How to Attract Qualified Salespeople with Online Classified Advertisements

Logos Corp, an Internet research and consulting firm specializing in electronic recruiting, has published a new report on the state of Internet recruiting in Canada.

According to Logos, searching the Internet for work is now the second most popular method of finding a job, next to the newspaper. Many companies are receiving more than half their resumes online and some are recruiting online exclusively.

What does this news mean to you as an employer seeking to hire qualified salespeople? It means that you must include web-based sources in your recruitment plan and get up to speed on writing effective employment classifieds for the web environment.

Many online job boards (e.g. Workopolis, Monster.ca, Jobshark etc.) have a template that the employer fills in outlining pertinent information—job location, title, starting date, name of company hiring, company/industry specialization, job description and job category. Don’t just cut and paste data from the formal job description. Although this may seem like a fill-in-the blanks exercise, you must keep in mind that your goal is to attract candidates and get them to forward their resumes to you.

Why is writing for the Web different?
Reading text on a computer screen is about 25% slower than reading text on a printed page. Most users report feeling less comfortable reading on-screen. So, Web users generally scan on-screen text, firstly checking whether the information has relevance for them, then seeking out key points. Try applying the following guidelines when writing your online ad:

• State the specifics upfront starting with job title, position’s reporting relationship, company name, territory location (include city or region), and job reference number.
• Use headings (e.g. Key Responsibilities, Required Qualifications and Desired Qualifications) as signposts. Online job seekers are drawn to headings.
• Isolate three or four personal characteristics that have the greatest impact on successful job performance (be careful that each requirement you identify is specifically job-related).
• Rank the position’s responsibilities in order. List major job duties followed by minor job duties.
• Identify client types and markets segments that the salesperson will be handling.
• Outline Total Target Compensation for the position, including allowances.
• Indicate method of application preferred—email, fax or mail.
• Use objective language. Avoid hype, hard-sell and buzzwords, which distract and deter candidates wanting real information about the position you are offering.
• Use shorter words and write sentences that are short (20 words or less).
• List information using bullet points, or numbered lists if appropriate.
• Arrange information in short paragraphs, with one main idea per paragraph
• Use highlighting and boldface type where appropriate. Never use italics as they are hard to read, especially in smaller types.
• Never use underlining as it looks like hypertext.
• Edit your copy for spelling errors before hitting the “submit” button.

If you plan on using online job boards as a key means for recruiting sales personnel to your organization, you may want to save yourself some work by doing the following:

• Have your company logo scanned into a PDF file so you can submit along with your ad.
• Set-up a document template/style sheet to create a uniform look for all employment classifieds with set headings.
• Set-up an electronic folder on your PC and whenever you run across an effective online ad for a sales position similar what your company has to offer, copy the ad into the folder for future reference

©Sales Resource Centre, Canadian Professional Sales Association, 2001.