Well-qualified people seeking work have two primary questions:

1. What will I have to do?

2. What skills should I have?

This translates into “who do you want?” and “what do you want them to do?".

Questions about the company:

1. Where is it?

Some people are very interested in benefits and compensation, but, unless there are special circumstances, those are really not as important. Special circumstances might mean that they may need really good health insurance to take care of a dependent, or a minimum amount of income to meet current financial obligations.

The location of the work is important, because, if they must go there everyday, it will have a major impact on their life.

Most people believe they are smart, and respect that other professionals are equally intelligent, whether they are recognized publicly or not. Most job seekers aren’t looking to work with people that describe themselves as ‘fun’. If someone is looking for a job, they are seeking a fair income, in exchange for a professional level of service. They aren’t looking for friends or fun.

When posting a job on the web, the following practices are valuable:

• Ensure the job title is appropriate
• Clearly describe the desired qualifications, especially those which you are not willing to compromise on
• Clearly describe the role and responsibilities of the position
• State the location, but don’t try to persuade people it is convienient. Convienience is relative.
• Ensure there is a link to your company site, so people can learn more

• Check the LinkedIn, FaceBook, and other public postings of your employees. Many candidates use these tools to find out what type of people work at your company. Be sure the posts are appropriate.

• Salary is always commensurate with experience.
• Avoid appearing desperate by running the same ads in the same places, over and over. People will assume there is a reason the position hasn’t been filled, or that the company has high turnover, and they won’t submit a resume
• The work environment means different things to different people. It is better to say nothing, and allow the candidate to form their own opinion during the interview, whether by direct questions or simple observation.
• If there are some very special benefits, it would be worth mentioning them. For example, free concert tickets, regularly, on-site daycare, telecommuting.
• If there are any off-hours responsibilities or shifts, be sure to state that in the ad
• Web professionals often submit URLs of recent work. Be sure to request them so you can review the work done. Candidates should describe their contribution to the project.
• Be willing to negotiate for benefits and wages if the candidate is a really good fit, and make that clear during the interview (not on the job post).
• Volatile companies with rapid growth may be perceived as risky, even if the growth is well-funded and the company is extremely successful. Avoid stating the position was created in response to growth, because rapid hiring may be followed in a few months with painful downsizing. Project an image of stability, so candidates feel they will have a secure position.
• Be humble. Most people have strong positive feelings about their company, but by the same token, there are many great companies, and many great jobs. The job post isn’t an ad, it is a request for team members.