Attracting Talent through Strategic Titles
Rethinking the Job Title in your Advertisement: Attracting Talent through Strategic Titles
Attracting the right applicants is about much more than simply posting a job opening on a job board. You have to think about every aspect of the job description, and make sure that you’re implementing the best strategies to attract qualified talent.
Most employers have learned how important a quality position overview / job description is for ensuring great applicants. But what you may not know is that something as simple as the job title can have a drastic effect on who applies for a given position.
Why the Job Title Matters
When talent is looking for a new position, they aren’t simply looking for money. They’re likely also looking for all or some of the below:
- An opportunity to grow, develop and progress
- An acknowledgement that the company values the position
- The appearance of status
Much of that information can be found in the title of the position, and if the title doesn’t speak to them or give them the impression that they will benefit from the position, they may not apply for it.
Titles Matter
For example, imagine an extreme example, where an employer was looking for a personal assistant that was willing to answer to their every need. If they advertised the job as “Paid Slave” no one would apply, because the title wouldn’t be anything of value.
It wouldn’t even matter if the pay was competitive or the position was directly in line with their goals and abilities. The title wouldn’t show them that the company values their position or that they have an opportunity for a strong resume builder.
Now, obviously that is an extreme example, but there are many ways that this same idea plays a role in day to day life. For example, perhaps you need someone to work in the marketing department and you advertise the title of “marketing assistant” without success. That may be because those with years of marketing experience may be turned off by the word “assistant.” Instead, you may want to consider advertising the position as something like “Senior Marketing Associate,” as that may provide you with more resumes from those that are intrigued by the title.
Titles for Skills
Similarly, perhaps you need someone with a specific skillset who wouldn’t normally apply to the position you’re advertising. For example, recently at Employment Office we worked with an employer that needed an office manager with bookkeeping skills. The title was “Office Manager,” and they received many interested applicants – but none of them had the skills they needed.
We recommended that they switch the title on the job description to “Senior Bookkeeper,” and suddenly they experienced a drastic shift in the quality of resumes. When the chosen candidate was appointed their job title within the business was still “Office Manager”, but for the purposes of external marketing and advertising, “Senior Bookkeeper” brought in applicants that were a far better fit the role.
Choose your Title Wisely
The job title you use for the job description says almost as much about the job as the position itself, and the words you choose will often attract very different applicants.
So if you’re struggling to receive the right applicants or looking for a competitive advantage with your job posting, consider the title that you choose both for the advertisement and for the position itself. You may find that a simple change can make a significant difference.
