Put a Human Voice in That Job Ad

Transcription

1 Put a Human Voice in That Job Ad by Liz Ryan CEO & Founder, Human Workplace

2 Page2 Put a Human Voice in that Job Ad! At Human Workplace we specialize in putting a human voice in any kind of communications especially business communications! I could write a book about the dramatic overhaul that American recruiting processes desperately need (and I will) but in this short E-Book, we re focusing on making our job ads more human. A Human Lens on Your Business Any job that you have open in your organization, and thus any job ad, is a reflection of your actual company, with its actual culture. Jaunty, glib language like Rock Stars and Ninjas Needed! won t convey any more useful information about life in your shop than the oldfashioned, zombie-esque Results-oriented professionals needed used to do (and still does, in countless job ads posted across creation right now.) In order to put a human voice in your job ads, you ve got to know more about your company and be willing to convey more about your company and how it works inside those big glass-andchrome doors than most employers have done in the past. A job ad is a marketing document. We want the sharpest and most switched-on candidates to find our organizations, right? If so, then we need to market to them. We can t assume that great people will come running any time we post a job opening. So, you re going to tell a story in your job ad. You re going to tell the story of your company and of this present need that you have, the need behind the job ad. You re going to talk to the job candidate from HIS or HER perspective, not your own. In your job ad, you re going to engage the guy (that s a unisex term) by asking him or her to do something if your ad grabs him (or her) and that something is going to be something intellectual and creative, not something stupid like pitching a resume into a Black Hole. After the graphic on the next page, there s an example of a Human-Voiced Job Ad that will make this aspect of the ad and everything else we ve talked about so far in this E-Book clear.

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4 Page4 What the Pictures Mean No Zombie Language Somewhere along the line, most of us started writing job ads like legal notices or government manuals. We have an immediate need for., The Selected Candidate will possess yada yada and the rest of the standard job-search phrasebook are all examples of zombie language. Real people don t talk that way. We ll never attract great job candidates with zombie language like that. We can speak to a job-seeker in a human voice. We can tell our story, and let the folks on the job market know what we re trying to do in the marketplace, and why we think it s cool. Say WHY people might want the job A problem with a lot of job ads is that they spend all of their real estate (the space the ad takes up, either in print or online or on a flyer, or somewhere else) explaining what a person must have in order to be considered for the job. So they list essential qualifications and educational requirements and so on, and don t spend any time explaining why a talented person would even want the job! We have to do more marketing in our job ads. We have to let people know WHY they should consider working for us. Standard zombie phrases like We offer a competitive benefits package are not going to do it. Do you really want to hire people whose biggest concern is the benefits package? We have to explain why the job will be fun and challenging, and where the company came from (its story) and where it is headed. Skip the tasks, and talk about the role The Shakespearean actor in the graphic is a guy who s completely in his role. That s what we want to be in our jobs, too, right? We want a role that s meaty. When we write a job ad, we need to take on the role of a Hollywood casting agent who s on the phone with the big talent agents, talking them into trying to sell their clients on the role in the casting director s movie. No, really, Denzel needs to look at this role. Coming off Flight, this is the next big part for him; I m telling you it s perfect. Here s what it is. This guy is an ex-con who starts an inner-city youth program and runs into a piano prodigy. You get the idea. In your company, you have meaty roles too. We don t want to write a job ad that lists boring tasks like Prepares reports, processes payroll, blah blah blah. That s ridiculous. A job in today s Knowledge Economy is not a set of tasks. It s a cohesive role that fits into a larger organization, or else the job is not well-designed. Copyright Human Workplace

5 Page5 We need to convey the overall sense of the role, not just the tasks involved. What smart and talented person gets excited about a bunch of standard tasks? We need to convey the power of the role, and its importance in the overall mission. Wouldn t you, if you were job-hunting, want to know WHY this position exists, and how you ll make a difference to the larger organization, if you take this job? Use a Human Voice You already know what this drawing represents. We re going to speak to each member of the so-called Talent Community individually in our job ads, the way product and service advertisements speak to consumers and professional buyers individually, as people. We re not going to talk past people using the third person, a la The Selected Candidate will possess X, Y and Z (subtext: not YOUR sorry ass!). We re going to be authentic and personable in our job ads, the same way we d be if we were chatting with a job-seeker in person. Sample Human-Voiced Job Ad Ecommerce Marketing Manager Acme Explosives Dear creative marketer/ecommerce pro, Our company is called Acme Explosives, and we ve been around since Our CEO s grandfather started the company to make dynamite sticks that we sell mostly to coyotes throughout the western U.S. We hadn t gotten bitten by the ecommerce bug until recently (something about sending dynamite sticks through the mail didn t excite us or UPS) but our new line of multi-part, assemble-when-needed dynamite sticks can travel by road or air with no problem, and our ecommerce business is going gangbusters. We need a person to run the marketing for that business, from our paid & organic search strategy to usability, merchandising and our support infrastructure. If this sounds cool to you, you re probably a left brain/right brain mix who likes to build and improve things and who can see a site like ours from the customer s vantage point. If that is you, we should talk! Write to me, Chuck Jones, at chuck@acmeexplosives and tell me what you d change immediately about our current online store, and why. Can t wait to hear from you. Enjoy the rest of your week Chuck Copyright Human Workplace

