I read the job description, and it was like it was written for me….

I have heard this many many times. And I do not doubt it at all. When someone is reading a job description, and it ticks all the boxes (or most of!) you should absolutely apply for that job. But it was recently, when I was working with a client to map out their dream job, that I suddenly shed some light on their situation. Whilst the job description seemed perfect for them, what they were reading was only words. It was only what someone who writes job descriptions for a living had produced. It had all the buzz words in it. Stakeholder Management, Collaborative, Budget Responsibility, Teamwork blah blah blah. And I am guilty of writing these documents as some days I go into autopilot writing them.

And then, as they say, I got to thinking. A few years ago, I wrote a flippant post on LinkedIn that was viewed over a million times. Give or take a few numbers, 16,000 likes, and eight hundred comments. The key message was “a candidate is so much more than their CV”. Well, do you know what candidates? A job is so much more than a piece of paper. And that goes for the people that write the adverts and job descriptions. A job, a company, and a culture are so much more than words. And then I saw a post on LinkedIn about how recruiters should just send over details of a job to candidates that they have not spoken to yet. NO NO NO!!! Would a recruiter send over a CV having not spoken to the candidate?  NO!!!

Come on people, think about it. Words and pieces of paper tell you the basics. The rest is the exciting bit. The bit that makes a candidate really interested, that makes then want to know more. What does Stakeholder Management mean anyway? What does it mean to that business on any given day? Companies constantly talk about Career Progression. What does that look like? How tangible is it? In a candidate-driven market, companies have to be able to demonstrate what all these words mean to the business and to everyday, for the candidate.

About 6 weeks ago, I logged onto LinkedIn on a Monday morning and saw that three people I had placed in a company over the last two to three years had all been promoted. THAT IS WHAT CAREER PROGRESSION IS!!! Right there. What candidate does not want to work for a business like that? But does a piece of paper tell that story? Hell no! So, for that story alone, that is why I will never send across a job description without having spoken to a candidate first.

But back to what the point of this blog is for you! For the candidate, read further than the words. Ask questions and ask for examples of what the words mean for that business. Ask with intrigue and passion, if you want to learn more. You might be in the privileged position of having multiple offers, so get as much information as you can on each of them. You may have come out of a tough job that has knocked your confidence and do not want to be in that situation again. Ask questions! Nobody will judge and if they do, they are not the right company for you.

And for the person writing the job description? Think about the story behind the words that you are writing. I am guilty of not doing that on occasions but from today onwards, I promise to improve. I will see writing an advert and or job description as exciting as when I speak to that perfect candidate. Employing someone and starting the recruitment process with a company is two way. It is step by step, finding out more at each stage. It is open & honest communication, and it should not be rushed. When I say it should not be rushed, there does need to be an element of speed particularly in the current climate as good candidates are getting snapped up but if more questions need answering, answer them. Invest the time in the process of recruitment because if you do not, your time is going to be stretched beyond all measures if it goes wrong.

And recruitment is not about power. The perception that clients make the decisions is wrong. There is no balance of power, or at least there should not be. It is about collaboration and partnership. None of which should be underestimated. Just like the power of words.