Looking for Staff Online?

Online job sites are a great resource for finding new hires. You can get hundreds or even thousands of applications from popular sites. While the perfect new staffer may be in that pile somewhere, it’s no small task to sort through all your options and locate the individuals who are best suited to your business. To ensure that you’re getting only the cream of the crop, you should take the time to craft a proper job listing. Browse popular job sites for a few minutes and you’re sure to dig up lots of vague listings that don’t give much detail about the job.

Vague listings can be a huge pitfall because the most qualified applicants will skim over them while those who are unqualified won’t realize it, and flood the office with applications. If you want to get great results from your online staffing search, you need to be specific about what you require. Take some time to write the job description carefully. If HR is posting the listing, go and talk to management in the department that you’re hiring for to make sure you have a good understanding of what’s needed. Include a very specific list of qualifications in your job listing and be sure to note what’s preferred and what’s required.

In addition to qualification requirements, your job listing should also detail the position in question. List the specific duties that are performed in this position. Simply saying “marketing specialist” is very vague. Instead, mention that this position is responsible for maintaining Facebook and Twitter pages, updating the company blog, and issuing press releases. This will give potential applicants a better picture of what they’re looking at and will weed out individuals who can’t perform these tasks. If travel, heavy lifting, overtime, or holiday hours are required for the job, be sure to mention these points as they will further limit your potential employee pool.

Finally, try including a special assignment or request with your job listing. The more difficult the application process is, the more motivated applicants will need to be in order to complete it. If you don’t want to get applicants that prefer sending out a standard resume with three quick clicks, make the process a little harder. Ask for a writing sample if the position includes blogging. Request a sample sales plan for the sales department. You can also include a questionnaire to determine if applicants are good fit for your corporate culture. These measures will help you find the very best applicants for the job.