As part of my job at Back To Work Connect, I read a lot of job descriptions. And every so often I’ll see a job title that looks interesting but when I read the job description, I wonder if I should have done a PhD. Then I get to the end of the list of responsibilities and read, “This is not an exhaustive list.”
Really? What did you leave out?
I can see how it happens. You’re replacing someone who’s been there for years. You start with their original job description, add everything they picked up along the way, then ask the team if there’s anything missing. Accounts would love a bit of help with invoices. Marketing could do with someone to update the website. And seeing as you’re hiring anyway, could they take on the Christmas party?
Every addition makes sense to the person who suggested it. Put them all together and you’ve thrown the kitchen sink at one job.
What does the person reading it see?
Someone already working in a similar role might read that list and think, I know how this works. There’ll be three things I do every day and a few things I’ll be asked to do once a year. They might even ring someone they know and ask what the place is really like.
A Returner might read it differently. If you’ve been out of paid work for a few years, you might be less sure which parts of the ad to take literally. You could have ten years of experience running an office and still find yourself wondering whether the one system you haven’t used is the thing that rules you out.
Then there’s “fast-paced” and “hit the ground running”. The employer might mean the office is busy and they’d like someone who can take initiative. The person reading it might wonder if anyone will have time to show them the ropes. I’d want to know that too, even if I’d done the exact same job somewhere else.
And sometimes the person reading the ad knows full well they can do the job. They get to the end and think, Why would I want to? We spend a lot of time asking how to give Returners the confidence to apply. It’s worth asking what we’ve given them to look forward to.
Flexibility works both ways
One line I always look out for is “the successful candidate must be flexible”. Often, there’s very little in the ad about what flexibility the candidate can expect in return.
Does being flexible mean staying late at month-end? How much notice would you get? And could you start half an hour later on a Wednesday if you needed to? A Returner may be working out whether the job fits around commitments they already have. Those details could be the difference between applying and closing the tab.
Is it still an employer’s market? I think the more interesting question is how much say the average worker has. An employer can decide what to offer and who to interview. The candidate can decide whether the job, as described, is worth applying for. There’s a limit to that choice when you need a pay cheque, of course. And if the hours or flexibility only come up at interview, you’re being asked to invest time in an application before you know whether the job could work for you.
Who is the ideal candidate, anyway?
I’m not sure there is one. The person who ticks every box might be bored six months in. Someone else might bring years of experience dealing with customers, keeping a team organised and sorting things out when plans change. They might need someone to show them how to use the invoicing system. I know which of those things I’d find easier to teach.
Before adding another bullet point, I’d ask what the person will spend most of their week doing, what they genuinely need to know on day one and what we’re willing to teach them. Then I’d read the ad back and ask one more question.
If I saw this job advertised, would I want it?
Gina, Founder & CEO of Back to Work Connect
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