6 Page6 A Note about our Sample Job Ad Notice that we said nothing in our sample job ad about the degrees you need to have or the years of experience or the skills you need, in order to be considered for this job. Those things are all implied in the story. If someone sends Chuck a killer letter that lays out how his website needs to change, what does Chuck care about the degree and the experience the guy has? The truth is that in this competitive-for-talent hiring marketplace, we can t afford to care. We could even say that we are foolish to care about years of experience and certifications and all the yada yada stuff we throw into job ads, because the only question that matters is, Can this person do a great job for our organization? Another Note Did you catch the references to the Roadrunner cartoons? Acme Explosives is the company that sells dynamite and bombs to Wile E. Coyote, who is always trying to catch the roadrunner, without success. Put a Human Voice in That Job Ad by Liz Ryan, CEO & Founder, Human Workplace Copyright Human Workplace

7 What is Human Workplace? Human Workplace is a publishing, coaching and consulting firm. Our mission is to bring a human voice and human energy into the workplace. You probably guessed that from our name! Human Workplace members are individuals, employers, agencies, institutions and schools who are interested in creativity, innovation, teamwork, energy and spark, at work and at school. Our members get our new downloads as we produce them. You can become a Human Workplace member at We create curriculum for universities and employers and help teams find their groove together. We rewrite company policies and handbooks with a human voice, and help organizations navigate sticky human topics from lactation to diversity & inclusion. Our Human Workplace Search division helps employers find switched-on people for hard-tofill positions. Stop by and download more Human Workplace stuff at Put a Human Voice in That Job Ad by Liz Ryan, CEO & Founder, Human Workplace Copyright Human Workplace

8 8 Human Workplace & Careers We work with job-seekers, career-changers and people in reinvention. We tell job-seekers, If they don t get you, they don t deserve you. We work with job-seekers and people who are interested in changing careers. We coach them on career direction, branding and strategy. We write Human-Voiced Resumes and other branding materials, and dig into thorny issues with them, from how to overcome an employment gap to how to negotiate a job offer. Please contact Michael Wilcox, Human Workplace Operations Manager, to learn more about our career coaching services. You can reach Michael at [email protected] or (303) Human Workplace 12-Week Virtual Coaching Group Schedule August 2013 April 2014 Coaching Group Schedule subject to change. Prices in effect through October 31, Copyright Human Workplace 2013

9 9 Who We Are Human Workplace is a think tank, online community & consulting firm. Our mission is to reinvent work for humans. Liz Ryan is CEO and founder of Human Workplace. Liz is a former Fortune 500 HR executive and the world s most widely-read career and workplace authority. Liz s columns for Kiplinger s Finance, Business Week, TIME.com, L i n k e d I n, the Harvard Business Review, Yahoo!, the Denver Post and the Huffington Post reach 30 million readers. Liz teaches career strategy and branding at the Leeds School of Business at CU-Boulder. She s an opera singer, lives in Boulder with her husband Michael and has five kids. Molly Campbell is Director of Strategy at Human Workplace. Molly is a former Wall Street money manager who looked after $750M of other people s money, then shifted to health care, became a holistic healer and grew a business naturally healing people and animals. Now Molly designs partnerships with Human Workplace clients from universities to government agencies, startups and international corporations. She lives in Boulder with her husband Jim and their two border terriers, Alex and Tommy. Michael Wilcox is Operations Manager for Human Workplace. Michael makes sure our search clients, candidates, friends and new acquaintances get what they need. REACH US: [email protected] (303) Human Workplace 12-Week Virtual Coaching Group Schedule August 2013 April 2014 Coaching Group Schedule subject to change. Prices in effect through October 31, Copyright Human Workplace 2013

10 10 August 2013 April 2014 Human Workplace 12-week virtual coaching group COURSE CATALOG Human Workplace 12-Week Virtual Coaching Group Schedule August 2013 April 2014 Coaching Group Schedule subject to change. Prices in effect through October 31, Copyright Human Workplace 2013

