“Your presentation helped me rewrite our help wanted ad and we were flooded with applicants!” was the note I received after a recent presentation on how to win the talent war.  If you need more job applicants, here is what is working for other companies who are flooded with applicants…

We need to first focus on what matters most to job applicants.  Unfortunately for most companies trying to hire, they have completely missed the boat here.  Job advertisements tend to focus on company history and the list of demands that new employees will be subjected to on the job.  They almost never inspire anyone at an emotional level.

Want to have this blog in podcast form?  Check it out here.

Great job ads that lead to a flood of applicants focus on the difference that a company makes.  How does our work enhance the life of a customer for the better?  How does our work benefit the planet?  How does our company contribute to a better society?  These are the questions applicants are asking more than ever before.

Finding a way to make a difference used to be something that happened outside of work, but today’s workforce is seeking a way to find true work-life integration where purpose in life is achieved in large part through work.  When a company can discuss how it contributes positively – and every great company does in some way – people become far more motivated to work there.

Perhaps you can tout how working in the green industry promotes sustainable ecosystems that we all need to survive.  Or the fact that people are healthier, happier, and likely to live longer when they are near living plants.  Or maybe your company hires a diverse workforce and provides job opportunities to those who otherwise would struggle to be employed.

In snow removal, we frequently talk about how we’re saving lives and allowing society to function throughout the winter season.  Yet frontline workers rarely hear these stories and almost no job advertisements discuss this opportunity to make a real difference through the work to be done.

Of course, there’s more to the perfect job posting than just purpose.  Fortunately, we’ve built a whole course on Recruiting Job Applicants, which is offered FREE thanks to our friends at Team Engine.  If you need to increase your response rates, sign up today and learn all the techniques so that you too can be “flooded with applicants”!