Why should a candidate want your open role?

Last week, I discussed the idea of creating an employee value proposition in order to hone in on the reasons why potential candidates should want to work for your company. But why should someone want to work in the particular role you are looking to fill?

When you are putting together your job description for an open position, create a role-specific employee value proposition that can be incorporated into it.

In order to identify the reasons why the position is a winner, ask yourself:

1. What professional development will the candidate have in this role?  This may mean more formal types of professional development, including training programs, forums, and workshops. You may also want to highlight how the candidate will have the opportunity to grow professionally in terms of their job requirements. What skills and experiences not required for this person during the initial qualification will they acquire in this role in the future?
2. What is the career track for this role?At what point will a successful employee in this role have the opportunity to become a manager, receive a promotion, or gain more responsibility? Particularly at expansion stage companies, this is a major selling point, since there is likely less red tape than at larger companies, and more opportunity for career advancement.
3. What value does this role have for the company? This can include the ability for someone in this role to make an impact on the company, or the reasons why this role is vital to keep the company running smoothly. When it comes to startup recruitment, highlighting the value each employee adds to the company as a whole is key.
4. Get creative… Why would I want this role? Since you are the hiring manager for the role, if you have not listed it already, think of the various reasons why someone who is qualified for the role should want it. It may be because they will have the opportunity to interact with the CEO on a daily basis… perhaps it is because they will work for a great boss (give yourself a pat on the back) who really cares about their professional development. Try to tap into a few reasons why your ideal candidate should want to apply for and accept this particular role over another role for which they are qualified.

Once you come up with your employee value proposition specific to the role, incorporate it into your job description, and make sure the role’s major selling points are discussed throughout the interview process. Unless a potential candidate knows why your available opportunity is a good one, you may find that the top candidates who read it may not choose to apply.