Job descriptions aren't marketing's job
Marketing's job is to generate revenue. Don't lose sight of that just because your worldview revolves around hiring.
30-second read
Welcome to the latest edition of agreeable ideas you see posted on LinkedIn that have zero real-world application.
The idea: Job descriptions should run through the marketing department before they go live.
The rationale behind this shortsighted lightbulb that recently showed up in my feed is that the marketing team would be able to take a poorly written job description from a hiring manager or recruiter and turn it into a clearly written piece of content that candidates will fall head over heels in love with.
Some of the reasons why this doesn’t make sense…
First, this isn't marketing, this is wordsmithing. But let’s set that aside.
Job descriptions, in general, are a big lift. (understatement)
The idea that JDs will now also run through the marketing department—which is likely already under-resourced (at best)—is unrealistic for most orgs and does not take into consideration the implications this could (likely) bring to the internal dynamics between hiring managers and the marketing team. (Aka, GFY hiring managers, we have more important things to do like make the company money.)
For those of you in the hiring space –– Marketing's job is to generate revenue. Don't lose sight of that just because your worldview revolves around hiring.
The simple fix for poorly written job descriptions is to have a copywriter do a quick wordsmithing session as part of the editorial process.
This is an editorial issue, not a marketing or job description issue.
*Copywriters don't have to be human if the outcome is the same. At least worth testing.
Personal opinion: The hiring industry puts far too much emphasis on the importance of job descriptions. In my experience, candidates don’t read them. They skim them to see:
- If comp aligns with their financial needs.
- If they (the candidate) meet at least one (not all) of the requirements for the role.
- If the role meets their location needs: remote, in-person, hybrid.
If those boxes are checked, they apply. Sorry recruiters, this is the behavior and the reason you get so many bad inbound applicants. Wish I had a solution for you. But changing rapid-fire application behavior is a tricky one—especially in this kind of market.