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One of the most persistent challenges in recruiting is attracting top talent.
But what if the way we choose job requirements is part of the problem?
Look at your average job posting online, and you’ll see a lengthy list of job requirements – everything from college degrees to years of experience and from highly specialized engineering skills to proficiency in MS Word.
The problem is simple – most job requirement lists are too darn long and make it harder to hire top talent. Here’s why.
Nobody Wants to Take the Time to Read a Laundry List
First and foremost, nobody wants to read a never-ending list of job requirements. Think about it – the best candidates are busy. They have their heads down in an important role working on solving complex, tough challenges.
When your recruiter calls and forwards a job description, they don’t want to have to take 25 minutes to read through every single job requirement in a 20-point list.
If you make your list too long, you are actively pushing away top talent!
It Confuses Candidates About What’s Really Important in a Role
Not only is a long list boring and unengaging, it also makes it hard to tell what’s really important in a role and what skills are most vital. If you have an open role for a sales professional, some key requirements might be sales experience and a record of meeting sales goals. But does your salesperson really need to know their way around Microsoft Excel, or your particular CRM software?
Oftentimes, the items we think of as responsibilities are really things you could train a great candidate to do quickly and easily on the job. But if you list every requirement, a candidate may decline to apply out of fear that they are not truly qualified!
It Can Even Confuse Recruiters and Hiring Managers!
The more items you could include in job requirements, the harder it gets to focus on what’s really most important in a role.
To continue with our sales role example, most people would probably agree that the most important requirements would be a proven record of meeting sales goals and excellent interpersonal skills. But if your list of job requirements is too long, recruiters and hiring managers may lose sight of these qualities.
They may discount amazing candidates who don’t have experience in your field, who aren’t familiar with your specific CRM, or who have four years and five months instead of five years of experience.
Job requirements shouldn’t be an exhaustive wish list, it should be focused on what’s really important to succeed in a role. If we want to succeed at recruiting, we have to think critically about these requirements. At the end of the day, the best practice is to boil down your requirements to no more than five of the most important qualifications.
It may seem limiting, but it keeps everyone focused on your top priorities, and makes for an easily digestible job description for candidates.
