This is a continuation of going through a Job Posting for a Software Engineer that was posted the first week of August in 2020. We’re continuing our series of going through this job posting and pointing out where it may not be landing as well as recruiters and hiring managers think it is.
Make sure to check out Part 1, where we go through the hook of the job posting, here!
Who We Are-
With an energy that is infectious and a singular dedication to building on our successes, our people have grown our company into one of the world’s leading {redacted to protect identity} with more than {number} points of distribution in more than {number} countries worldwide. The success that we have built from our many years of creating products that people love is something we delight in sharing with our approximately {number} employees. But the best part about working at {redacted} is being associated with well-known brands that people identify with great taste, delicious products and consistent service across the globe.
This is an advertisement.
I’m a millennial – the demographic that’s approaching peak saturation in the workforce. Millennials don’t react well to this. Here’s a Forbes article that goes through some research on how Millenials react to advertising like this: https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelfertik/2019/02/14/how-to-get-millenials-to-trust-and-respond-to-your-advertising/#4215c5236c81
The key from this article is “Millennials don’t trust advertising, celebrity endorsements or any of the more traditional, one-way communications strategies.”
This paragraph goes from bad to worse when it says “The best part about working at {place} is being associated with well-known brands… “. The best part of working here is I get to wave a flag? An opportunity to hone my craft while providing value to customers and making the world a better place by… no… just waving a flag. Got it.
With all the polarized, vigorous, and starting-to-be-violent flag-waving in the global context, maybe 2020 isn’t the best time to use “be associated with our brand” to attract talent.
We are poised for even greater success, and we need enthusiastic people who are looking for career growth at a company that encourages innovation and nurtures entrepreneurial thinking. If you enjoy a fast-paced environment, have a positive attitude, and are looking for a company that invests in its employees then please apply! For more information, please visit { Website URL }
We touched on why the term “fast-paced” makes me nervous in Part 1. A positive attitude is an interesting addition here. I don’t disagree with this but want to know more. This is where one of my interview questions would come from, this statement here.
How do we learn and get feedback for ourselves, our product, and the company as a whole?
If asking critical questions is not “a positive attitude”, then this is a recipe for trouble.
Put another way – I absolutely enjoy and think it is ok to expect someone to have a “Let’s do this!” attitude. I think if someone says “Hey manager, our approach is wrong” and the response is “You don’t have a positive attitude” then we have a real problem.
There’s a really good set of questions, one of which is “does failure cause inquiry”, and I’m trying to find the link to that list.
In Part 3 we’ll be getting into the actual role description. Up until now, it’s still all the equivalent of an advertisement for the company’s brand.
I think we need to do better.
As stated in the Forbes article, advertising like this doesn’t work anymore. Millennials are too skeptical, and social media for jobs – Glassdoor being one of the most prominent, is going to cross-check any claims made in this part of the job post very quickly.
Tip: Always write your job posting as if Glassdoor and other reviews were attached to it.
The Glassdoor review for this particular organization is 3.4 out of 5. The top pro was a benefit for time off, the top con was a lack of upward mobility in the company.
Let’s combine the Glassdoor comments and the paragraphs above into an amalgam of interpretation:
“Work in a fast-paced (high stress), positive attitude (you may not be able to question status quo practices) company with a really great brand (which is the best part of your reward for your work, our brand). We expect you to work in your role without expectation of promotion, but you can enjoy some extra time with your family. “
Sounds like I’m assuming a lot of negatives here but if we really boil down the expectations here combined with what the social networks are saying in reviews, this isn’t a great start.
Stay tuned – we’re going to rewrite this to do better at the end.
