Promising much, compromising on everything
Recruitment is nobody's favourite subject. In fact, if at all possible, we leave the whole business to the specialists, right? That's the reason we employ the services of either a recruitment agency or a full-time personnel officer. They can endure the tedium and frustration of interviewing a steady stream of strangers.
Promotion from within is not always possible, particularly in very small companies where the pool of staff to draw from is not big enough. And there are many ways to advertise for new staff. It can be in the form of a card in the Post Office, a notice in the Job Centre, or an advertisement in a local or national newspaper.
Wording
The wording of this ad should be well thought out and, generally, it is worth considering where you intend to place the ad. For example, it is useless to advertise the post of, say, assistant mole catcher in the journal for the League Against Cruel Sports. On the other hand, this may bring you plenty of publicity and you could find yourself filling the job thanks to the exposure received on your local TV news programme - if nothing else has worked so far.
If you are unsure about the best wording for your advertisement, the finest method of learning is to study other people's efforts. Remember that, with all advertisements, it is wise to read between the lines. Here are few examples of ads recently published in a selection of journals. I include my own interpretation of what the wording really means.
"You will have a degree in hotel management" (We have bought a hotel and don't know how to run it).
"Manager or couple to assist owner" (My wife's drinking has reached a peak and I can't cope on my own).
"The new manager will be able to demonstrate knowledge of the latest technology and be computer-literate" (I didn't understand the Innsite training course).
"Please reply to PO Box No…" (The existing manager hasn't been sacked yet).
"Salary negotiable" (I fully intend to pay as little as possible).
"Manager required for large B&B" (We've just lost our star rating).
"Must be able to deputise for the owner in his/her absence" (You get to run the place on Wednesday afternoons).
"This is a ‘hands-on' management position" (I don't see why I should pay out for staff when I've got you).
"Manager required to assist the resident owners" (We're always here, watching you).
"Excellent self-contained accommodation offered" (In a staff house three miles away).
"Accommodation suitable for single manager only" (You'll be sharing Room 8 with the chef).
"We offer a five-day, 48-hour week" (Tee hee hee).
I could go on, but I am running the risk of prejudicing you against all job advertisements. I do speak from experience, though. As one who was once offered a job where my bedroom would have been underground, next to the beer cellar, I suggest that you check carefully for any small print when applying for a new post.
The whole truth
If you are an advertiser, be aware that not only do you run the risk of not filling that all-important position if you advertise the job badly, you may find yourself at the sharp end of a very disgruntled professional manager when what you promised in the advert doesn't turn out to be the whole truth.
There is no substitute for a comprehensive job description which could be distributed to candidates. If as an applicant you are not happy with what is written, you'd know not to trail halfway across the country to interview for a job you know you're not going to take.
Given the choice, I'd plump for an agency to handle the job of recruitment every time. Most are scrupulous about the sort of people they have on their books, which means that the candidates you see have been pre-selected. Allowing someone else to sort out a new job for you, or find a new employee for your business, has got to be worth the money when you add up the savings in time and aggravation.
Mind you, I wonder if you will look at those adverts a little more carefully in future.
