What should I put in the advertisement? For starters, how about inserting the job description and the job requirements?
(i) Job description
It is vital that you state as clearly as possible what the job is all about. If the position is for an accounts clerk, then state that position. If the position is for a general worker (something which we don’t see much of nowadays in the advertisements) then you might want to give a little more detail as to what the job entails, otherwise you will get a whole load of job applications where most of the applications will be irrelevant to your requirements.
Story: The "over applied" position of Administrative Assistant
Some years ago, my firm was looking for an Administrative Assistant. Being prudent with our spending, we decided to post the advertisement online through the internet. We placed a general ad stating "Firm requires an Administrative Assistant, 5 days week and very near to public transportation". Over a period of 3 days, my inbox was filled with hundreds of resumes, some with photographs. I had all kinds of applicants applying for the job. Some had really colourful backgrounds including a masseuse who used to work at a spa!
To avoid the same mistake, you will need to put in some sort of a "filtering system" where only relevant applicants will apply. This is where stating the job requirements come in.
(ii) Job requirements
To narrow or to filter the applicants, be clear with your job requirements. If it is an accounting job and the person is expected to have some knowledge of computer accounting software, then say that in your requirements. This will not only reduce the number of applicants but also encourage the "qualified" ones to apply. Worrying about no one applying for the job should never be the challenge. The challenge is getting the right person for the right job. Fewer applications mean fewer decisions to make. That should work in your favour.
Story: Looking for a Conveyancing Clerk
Recently, our firm was looking to engage a Conveyancing Clerk on a fixed term contract. As usual, we put out the advertisement online through the internet. For 1 week, we received very poor response, to put it bluntly, we got none! This was probably due to the fact that we stated in no uncertain terms that we were looking for a Conveyancing Clerk on a fixed term contract. We also went on to state that the fixed term contract was for 6 to 12 months. Due to poor response, we were contemplating whether we should put out another advertisement without stating that it was for a fixed term contract to encourage more applicants. After all, we could always tell the applicants that we intended to put them on a fixed term contract at the interview. After contemplating this for a while, we decided to stick with the original advertisement as it would not be fair to the applicants and furthermore we did not wish to mislead anyone. We held on to our guns and persevered. Finally we managed to get a positive response. Well, it turned out to be someone that fit into our requirements. All in all, we received only 2 applicants, so that wasn’t a difficult decision to make!
It is always quite amusing to see words such as "must be hardworking, trustworthy and diligent", etc in the job requirements printed in advertisements. Well, let me say this, no applicants will admit or say that they are lazy, dishonest and frequently make mistakes when applying for a job! I am of the view that such words ought to be left out in the advertisement. Furthermore, an employer’s right of action against the employee is based on the Contract of Employment and not on what the employee claims to be, in other words "hardworking, trustworthy and diligent", etc. That is why we have a probation period to assess the new employee. Some may argue that using words such as "must be hardworking, trustworthy and diligent", etc are an effective "filtering system" but I beg to differ as "the proof of the pudding is in the eating", nothing more and nothing less.
If there is need to state certain good work habits expected of the new employee then state them. For example, you can state the person "must be able to work independently". In other words, the person is expected to be able to work with minimal supervision and it also implies the person must be highly responsible. You can also state that the person "must be able to speak and communicate with customers confidently and be proficient in at least English and Bahasa Malaysia". In other words, the person must be verbally proficient in the required 2 languages and must be confident. This will rule out timid and shy applicants. If you are looking for new employees with certain work habits, state them clearly and make sure they understand what you are looking for.
(iii) Salary
Sometimes when advertising for a job, the employers will state the salary range for that job. That is not a bad idea as it is another form of "filtering out" the applicants. The applicant can decide for himself or herself whether he or she wants to apply for that position given the salary. If you intend to insert the salary range make sure you stick to it! Don’t be overly generous by giving beyond what you have offered or be stingy by going below. A good employee can always be rewarded later with bonuses or an increase in his or her salary. On the other hand, if you think that you have a potentially good candidate but who does not quite meet your present requirements, you may want to offer a slightly lower salary during the probation period but make sure that upon confirmation, the salary is increased to the salary as stated in the advertisement.
Some employers do not have any idea of what salary range to offer. Yes, there are employers like that and I used to be one of them! Again, due to the lack of "filtering system", I received many applications. Those who came for the interview (we will deal with interviewing techniques later) were asking for very high salaries.
