Who Are You?

There are two basic questions a job seeker has when they check out your online job postings.

1. Who are you?
2. What jobs are you offering?

OK, I admit this is pretty obvious. So, try this... hop onto one of our employment Web sites, pretend you are a job seeker, and click around. Check out the various company profiles and the job postings. For what percentage do you feel like your two basic questions are answered, completely and compellingly?

Very few. Which, of course, creates a huge potential advantage for you, an employer interested in better recruiting! For now, let's skip the job postings and focus on company profiles.

If you analyze the company profiles you see online, you will quickly note that the majority are written for customers and prospects, not job seekers. The simple reason for this is that they took advantage of copy that was already written -- usually for the "About Us" section of their Web site.

That's not a huge problem (especially if its well written) but first impressions count. Your company profile is your big chance to make your proverbial "first impression." Another way of looking at this: it is your opportunity for your very best pickup line!

So, how should you answer the question "who are you" -- what is your company like? Here are a few specific suggestions about the best answer:

• What makes you special? Talking about how "our people are our most important asset" fails this test miserably.
• What would make the ideal employees want to work for you? (Hint: it's often about the challenge.)
• Tell stories. If you can encapsulate the answers to the two preceding questions in a simple story, you will have a great profile.