When you think of your job postings, what comes to mind? The skills the position requires? The responsibilities the chosen candidate will assume? The number of years in the industry job seeker should have before applying?

Does that sum it up?

If so, your company has been operating at a disadvantage. One that reading this article will eradicate.

Consider the opposite of the coin, the job seeker. When searching for a position, job seekers are concerned, first and foremost, with number one. Themselves! When they view job positions, they will always reflect in the back of their minds, how will this opportunity benefit me? Is status and security derived from working at the company? What are the benefits? What will be the opportunities to learn? Are famous researchers already in the department? What about corporate politics? Will I be left alone to research and develop, or will I be micromanaged by bean counters? If I finish working at 3:02 am, can I sleep under my desk?

It's only human nature. Careers represent a good 1/3 of a person's life (more than that if the professional is driven). They already know their skills, they are aware of what they bring to a position...their priority, compared to yours, is finding a job that matches their career and their personal needs as well.

Consider the following crucial job post points before you even put fingers to keyboard. This way, you can ensure your finished job advertisement will provide the maximum response rate your company deserves.

1.) What's so thrilling about your company?

Why should top notch candidates consider working there? Has your company achieved any major innovations in the industry? Can you count world-acclaimed researchers in your departments? Is it a key player in your particular industry? Pointing out a sterling reputation and a trend towards stability will put the reader in a receptive mode.

2.) What's so enticing about your positions?

Compared to other corporations, what benefits and perks do you offer? Remember, perks do not have to be monetary—they can include

Location—Is your company close to nature, excellent region to raise a family, high technology environment, etc.?

Benefits—What are your medical/health/dental/vacation benefits?

Commute—Depending upon where the candidate lives, a shorter commute can translate into more time available for the family.

Career Growth—What are opportunities for further degrees or education, as well as a commitment towards attending relevant seminars and training?

Corporate Environment—Is there a dearth of corporate politics, the latest and greatest of technological toys (computers, software, etc.), employee clubs, fitness center or childcare onsite, etc.?

Supporting Information—Most likely, you can include additional links in your job posting. Has the town or city in which the job is based ever been ranked as the top 10 for living environments? Family safety? Technology innovations? If so, you can add direct links to these kinds of findings to bolster the appeal of your positions.

3.) What are the requirements of your open jobs?

Notice how this is the third question instead of the first? Keep in mind the main reason why your job postings exist—they are first and foremost advertisements for your company. It's human nature to first want the WIIFM (What's In It For Me) question answered; this will result in your visitor becoming interested and wanting to learn more. Now that you have successfully engaged interest, it's time to hit them with the requirements. But don't be sparse in the description! Look at your job orders from your candidate's perspective. Wouldn't you like to know what a job requires before interviewing for it? Be descriptive—the skills required, the responsibilities it will entail, and the ultimate goals of the department.

4.) What is the salary range of your open jobs?

Stating a salary range gives candidates a basis for qualifying themselves. This will greatly reduce the time you have to spend, weeding out those candidates who require too much compensation.

5.) Who can't you hire?

Some companies have strict guidelines on hiring. Perhaps they require professionals with at least three years of industry experience - this would effectively remove college students from your potential hires. Or maybe you can only hire candidates who do not require visas or immigration assistance. Always outline in your job post your guidelines - while it will not completely remove resumes received from those whom you could never consider, it might decrease the flow. In your job advertisements, consider adding a line that reads, "At this time, we regret that we cannot offer employment to anyone with less than three years of industry experience or requiring a visa." This provides a resource for such individuals, and leaves a good impression.

6.) What is your contact information?

Never underestimate the importance of complete contact information. This can include the name of the supervisor hiring or HR representative, their phone number, fax, e–mail address and of course, corporate URL. Additionally, having a tag line that adds interest can round out the information.

7.) Do you offer more than one position?

If so, include the following line in your job advertisements. If this position doesn't meet your needs, please check out our other opportunities at ... and close it with a direct link to your other jobs. This provides a very effective means for allowing visitors to explore all of your opportunities.

Did you realize that job advertisements could include all the above information? Not everyone does—simply take a look at the available jobs posted, and you'll see descriptions that range from two sentences (boring!) to those that admirably grab the readers' attention and compel them to want to learn additional information. And not only that—quite often, you can add different colors and fonts to your postings to make them stand out even more.

There is still one crucial job posting requirement that we must address, however. Go now and take a look at available chemistry jobs. Notice how the only information first revealed is the job title? That often is the only opportunity you'll have at attracting immediate attention from job seekers. Thus, you want to ensure you have an intriguing-enough title to interest candidates to look further.

What comprises a good job title? Several things. Including the state and city can be beneficial to help job seekers visually discern where the job is located. But the most important component is the job title and keywords themselves.

Perhaps you are looking for research chemists. Certainly, you could create a job title like so:

Washington DC - Research chemist

That's extremely broad! Can you add other components of the position? Perhaps

Washington DC - Research chemist - metabolites, process validation

Or

Washington DC - Research chemist, growing sector

Or

Washington DC - Topnotch Innovative Research chemist

Notice the difference of the above suggestions. Each of them contains inklings as to the position they describe—each of them has a higher probability of being noticed than the generic job positions advertised. Viewers respond to action words— you want to trigger an emotional response from them and cause them to look further at your opportunities.

As we've seen, job posting can be a very effective means for bringing the best and brightest to your doorstep. It can even be taken one step further, however.

Consider your corporate web site. Do you have a career section? Comprehensive descriptions of how rewarding it is to work at your company? Testimonials from your employees that provide further reinforcement to anyone who visits it? Far too often, companies view their web sites as merely places to entice customers and clients. They fail to consider the extra benefits they would reap if a section was provided that "did the selling" on corporate career opportunities. The space is already available— it is simply good business sense to take advantage of that. It offers an extra reinforcement to professionals who are seeking a new position and considering your company.

In closing, job advertisements can be one of, if not the, most valuable resource you have in the war for quality talent. Do not squander this tremendous opportunity for showcasing your corporation to its best effects—always ensure that you maximize the benefits and returns from your hard work and effort.

Barbara Ling is an Internet consultant and Web advisor. She is the author of The Internet Recruiting Edge (Lingstar publishing, 732-203-1194). Her book won a five-star rating from Inc. Magazine for online recruiting resources. She also created and teaches the highly popular RISE Internet Recruiting Seminars.