Employer Newsletter - February 2007

In this Issue:

• Topic of the Month - "Bottom Feeders"
• Now's the Time!
• This Issue's Cartoon!

Topic of the Month - "Bottom Feeders"

Why do only the weakest candidates apply for my jobs? Why do we get bottom feeders? These questions come to us at ConstructionJobs.com fairly frequently. If you sometimes feel that you don't get a good response to your job posts, and the candidates that do apply are unacceptable, maybe it's time to review your job posts and what you're saying. You want to attract the best talent ... so, are you saying the best things?

I've always liked to fish, and sometimes I see a similarity in fishing and finding good candidates. When I go fishing, I don't just put the first thing on the hook that I find in my tackle box. I think about what I'm fishing for, make sure I have the appropriate bait and prepare to be successful before I even put my line in the water. If nothing is biting or all I get are little ones, I make changes.

These same principles - being prepared and adaptable - are true in looking for employees.

I know you don't have time, deadlines loom, and you're already spending all your waking hours at work ... but if you want to get better candidates, you need to do something.

Attracting better candidates is really pretty easy if you remember these two points.

• First, always remember that your job post is a marketing piece. Talk about your company and why it is a good place to work.
• Second, say what is important in the first couple of paragraphs. Be concise! Remember, a candidate spends less than 10 seconds looking at a job post. If they don’t see anything that excites them about the position, they go on to the next job post.

You have ten seconds to hook a big fish. Prepare a posting and a company profile that will make your company stand out, in a short time.

Remember that candidates - especially the good ones - have numerous options in today's job market. You want to entice the top candidates to apply. Make this task easier by spending a couple of minutes polishing your job posts to attract the best! Who knows, if you spend a few minutes doing this now, you may even be able to take a couple of days to go fishing later.

Client Testimonial
"For months our company has been engaged in trying to locate a Senior Estimator. We have tried more than six different job boards with little to no success. After posting our job description on your website, we instantly started receiving qualified applicants. Once we began interviewing the candidates, we were pleasantly surprised with the professionalism that each candidate expressed during the interview process. In the future we plan to utilize your service for all of our recruitment needs."
Westley Tibbs ~ President, CWT Consulting, LLC

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Now's the Time!

If you are going to be looking for new employees this spring, now's the time to start searching. More candidates apply to jobs in the 1st quarter than any other time of the year. The reasons for this vary: some professionals get excited about the start of a new construction season, others may have a New Year's resolution to advance their career, etc.

Whatever the case may be, you need to match the excitement and eagerness of the candidates by meeting them halfway. Post solid jobs and update your positions now in order to meet the solid professionals you need to complete the work you want to do in 2007. Act now, and you may find more candidates in your apply folder and more new candidates in the resume database.

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Happy Recruiting,
The ConstructionJobs Team