Hiring Advice for Your Merchants: Write Job Descriptions that Attract Millennials

By Audrey Hogan, TimeForge Labor Management

It’s no secret that most job descriptions are awful. They make the hiring company sound boring and the work tedious. This could be a real problem for employers when they try to hire Generation Y Millennials. While some managers and recruiters are fed up with this group, Generation Y is predicted to comprise nearly 75% of the world’s workforce by 2025, according to a study by the Business and Professional Women’s Foundation. Companies will eventually be fighting for the best of them (if they aren’t already), so they should start using the job description to court talented millennials sooner rather than later.

How do you write a job description millennials will care about?

It’s not as hard as you might think! Here are six easy ways employers can tweak job descriptions to attract millennials:

1. Tell them why they should want to work for their company
This is the company’s opportunity to make job seekers fall head over heels in love with them and the open position. Millennials don’t just want to crank out work and check off items on a to-do list. They want to love the company they work for, and hiring managers can use the job description to get them excited.

2. Tell them why the position matters
Understanding how my job contributes to the organization is one of the biggest motivators for me and my Gen Y colleagues. Make sure the job descriptions describe where the position falls within the company, how the candidate could make an impact, and where it fits in the grand scheme of things.

3. Talk about what the job could do for them
Aside from a
salary and fringe benefits, how would they benefit from the position? What skills might they gain, what professional connections can they make, and why would this position make them more desirable candidates when they start looking for their next jobs?

4. Tell them about creative benefits
Does the company offer any extra, exciting benefits, like flexible work hours or gym membership reimbursement? Be sure to mention those creative perks (no matter how small) in the millennial-focused job description. If the company supports
VTO (volunteer time off), don’t forget to mention that, too!

5. Tell them about the vision for the position
While millennials may not envision working the same job for decades, it’s important that we work for a company where we could envision ourselves growing and contributing for several years. We want the job description to reflect that same sort of vision for the candidate who ultimately fills the position.

6. Tell the company story, quickly
All companies have a story. Tell a brief version of that story within the job description to quickly convey the company’s mission and how it came to be as it pertains to the kind of applicant they’re looking for.

If you or your customers found this advice helpful, you might also like How To Up Your Hiring Game. It contains helpful tips from RSPA’s own Jim Roddy.