Don’t Miss the IAEWS Global Benchmark Survey
There’s still plenty of time to sign up for and participate in the IAEWS Global Benchmark Survey. Why bother? There are three good reasons:
So, take advantage of our easy registration and sign-up now: Simply send an email with your signature block to director@employmentwebsites.org and tell us to “Sign Me Up.”
Help Your Customers Write Persuasive Job Postings
In his 2006 book Influence, Robert Cialdini identified six sources of persuasion. They are involuntary responses that come from deep within our psyche. While all can play a role in recruitment, one is particularly important in today’s hyper-social environment. Psychologists call it “social proof,” our predisposition to follow the lead of those we know and trust.
It’s no secret that the War for Talent has morphed into a battle for the best talent. And, it’s also no secret that the best talent have attributes and characteristics that are different from everybody else.
First, they are almost always employed. In order to recruit them, therefore, we have to convince them to do the one thing we humans most hate to do: change. We have to convince them to go from the devil they know (their current employer, boss and commute) to the devil they don’t know (a new employer, a different boss and a strange commute).
Second, top performers are good consumers. They can be intrigued by a well written job posting, but they consider such content nothing more than an unproven claim. They know an employer is putting its best foot forward, so they need proof that the claim is accurate in order to commit.
Many recruiters assume they are providing such proof by describing their employer’s culture, benefits and values. They aren’t. Why? Because people aren’t moved by organizational evidence; they’re persuaded by social proof. As Cialdini defined it, that response occurs because “people will do things they see other people doing – especially if those people seem similar to them.”
Social Proof for Top Talent
While social proof affects everyone, its impact on top talent is governed by the second half of its definition. They are most likely to be influenced by others just like them. In other words, the best talent have a third characteristic: they listened to their mother. And, the first lesson they learned from her was “Don’t speak to strangers.” They will follow the lead of others, but only if that lead comes from a source they know and trust.
What or who can be that source?
Whether it’s fair or not, the reality is that in today’s cynical environment, top talent is unlikely to feel as if they know or can trust an employer. The media has reported on too many organizations that have mistreated their employees, committed financial crimes or degraded the environment.
Therefore, the only source that matters to top talent is their peers. They may not know these people as individuals, but they do share a common professional interest, vocabulary, value set and outlook. Peers can be trusted because, from a top performer’s perspective, they are putting their faith in themselves.
How should that play out in a recruiting process? There are numerous ways for it to happen, but first, create a job posting with embedded social proof. Such an ad:
In today’s War for the Best Talent, the key to victory is persuasion. Top performers must be persuaded to move from their current employer to yours. And, only a job posting with social proof has the power to create such a response.
Thanks for Reading,
Peter
Visit me at Weddles.com
WEDDLE’s New Guide Now at Amazon
The eleventh edition of WEDDLE’s Guide to Employment Sites on the Internet – the book the American Staffing Association called the “Zagat” of the online employment services field – is now available at Amazon.com.
This edition is completely updated, so if you have the 2011/12 Guide or an even earlier edition, you need this all-new classic right now!
The book features:
Click here to get your copy of Weddle’s Guide to Employment Sites on the Internet today.
The New Golden Rules of Job Board Success Webinar
This thought-provoking Webinar was held several weeks ago and covered:
Presented by Peter Weddle, and based on his book, The New Golden Rules of Job Board Success, the Webinar was attended by a large crowd of industry professionals from around the world. It was sponsored by RealMatch which has made a recording available here.
A Holiday Gift for the Ages
Ditch the fruitcake and fuzzy Holiday cards. This year, give your customers and special friends something they’ll value long after the Holidays end.
Give them Talent Slow Jams: The Smoothest Practices in Talent Acquisition.
This 52-page booklet will be branded with your organization’s name and logo and provide informative, engaging articles on:
Instead of giving your customers something they’ll forget by January 1st, give them a resource they’ll use over and over again … and every time they do, they’ll see your company’s name and logo!
Cheaper and more satisfying than a bag of Holiday cookies, the booklets are sold in lots of 50. They must be ordered by September 30th to be delivered for you distribution after Thanksgiving.
To order, contact WEDDLE’s at corporate@weddles.com or 203-964-1888.