How Home Builders and Construction Companies can Make their Job Postings Stand Out

November 16, 2017 |

Sherry Seaton

New construction isn’t slowing down in 2018, and many companies are looking to staff up now to meet their contract demands for the new year. With thousands of construction-related job openings available across the country, you’ll need more than just your basic online job listing to attract the best talent. Whether you’re looking to fill entry-level positions or want to attract experienced professionals who may already have full-time jobs, putting a little extra effort into  creating a compelling job listing can help you land the best candidate. Here are a few techniques to help your job listing really stand out:

1. Post a Video: Sorting through hundreds of text job ads that fit the job seekers career choice and experience is about as fun as sorting through hundreds of resumes or applications trying to find the best candidate. Sharing a short video (2 minutes or less) showcasing your company culture and perhaps compelling aspects of the job will help you stand out from the crowd and attract candidates that are a cultural fit.
2. Avoid Industry Jargon: Make the listing easy to read for humans and search engines. Avoid industry jargon, acronyms and unusual job titles. Consult with your marketing or recruiting team to ensure you’re using appropriate keywords/terms in your title and descriptions. Balance that with a compelling, yet simple explanation of your company and the position to help candidates find and thoroughly read your job listing.
3. Sell the position – what makes it unique: Remember this is a job post, not a job description. Why should candidates want this job over other similar jobs? What makes your company and this position within your company special. Explain how the job opening is a needed and valued position in your company. Be specific, and focus the listing on why a candidate should want your job rather than your requirements for wanting a candidate.
4. Sell your city/location: If you’re promoting the position nationally and aren’t requiring candidates to be local, sell the location of the position. What’s great about the city or area your position is located? This is especially important for home builders and construction companies. You’re building cities, homes and communities. Why should your candidates want to be a part of that?
5. Sell your brand: Why should an all-star employee want to work for your company? This is where you brag: awards, employee testimonials, amazing benefits, and learning and enrichment opportunities. Paint a picture of what it’s like to work for your company. Use pictures, logos, and employee and customer quotes to showcase all the great things about your organization and the employees that work for you.

It’s no coincidence that three out of the five recommendations above start with “sell”. Your job posting should be a job sales pitch to candidates, not a description of the job and a list of candidate experience/personality requirements.

The other equally important component (perhaps for another post) of attracting the best candidates with your job listing is promotion. Now that you’ve created an awesome job listing, how and where are you going to promote it? Since many of the best candidates come from employee referrals, incentivize your employees to post to their social media networks and refer the best candidates. If you’re promoting via social media, consider the most effective way to post for the platform, and make sure your social media profiles are active and filled out. Top-notch talent gravitates towards top-notch organizations. Make sure your online presence and job listing showcase how awesome you are to your employees, your customers and communities.