11 11 Human Workplace 12-Week Virtual Coaching Group COURSE SCHEDULE August 2013 April 2014 Human Workplace 12-Week Virtual Coaching Group Schedule August 2013 April 2014 Coaching Group Schedule subject to change. Prices in effect through October 31, Copyright Human Workplace 2013

12 Page12 August 24, 2013 Reinvention Roadmap Job Search after Fifty Teaching the Whole Person Job Search November 23, 2013 Build Your Online Soapbox Recruiting with a Human Voice February 22, 2014 Job Search after Fifty Grow Your Thought Leadership Flame Everybody Sells September 28, 2013 Breaking into the Hidden Job Market Put a Human Voice in your Resume HR with a Human Voice December 28, 2013 Reinvention Roadmap LinkedIn for Beginners Science of Keyholes March 22, 2014 Crafting Compelling Pain Letters Reinvention Roadmap Team Mojo October 26, 2013 Crafting Compelling Pain Letters Grow Your Thought Leadership Flame Jumpstart Your 2014 Plan January 25, 2014 LinkedIn Expert Level Team Mojo Put a Human Voice in Your Resume April 26, 2014 STOP! Don t Send That Resume Build Your Online Soapbox Fearless HR Put a Human Voice in Your Resume (with Before & After Examples) by Liz Ryan, CEO & Founder, Human Workplace Copyright Human Workplace 2013

13 Page13 Human Workplace 12-week virtual coaching group Course Descriptions in alphabetical order by course name Breaking into the Hidden Job Market September 2013 Learn how Mojofied Job Seekers are using the Human Workplace job-search approach to avoid the Black Hole and get jobs and consulting assignments that deserve them! We ll be talking about direct outreach to employers, networking, and lots more. Build Your Online Soapbox November 2013 April 2014 You need an online presence if you re working in the professional world. But how do you start? Join us to learn how to build your online presence, brand and thought leadership flame! Crafting Compelling Pain Letters October 2013, March 2014 Everybody Sells February 2014 Learn how to research employers, find your hiring manager by name and write a pithy Pain Letter that links your next manager s business pain with your expertise. Join us for this lively and mindexpanding program! Everybody sells at some point we sell other people on our ideas, we sell ourselves as pain-solvers on a job search, and we all grow new-millennium muscles when we learn how to sell. Join us! Put a Human Voice in Your Resume (with Before & After Examples) by Liz Ryan, CEO & Founder, Human Workplace Copyright Human Workplace 2013

14 Page14 Fearless HR April 2014 Fearless HR graduates teach and role model trust-based Human Workplace techniques that galvanize Team Mojo and your mission. Give your HR toolkit a boost and learn how to construct a Ministry of Culture in your own organization! Grow Your Thought Leadership Flame July 2013 October 2013 February 2014 Our course for writers, bloggers, podcasters and public speakers is all about growing your voice, audience and platform. Over 12 weeks we ll zoom in on your thought leadership mission, audience, brand and strategy to grow your flame bigger and brighter! HR with a Human Voice September 2013 Job Search after Fifty August 2013 February 2014 HR with a Human Voice is our introductory Human Workplace course for HR people of all levels. Learn about Team Mojo and the HR role as Minister of Culture, communicating in a human voice and tons more. Join us! Job search after age fifty is no picnic. Learn a whole new way to job-hunt that emphasizes your talents and wisdom, and give up the please hire me mindset forever! Build your mojo with us! Put a Human Voice in Your Resume (with Before & After Examples) by Liz Ryan, CEO & Founder, Human Workplace Copyright Human Workplace 2013

15 Page15 Jumpstart Your 2014 Plan October 2013 Thinking of making changes in 2014, starting a business or tackling a major life or professional goal? Better get your plan together! Join us to get your 2014 plans ready for launch! LinkedIn Expert Level January 2014 Our advanced 12-week LinkedIn course focuses on using Search and reaching out via LinkedIn to people you don t already know. We ll talk about Groups, Influencers, using Contacts and other advanced LinkedIn features! LinkedIn for Beginners December 2013 Now is a great time to get started on LinkedIn, creating a powerful profile in your own voice and building a network and presence online. Join us for a step-by-step introduction to the world s most powerful networking engine! Put a Human Voice in Your Resume September 2013 January 2014 In this group you ll write your own Human-Voiced Resume to bring your power and personality across on paper. This lively group will make you a branded, Mojofied Job Seeker with a Human-Voiced Resume that tells your story in your own voice! Put a Human Voice in Your Resume (with Before & After Examples) by Liz Ryan, CEO & Founder, Human Workplace Copyright Human Workplace 2013

