If you’ve never said it, you’ve heard it from someone else. It sounds like such…
By John Borrowman, CPC
Borrowman Baker, LLC, BV Staffing + Consulting
Gallatin, TN
The candidates you want to attract aren’t looking at job postings. They already have a job. What they will pay attention to is a story about how the future can be better by joining your practice. So, what’s that story?
Part of the story has to do with your firm or practice. Avoid boilerplate language with superlatives like “biggest” or “best.” “Fast-growing” may be true, but you need to use a real statistic to make you stand out. Maybe it’s “double-digit, year-over-year growth in each of the last four years.” Alternatively, “CAGR of X% over the last Y years.” Whatever you say, you must be specific and not hide behind euphemisms.
Candidates don’t want to read a laundry-list of job responsibilities. They want to know what makes the position attractive. Which of these elements can you talk about?
Learning – the chance to learn ‘hot’ industries or service lines
Growth – maybe the number of Partners or Managing Directors who started at this job title
Client Contact – the opportunity to see businesses close-up can be attractive to someone in a large firm where only the top people have client contact
Autonomy – flexible work schedules and remote working demonstrate autonomy
If you are scratching your head about what to say in telling the story of your opportunity, ask your employees:
- What would you tell someone are the most interesting and fun parts of this job?
- What was the most interesting thing you learned when you did this job?
- What do you tell people when you want to brag about what it’s like to work here?
- What is the commonality among people who work here?
Candidates don’t simply want to know what they will do at your practice. They want to know what they will accomplish. Tell them that in your story.
