photo by Ian Schneider
Do your job postings align with your mission?
by Mary Beth Barry
It’s difficult enough to find qualified candidates for your open positions these days. You’re competing against hundreds of other organizations who are also looking for qualified people and you may be spending a good amount of money on recruiting for your openings. Add to that the time and talent it takes to screen and interview for open positions, onboard and train those you hired and then add in time and the stress if those employees end up not being a good fit for your organization.
You want to make sure you hire those whose values, mission and character are aligned with your organization’s mission. That’s why it is so important to get your job postings, the first step in hiring staff, correct. Whether you are a Church hiring for a position that clearly requires applicants to have Catholic beliefs and values or are a privately owned company looking for someone who will respect and demonstrate the values and mission of your organization (but may not be Catholic), you will want to make sure that your job postings keep these things in mind:
Incorporate principles and purpose in your message
- For clearly defined Catholic entities like Churches and Catholic charities ensure your posting references your Catholic identity by stating your mission and purpose.
- Be transparent to prospective staff about your organization’s values and mission at the beginning and end of the posting.
- Where required, candidates should know what is expected of them in terms of representing the religious character of the organization; participating in the religious culture of the organization; expressing their faith to clients; and having a positive and supportive attitude toward the Catholic Church, her teachings, and her work
- Communicate your religious history, values and expectations to prospective employees, so that they can make an informed decision about their “fit.”
- If you have job specific requirements or preferences related to faith, make these clear up front.
- Call out the specific Catholic values that you expect of your employees (humility, simplicity, trust, valuing human dignity, and compassion).
For more language around the faith requirements in your job postings please see the Posting section of our Members Only room by clicking this link [https://www.cbamembersonlyroom.org/Human-Resources]
Be specific about what skills you need and the job duties
- Don’t just post that you need someone with 10 years of administrative experience. Two people could have had the same job title but very different experiences.
- Tell them about what skill/talent is needed to qualify them for the work.
- Make sure you post accurate requirements. If you prefer something, make sure you state that. Make sure your “mandatory requirements” are really mandatory and the job can’t be done without it.
- Make explicit what it takes to thrive in the role.
- Specificity helps job seekers know exactly what you are looking for.
- Anyone should be able to read the posting and be able to tell you what the person is expected to do.
- Be honest. If it’s a hard, challenging job, tell them that.
Set yourself apart from the competition
- Make sure to let candidates know that your position isn’t just a job but could be calling.
- Emphasize that you have an organization with a strong culture. It’s an incredibly useful way of sifting through the applications once they’re in.
- Define the optimal candidate. Consider your best employees and what attributes make them the best. What do those employees do that’s different than anyone else?
- Emphasize that your workforce does what others cannot, they work there because they care, have a mission, have the drive to help people/provide amazing customer service, have an impact in the community.
- Explain what is so special about your team.
Shorter is better
- The ideal job posting is 600-900 words. That is the length of most people’s attention span.
- Keep your requirement list realistic. Unless you are posting for a high-level position, candidates may read a list of requirements as a barrier they have to overcome.
- Refer to your job descriptions but don’t just copy and paste what they say. No one wants to read an exhaustive, monotone list of duties.
Post accurate titles
Do a quick search on any popular job board to see what the “common” title is.
Since job titles can be somewhat arbitrary, you want to make sure you post the title that recruiters or job seekers are looking for online. For example, office assistant and administrative assistant are basically the same job. But while 4,500 people search for the term “office assistant” each month, 80,000 people search for “administrative assistant.” Which would you rather use?
Write the way you talk
Pretend you are having a conversation. When you write a posting, you should imagine sitting next to the hiring manager and imagine how they would describe the job.
Remember, to find employees who are faithfully aligned with your mission and values you must make sure every step in your employment process clearly identifies your mission and/or Catholic identity.
As Pope Francis says “As Christians, we do not only receive a vocation individually; we are also called together. We are like the tiles of a mosaic. Each is lovely in itself, but only when they are put together do they form a picture. Each of us shines like a star in the heart of God and in the firmament of the universe.” “Each vocation in the Church, and in a broader sense in society, contributes to a common objective, namely, that of celebrating among men and women that harmony of manifold gifts that can only be brought about by the Holy Spirit.”
Need help with this or other HR related matters. Please reach out to me at marybeth@catholicbenefitsassociation.org