How to Hire for Skilled Worker Positions

Even in economies with high unemployment, skilled workers are hard to come by.

In fact, high unemployment can make the task worse. You’ll get more junk resumes to filter through.

Here’s your job posting strategy to bring you more of the right candidates.

If you’re looking for a title, such as journeyman electrician or welder, you just say their name and go straight to external benefits.

don’t give a job description

Offer benefits of working for you, or of a specific job that you advertise.

Describing a truck driver’s responsibilities when looking for a first-class driver is a waste of words. They will be responsible for unloading, loading, pre-trip inspections, light maintenance, and safe transportation to and from field and urban locations.

Truckers already know (we hope).

This is a real ad and it’s a good example of what not to do when looking for an experienced welder.

Responsibilities:

Join, fabricate and repair metals and other weldable materials by applying appropriate welding techniques.

If you’re a welder, the ad just says you’ll be hired by someone who can describe what a welder does.

Instead, describe life around work.

Example: Journeyman Electrician

Let’s say you’re hiring an electrician with industrial construction experience to do camp work in Fort McMurray. Fly in/fly out. Follow regular rest days.

You do not want:

· People who want to go home every night

·apprentice

· People who know nothing about industrial construction

· People who are afraid of flying

· Those who want to work on all days off

· People who want to work in it

Are you willing to fly people to Calgary or Edmonton on 12 hour shifts per day with a schedule that is 2 weeks out of a week. All work is done outside.

The title should read the following

“Hiring – Journeyman Electrician. Camp work, live anywhere. Flights to Edmonton or Calgary”

· Must have at least 2 years experience in industrial construction.

· 12 hours shift per day

· The schedule is 2 weeks in class/1 week off.

· Fly in fly out

· Working outside

Afterwards, you can drill down into the details of the job and how awesome your company is. You got the right people’s attention.

Don’t advertise your job, advertise your lifestyle. You will find fewer and fewer people who are wrong and more and more people who are right.

Dan Eddie

Recruitment Marketing Specialist

For more tips like this, visit http://www.hireedge.ca