By Kylie Parks, Arvada Chamber Director of Talent Pipeline Development
When I think of Spring, I think of flowers blooming, the smell of fresh air, and overall new growth! As we roll into the second month of the second quarter (pause for woah), and into more “official” spring weather (woohoo), I wanted to provide you with some job ad and application process tips to grow your talent pipeline.
Job Ads
Job Ads are a candidate’s first impression, similar to a dating or even a friend profile. The candidate is asking “Do I want to date you or be your friend?”
Tone
- Does it represent the culture you are trying to attract?
- What are the great parts of working for your company? Perks, growth?
- Ensure your job ad clearly highlights your employee value proposition (EVP).
Length
- According to Indeed, the average attention span for a person is currently 8 seconds, so it is crucial to be very clear at the beginning of why they should choose you and your expectations.
- Consider engaging with more pictures to showcase the position as well.
Transparency
- If you didn’t already know; in effect since January 2021, Colorado’s Equal Pay for Equal Work Act requires employers to list the pay range and benefits for every job opening.
- Plus, transparency is attractive (not just in dating or friendships).
Skills-Based
- Does it truly capture the skills needed or are you listing out requirements for your dream unicorn or purple squirrel?
- Sticking with the basics of the skills truly required is important! Do not focus on skills that are trainable in the workplace.
- The Markle Foundation, offers some great resources to support employers in updating or creating skills based job ads.
Application
Now that you have their attention with your great job ad, let’s consider how to make the application process engaging as well. Have you tried applying for a position lately? How easy is it to apply for a role? These are all things to think about when evaluating your application process.
Some other items to consider include:
Completion Time
- Now that we understand that the average attention span is 8 seconds, the application is not much different in terms of keeping it short!
Options
- Provide candidates with options on how to apply. Allow them to upload their resume, insert their LinkedIn profile link, without the additional need to insert manually.
Mobile Friendly
- With a previous organization, we had data that showed over 80% of our applications were done on a mobile device. Have you tried applying for your jobs on a mobile device? This might be a good place to start your testing.
KEEP IT SIMPLE!
- Candidates on average are applying for 10 jobs a week. A cover letter is a nice thing to have, however, it is no longer realistic. Save the “get to know your motivation” questions and additional details outside of the resume for the phone screens.
Overall your job ad and application process should be short, sweet, transparent and to the point. If you are seeking feedback on either of these items, send me an email at (kylie@arvadachamber.org).
B.O.L.D. 2026 is a five-year regional economic strength and resiliency initiative of the Arvada Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber developed BOLD 2026 in consultation with private and public sector leaders and partners in Arvada, Jefferson / Adams Counties, Metro Denver and the state of Colorado. One goal of B.O.L.D. 2026 is to grow our talent to meet the needs of employers and job seekers. Learn more about our talent challenges and work here.
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