business, you will be able to gain a greater understanding of what kind of person you require to fill it in terms of the following:
Experience, skills, and qualifications
Detail exactly what the job holder requires in relation to any necessary qualifications, membership of any professional bodies, abilities, and past experience/know-how.
Competencies
Outline the key competencies required of any person potentially filling the position.
Person specification
Determine what personality characteristics would be most suitable in terms of potential candidates within the context of the work environment in which they will find themselves. Remember that the successful job applicant will have to work with you as well as with other members of your team and will therefore need to “fit-in”.
Finding employees in London and other heavily populated places can be both challenging and simple at the same time - always remember that finding the "right" employee is ultimately what your business requires. Be picky!
Recruitment Advertisements should contain the following:
- The name of your business/organisation.
- A brief description of the nature of your business.
- The job title of the vacant position.
- A brief description of the position including the main duties/responsibilities.
- Any special requirements associated with the position (such as the hours).
- The advantages/benefits attached to the position and your business at large.
- The skills, qualifications, and experience required of potential applicants.
- A brief description of what you are looking for in potential applicants.
The importance of the wording and style of recruitment advertisements should not be taken for granted. Wording which is too informal may give off the wrong impression and may encourage too many low quality applications, while wording which is too formal may discourage applications from people in general and give off an impression of inapproachability. Finding the correct degree of balance between formal and informal writing styles is equally as important as the information the words convey. If you are unsure about how to word your ad, take a look at your competition and consider how related ads from other companies are worded.
Remember that recruitment advertisements offer you an opportunity to market your business and what you do and may be seen not only by job hunters, but by potential customers as well. Always ensure that any advertisement associated with your business interests accurately conveys to people what it is exactly that makes your business special and better than anyone else’s. In London, finding employees of the right calibre in the associated highly competitive labour market environment can often help drive your business ahead of your competition.
Job Descriptions
Importance of Detailed Job Descriptions
Creating a detailed job description is an extremely important step in the recruitment process to help you find the right employees. If you are struggling to decide what your business is looking for right from the beginning, than you will find it equally as difficult to decide which applicants to consider. Equally, potential candidates will need the information to determine whether they have the necessary skills, qualifications, and experience to apply. A detailed job description is one of the best tools recruiters have to filter the quality of responses made to their advertisements and ultimately find the right employee to fill their vacant position.
The following guideline aims to help employers compose their job descriptions (not all the information should necessarily appear in the ad but it should lead to employers gaining a greater understanding of what they actually require in terms of their recruitment needs).
Job Description Guidelines
Decide on a job title
Job titles should be specific and should accurately reflect the nature of the role. Potential candidates should feel proud associating themselves with the title and it therefore helps if the job title is professional-sounding and business-like. Equally, job titles should not be vague and should give an accurate representation of the duties, responsibilities, and objectives associated with the position.
Determine the position’s place within the hierarchy of the business
This is important as it involves the question of seniority which is essential when deciding on how the position should be remunerated. It can most easily be settled on by asking the following questions: Who will the position report to? Who will report to the position? How will the role fit into the overall organisational structure of the business?
Role overview
Summarise the key objectives of the position i.e. why you need to employ someone in the first place and how such a person will move your business forward. Create a step-by-step outline of what the position needs to achieve in order to be seen as successful.
Duties and responsibilities
Allocate the key functional duties and responsibilities that the job holder will need to accomplish in terms of the position.
Location and hours
Determine where the role will be situated and the times that the job holder will be required to occupy the position. For roles which require the job holder to move around a lot, write an accurate itinerary of a likely day/night in the life of such a person.
Determine the value of the role
Once you have an idea of exactly what the position involves; what it will achieve for your business; how it will fit into the structure of the organisation; how many hours per day/week it will involve; and where it will be situated, you will be able to come to a decision as to how much money the position is actually worth to your business. For most candidates this is one of the most important aspects of the advertised position, but it is not always necessary to include an exact figure in your ad. Have a look around at what your competition is offering for similar roles and then decide how much you will be willing to offer. Put these figures in the advertisement as a general range (between this amount and that amount) or leave it out and only volunteer this information to candidates when asked to. Come to a specific decision as to how much you will be willing to offer to a specific candidate.
Once you have gained a clear perception of exactly what the position involves and how it relates to your business, you will be able to gain a greater understanding of what kind of person you require to fill it in terms of the following:
Experience, skills, and qualifications
Detail exactly what the job holder requires in relation to any necessary qualifications, membership of any professional bodies, abilities, and past experience/know-how.
Competencies
Outline the key competencies required of any person potentially filling the position.
Person specification
Determine what personality characteristics would be most suitable in terms of potential candidates within the context of the work environment in which they will find themselves. Remember that the successful job applicant will have to work with you as well as with other members of your team and will therefore need to “fit-in”.
Finding employees in London and other heavily populated places can be both challenging and simple at the same time - always remember that finding the "right" employee is ultimately what your business requires. Be picky!
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