Story: The expensive young applicant
In the year 2000, I had a young girl of 22 years who came for an interview for the position of an Administrative Assistant asking for a salary of RM4,000.00 a month. In her application form, she gave her last drawn salary as RM3,500.00. By talking to her and assessing her, she didn’t look like the go getter type and didn’t appear to understand what the job required. I would say that the applicant was quite inexperienced and trying to represent herself to be someone who possessed skills that obviously she did not have at that time. When I asked for her last drawn salary slip, she was hesitant and there was a long pause from her. She then asked for a very much lower salary but that was enough for me to assess her and decide that she was not a good candidate.
Sometimes employers prefer not to include the salary range as they are more concerned about finding a good employee. In other words, they do not want to restrict their options with respect to the applicants.
Story: Junior secretary v Secretary
Many years ago, when I first started my firm, I was looking for a secretary. I didn’t know then that there was a difference between a junior secretary and a secretary. A secretary, normally an experienced person, commands a far higher salary than a junior secretary. A junior secretary could have anywhere from zero to 2 years of working experience. In those days, the internet wasn’t very popular, so I advertised in the print media. I received a number of telephone calls requesting for interviews. All of the people who applied appeared to be people with substantial experience. The years of experience were clearly stated in the applications and so were the expected salaries and the last drawn salaries. I found all of them to be of good calibre but the salaries were something that I did not budget for. One of the applicants who stood out was a lady who called in regarding the position. She was very professional in her approach and spoke impeccable English. I invited her to come to our office for an interview but she was reluctant. She replied it would be better if she faxed in her resume to let us have a look before we called her in for an interview. I was impressed but puzzled as all of the applicants jumped at the chance when offered an interview. Anyway, a few minutes after our telephone conversation, the resume came in by facsimile (e-mail wasn’t popular then). By perusing her resume, it became obvious that she was very experienced and at that time was working as a secretary to a well known Executive Chairman in a large company. She didn’t state her expected salary but looking at her salary at that time, she was getting more in a month than what I was getting! Perhaps not trying to put us in a awkward situation or maybe she didn’t want to waste anyone’s time, she thought it would be a good idea if we had a look at her resume first, and what a good idea it was!
(i) Job description
It is vital that you state as clearly as possible what the job is all about. If the position is for an accounts clerk, then state that position. If the position is for a general worker (something which we don’t see much of nowadays in the advertisements) then you might want to give a little more detail as to what the job entails, otherwise you will get a whole load of job applications where most of the applications will be irrelevant to your requirements.
Story: The "over applied" position of Administrative Assistant
Some years ago, my firm was looking for an Administrative Assistant. Being prudent with our spending, we decided to post the advertisement online through the internet. We placed a general ad stating "Firm requires an Administrative Assistant, 5 days week and very near to public transportation". Over a period of 3 days, my inbox was filled with hundreds of resumes, some with photographs. I had all kinds of applicants applying for the job. Some had really colourful backgrounds including a masseuse who used to work at a spa!
To avoid the same mistake, you will need to put in some sort of a "filtering system" where only relevant applicants will apply. This is where stating the job requirements come in.
(ii) Job requirements
To narrow or to filter the applicants, be clear with your job requirements. If it is an accounting job and the person is expected to have some knowledge of computer accounting software, then say that in your requirements. This will not only reduce the number of applicants but also encourage the "qualified" ones to apply. Worrying about no one applying for the job should never be the challenge. The challenge is getting the right person for the right job. Fewer applications mean fewer decisions to make. That should work in your favour.
Story: Looking for a Conveyancing Clerk
Recently, our firm was looking to engage a Conveyancing Clerk on a fixed term contract. As usual, we put out the advertisement online through the internet. For 1 week, we received very poor response, to put it bluntly, we got none! This was probably due to the fact that we stated in no uncertain terms that we were looking for a Conveyancing Clerk on a fixed term contract. We also went on to state that the fixed term contract was for 6 to 12 months. Due to poor response, we were contemplating whether we should put out another advertisement without stating that it was for a fixed term contract to encourage more applicants. After all, we could always tell the applicants that we intended to put them on a fixed term contract at the interview. After contemplating this for a while, we decided to stick with the original advertisement as it would not be fair to the applicants and furthermore we did not wish to mislead anyone. We held on to our guns and persevered. Finally we managed to get a positive response. Well, it turned out to be someone that fit into our requirements. All in all, we received only 2 applicants, so that wasn’t a difficult decision to make!
