What to do before you post your job

Perform a skills gap analysis

A skills gap is the difference between the skills your current workforce has to offer and the skills you need or want. By performing a skills gap analysis before you post an open role, you can identify the specific skills, experience and education you need from a new employee.

A skills gap analysis can be especially useful if you know you need a new employee, but are not exactly sure which role to hire for. Even if you already have a specific role in mind you want to hire for, a skills gap analysis can help you write an effective job description and create an interview scoring rubric.

Align on must-have vs. nice-to-have qualifications

When multiple people are responsible for determining job fit, it’s good to be on the same page regarding which qualifications are required and which are preferred. Using what you learned during your skills gap analysis, talk with your colleagues about qualification must-haves, and define what they are. This will help you set the minimum requirements that someone would need to be successful if hired. There’s a difference between crucial hard skills and preferred (but still important) soft skills.

Additionally, job seekers generally search first for the must-have skills and requirements, so it’s a good idea to place those at the top of your job post. This saves time for both you and potential candidates because they’ll assess whether they’re qualified or not right off the bat. Don’t forget to clearly label which qualifications are required and which are preferred.

Resolve any questions about compensation

Job seekers look for opportunities that meet their salary needs. Don’t forget that commissions, tips, bonuses, PTO, company culture and other perks all count as benefits.

Be sure you and your team are on the same page prior to adding compensation or a salary range to your job post.

To figure out a fair compensation range for your position, check out Indeed Salaries to see data on average salaries for job titles in your location. You can also read this guide on how to offer a competitive salary in five steps.

Gather feedback on your job description

To enhance team trust and buy-in (and to ensure all I’s are dotted and T’s are crossed), review your final job post draft with your colleagues. Need help fine tuning your job description? We share our insights on how to write effective job titles and descriptions on Indeed here.

We’ve also compiled job description samples across 600+ job titles to help you write your own.

Consider allocating budget to upgrade your job posting

Many of our employers find more quality candidates when they upgrade their job posting to a Sponsored Job. In fact, Sponsored Jobs deliver 80% more applicants on average than non-sponsored jobs.^[1]

 
We especially recommend a Sponsored Job to employers who have hard-to-fill positions (e.g., nurse, software engineer), need a candidate in a small geographic area or are looking for a candidate with highly specialized skills.

When you’re ready to post your job, get started here.

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