16 Page16 Recruiting with a Human Voice November 2013 Recruiting can be tough, but it gets more fun, easier AND dramatically more effective when we add a human voice and Human Workplace tools to the process! Learn how to snag rock stars and ninjas in this energizing program! Reinvention Roadmap August 2013 December 2013 March 2014 This group for career-changers, people in reinvention and working (but wondering) folks helps you reclaim your history and zero in on the direction and brand for your next adventure. Get moving into your next career adventure! Science of Keyholes December 2013 The Science of Keyholes course teaches job-seekers, salespeople, consultants and others how to use research, targeted outreach and networking to create new business relationships and grow them. A must for entrepreneurs and anyone tired of waiting for opportunities to find them! STOP! Don t Send That Resume March 2014 STOP! Don t Send that Resume teaches job-seekers how to avoid the deadly Black Hole and reach hiring managers directly. Learn a dramatically new and empowering way to find a job that DESERVES YOU! Put a Human Voice in Your Resume (with Before & After Examples) by Liz Ryan, CEO & Founder, Human Workplace Copyright Human Workplace 2013

17 Page17 Teaching the Whole Person Job Search August 2013 Learn to teach our Whole Person Job Search approach in this 12- week course! This coaching group is the first step in the Human Workplace Certification process. Join us and learn why job-seekers and employers love the Whole Person Job Search worldview! Team Mojo March 2014 Team Mojo is our leadership development program for new and veteran managers of teams Come grow your mojo and muscles with us! A fun, inspirational course that will give you new tools for your leadership toolkit! How do Human Workplace 12-week virtual coaching groups work? Every Saturday for 12 weeks, you ll receive a packet of lessons, exercises, E-Books and tools to move you along your path. We discuss what you re learning in our moderated online community, and keep the energy level high with podcasts and fun activities throughout each 12 week program. PRICING: Each 12-week virtual coaching group registration costs US $299 except Reinvention Roadmap, which costs US $329. Put a Human Voice in Your Resume (with Before & After Examples) by Liz Ryan, CEO & Founder, Human Workplace Copyright Human Workplace 2013

18 Page18 Human Workplace 12-week virtual coaching group QUESTIONS & ANSWERS What is Human Workplace? Human Workplace is a publishing, coaching and consulting firm whose mission is to reinvent work for people. Our CEO and Founder, Liz Ryan, is the USA s most widely-read career and workplace thought leader and the architect of the Human Workplace worldview and methodology. How much does registration for a Human Workplace 12-week virtual coaching group cost? Registration for all of our 12-week coaching groups except Reinvention Roadmap costs US $299 per person. Registration for Reinvention Roadmap costs US $329 per person. I get busy at certain times of year. Is there a problem if I start a 12-week virtual coaching group and fall behind in the work? That s no problem. Each of our 12-week virtual coaching groups is self-paced. You can complete the lessons in as rapid or leisurely a pace as you like. Can I share the materials from my 12-week coaching group with my book club friends? The coursework and other materials in each Human Workplace 12-week coaching group are proprietary content that is not for transmission or duplication. (In other words, no. ) You can take a 12-week virtual coaching group together with your book club write to Michael Wilcox at [email protected] to learn about our group registration programs. Do you offer a discount when several people from one organization take a 12-week virtual coaching group together? Yes, we do! Please contact Michael at [email protected] to learn more about that. How do group members communicate with one another and Human Workplace staff during a 12-week program? Put a Human Voice in Your Resume (with Before & After Examples) by Liz Ryan, CEO & Founder, Human Workplace Copyright Human Workplace 2013

19 Page19 Our coaching group members use the Human Workplace Online Community, a moderated Yahoo! group, to ask questions and get answers from Human Workplace coaches during each 12-week program. Some of the badges on the previous page don t have corresponding 12-week coaching groups on the schedule. Do you offer more courses than the ones shown on this course catalog? At Human Workplace we have over 100 courses and coaching groups for job-seekers, careerchangers, career counselors and coaches, leaders, working people, entrepreneurs and instructors. All of our courses are available at a premium level as instructor-led programs. Please contact our Operations Manager, Michael Wilcox, at [email protected] to learn about bringing Human Workplace curriculum into your workplace, agency or institution. Contact us! HUMAN WORKPLACE we are reinventing work for people Michael Wilcox Operations Manager [email protected] (303) FOLLOW US on LIKE US on Facebook: JOIN HUMAN WORKPLACE: IT S FREE! Put a Human Voice in Your Resume (with Before & After Examples) by Liz Ryan, CEO & Founder, Human Workplace Copyright Human Workplace 2013