Stop Those Lazy Job Postings!

Don’t be so lazy!

Before we get to the goodies, let me express this point with total clarity.

Lazy job postings = excessive time wasted interviewing by you, your HR department, and your employees!

Intelligent job postings = a constructive process that is shorter and yields better candidates.

You know what type of job candidates those schlocky job postings bring in. People with crummy resumes, terrible phone skills and bad etiquette, who lie about their experience and don’t know how to spell the word “Fiddelity” (lol). This you find out three months later, just in time for them to embarrass you in front of your clients.

Stop these lazy job postings, and instead find the people who will make yours the top-notch firm you say you are on your websites!

Here are some ideas.

Clear enumeration of salary and benefits

I’m sick of seeing employers treat job candidates like they are “less than” by withholding salary data.

“I’ll see who shows interest in the job, and then I’ll pay them whatever I want once I figure out how valuable they are to me.”

Ahem, I think you meant to say, ”Once I can find a compelling reason to pay them as little as possible and still get them to agree to work for me. By the way, I’ll string them along until I figure that out.”

Let me get this straight.

You’re going to waste some unfortunate soul’s time, make them lie to their boss and/or risk getting fired, take three hours out of their day they may not be paid for, hire a babysitter, pay gas, tolls, and parking, and risk getting COVID to come in for the interview, only to find out on interview #5 that the job can’t even pay their rent?

Hello, what about integrity and compassion for humanity – didn’t you all say that in the core values section of your websites?

You realize the government keeps bailing out the stock market, right? But the administrative assistant working for you didn’t get the benefit of the higher AUM fees. They feel those Fed moves, though, when the Cheerios get checked at the grocery store and it’s 30% higher than last month!

Include a clear enumeration of salary in the posting. And don’t even think about giving yourself wiggle room by citing some ridiculous range, either (“This position pays $80 to $200k”).

Diversity statement

In addition to the tired old, “We’re an Equal Opportunity Employer” line, I’d love to see a welcoming and inspiring statement about diversity.

Example:

We are seeking a new member for our financial planning team and encourage candidates to apply from all races, colors, religions, national origins, sex, sexual orientation, parental status, and gender identities. As a core value of our firm, we support diversity and inclusion in all its forms, and adhere to provisions including but not limited to:

• • The Americans with Disabilities Act
  • The CROWN ACT
  • The Civil Rights Act of 1991
  • Etc.

Did we miss anything? Let us know.

Write it, and even better – stand behind it and make any accommodations needed to include diverse individuals!.

Can I get a “woohoo” on that?

Get the right job in the first place

Why is “We need more administrative help,” the response to every operational problem? Advisors looooove hiring administrative assistants. Someone you can boss around, who will run around after you and clean up your messes.

(Psst: You probably need an operations director to straight out the mess in the first place).

A lot of times, the company posting the job doesn’t put any thought into what position actually needs to be filled, and the purpose of the job posting is to get a bunch of (lie-ridden) resumes and figure it out while you go along. Don’t post the job until you’re sure you know what you truly need.

Career vision statement

Show the candidate that there is some thought given to their future. You’re financial planners, right? Don’t you all keep saying that phrase about “failing to plan is like planning to fail” or something?

Why is there zero vision for the career trajectory of your employees?

Example:

Our vision is for this junior associate to spend 2-3 years in this role and earn the CFP designation, after which time we expect the person to be able to fulfill the role of a senior client associate. Generally, this equates to a 30% increase in salary. In the longer term there is potential for a management/partner position, if merited.

Firm value statement

Say something about what makes your team unique and mean it.

Example:

At RedGreenOakBirchRiver Financial, our team members have an uncanny similarity: There is some connection to the military, either through direct service or through family. While this is not something we require of our teammates, we do feel it speaks to our core values of integrity, true service to others, and courage.

Best personality fit

Here you have to dig down and figure out what the most important personal characteristic is that you need to team member to have. Obviously, we all want someone who is hardworking with a positive attitude and who goes for the “win-win.” But let’s be real: that all fades after the honeymoon is over.

Be more specific about what the dominant aspects of the personality are needed to fit in the long term.

Example:

The three most important personality traits the new team member needs to have to fit in on our team are:

• • Prudence
  • Skepticism
  • Resourcefulness

And by the way, everybody lies about their positive attributes so you might as well put them through a personality screening test such as Kolbe or Myers Briggs.

Most important skill

In a typical job posting, there is a slew of tasks listed but no real propriety given. You increase your chances of finding the right candidate if you can be specific about the one most important skill that they must possess to succeed.

Example:

We are seeking an IT administrator who is familiar with encryption techniques for financial firms as our entire server, website, and email system are only as effective if they are secure 100% of the time.

Elimination questions

Try weeding people out by addressing the dealbreakers right away. Example:

Before applying, please consider these important questions.

• • Do you find it difficult when your work is interrupted?
  • Do you get annoyed by after hours and weekend emails?
  • Do you find it overwhelming to deal with occasionally emotional clients?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, this job is not a good match.

Explanation of the hiring process

Tell the potential applicant what is going to be required of them during the process.

Example:

We have structured our search process to include many evaluations of match potential before requiring you to spend time on an interview. As a result, you will be required to complete a personality survey and a knowledge assessment, both of which will require 10-15 minutes of time and can be completed virtually.

We anticipate notifying those who pass this initial screen to be invited to an interview sometime in early April 2022. After that, you’ll have two in-person interviews, one with a hiring manager and the next one with the team.

The final offer will be rendered in early May, and the candidate is expected to start by May 15th.

Sara’s upshot

You can waste your whole life finding good people to work with. You may get fewer applicants with an intelligent posting, but if you’re going out to hire, write an intelligent job posting to make a great first impression and attract better candidates.

If you want to talk to me about how I can help with your business communications, here is how I work with people.

I also have a book on LinkedIn messenger for financial advisors.

Sara Grillo, CFA, is a marketing consultant who helps investment management, financial planning, and RIA firms fight the tendency to scatter meaningless clichés on their prospects and bore them as a result. Prior to launching her own firm, she was a financial advisor.

Read more articles by Sara Grillo