It is always quite amusing to see words such as "must be hardworking, trustworthy and diligent", etc in the job requirements printed in advertisements. Well, let me say this, no applicants will admit or say that they are lazy, dishonest and frequently make mistakes when applying for a job! I am of the view that such words ought to be left out in the advertisement. Furthermore, an employer’s right of action against the employee is based on the Contract of Employment and not on what the employee claims to be, in other words "hardworking, trustworthy and diligent", etc. That is why we have a probation period to assess the new employee. Some may argue that using words such as "must be hardworking, trustworthy and diligent", etc are an effective "filtering system" but I beg to differ as "the proof of the pudding is in the eating", nothing more and nothing less.
If there is need to state certain good work habits expected of the new employee then state them. For example, you can state the person "must be able to work independently". In other words, the person is expected to be able to work with minimal supervision and it also implies the person must be highly responsible. You can also state that the person "must be able to speak and communicate with customers confidently and be proficient in at least English and Bahasa Malaysia". In other words, the person must be verbally proficient in the required 2 languages and must be confident. This will rule out timid and shy applicants. If you are looking for new employees with certain work habits, state them clearly and make sure they understand what you are looking for.
(iii) Salary
Sometimes when advertising for a job, the employers will state the salary range for that job. That is not a bad idea as it is another form of "filtering out" the applicants. The applicant can decide for himself or herself whether he or she wants to apply for that position given the salary. If you intend to insert the salary range make sure you stick to it! Don’t be overly generous by giving beyond what you have offered or be stingy by going below. A good employee can always be rewarded later with bonuses or an increase in his or her salary. On the other hand, if you think that you have a potentially good candidate but who does not quite meet your present requirements, you may want to offer a slightly lower salary during the probation period but make sure that upon confirmation, the salary is increased to the salary as stated in the advertisement.
Some employers do not have any idea of what salary range to offer. Yes, there are employers like that and I used to be one of them! Again, due to the lack of "filtering system", I received many applications. Those who came for the interview (we will deal with interviewing techniques later) were asking for very high salaries.
Story: The expensive young applicant
In the year 2000, I had a young girl of 22 years who came for an interview for the position of an Administrative Assistant asking for a salary of RM4,000.00 a month. In her application form, she gave her last drawn salary as RM3,500.00. By talking to her and assessing her, she didn’t look like the go getter type and didn’t appear to understand what the job required. I would say that the applicant was quite inexperienced and trying to represent herself to be someone who possessed skills that obviously she did not have at that time. When I asked for her last drawn salary slip, she was hesitant and there was a long pause from her. She then asked for a very much lower salary but that was enough for me to assess her and decide that she was not a good candidate.
Sometimes employers prefer not to include the salary range as they are more concerned about finding a good employee. In other words, they do not want to restrict their options with respect to the applicants.
Story: Junior secretary v Secretary
Many years ago, when I first started my firm, I was looking for a secretary. I didn’t know then that there was a difference between a junior secretary and a secretary. A secretary, normally an experienced person, commands a far higher salary than a junior secretary. A junior secretary could have anywhere from zero to 2 years of working experience. In those days, the internet wasn’t very popular, so I advertised in the print media. I received a number of telephone calls requesting for interviews. All of the people who applied appeared to be people with substantial experience. The years of experience were clearly stated in the applications and so were the expected salaries and the last drawn salaries. I found all of them to be of good calibre but the salaries were something that I did not budget for. One of the applicants who stood out was a lady who called in regarding the position. She was very professional in her approach and spoke impeccable English. I invited her to come to our office for an interview but she was reluctant. She replied it would be better if she faxed in her resume to let us have a look before we called her in for an interview. I was impressed but puzzled as all of the applicants jumped at the chance when offered an interview. Anyway, a few minutes after our telephone conversation, the resume came in by facsimile (e-mail wasn’t popular then). By perusing her resume, it became obvious that she was very experienced and at that time was working as a secretary to a well known Executive Chairman in a large company. She didn’t state her expected salary but looking at her salary at that time, she was getting more in a month than what I was getting! Perhaps not trying to put us in a awkward situation or maybe she didn’t want to waste anyone’s time, she thought it would be a good idea if we had a look at her resume first, and what a good idea it was!
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