Creating a Three-Part Job Announcement

When a position opens in your program, you want to find the most qualified person to fill that role. But how do you connect with potential applicants? One way is by creating a three-part job announcement.

It's important to start by understanding that there is a difference between job descriptions and job announcements. A job description is an important tool for Human Resources Management, especially for larger centers. The job description defines the job and the minimum requirements for the position. It functions like your contract with the employee by letting the employee know all the important things that somebody who does this job needs to know or be able to do. This may include things like how much experience they have, such as “must have two years of experience in child care,” or the education they have, for example, “must have a CDA.” In some cases, there can even be physical requirements for the position, such as “employees must be able to lift 40 pounds.” Job descriptions are really important to have in place, especially if you have multiple employees because they provide clarity about expectations if there are questions later about what a position requires.

A job announcement, on the other hand, serves a different purpose. The full job description provides a lot of details that, while relevant, may not be necessary to explain upfront. As such, when you're trying to recruit people, having that full job description out there as the first thing prospective applicants see may be confusing or overwhelming to them. The role of the job announcement is to present to prospective applicants, "Here's why you have to come work for us." It is more about creating a document that both tells a person about the job, but also explains to them why they should want to work for you. This is an important piece of recruitment that should function more like a sales document more than anything. Think of it like trying to sell the job to an individual. To attract top talent, it is well worth the effort to take the time to craft a high-quality job announcement. In Lean Recruitment, we recommend a three-part job announcement comprised of three main sections that we like to call the “why, what, and how.”

Part 1: The “Why”

In the first section of your job announcement, you will want to explain the “why.” This is why an individual should choose your organization as their place of employment. This doesn't have to be lengthy, maybe five or six sentences, but what you want to convey is what is it about your business that should make them want to take that step into the unknown, start in a new environment and with new people, and come work for you. How do you stand apart as an employer? Is your workplace a fun environment? Is it an opportunity to help children who need help the most? What inspires you and your current employees about working at your business? What is exciting about it? What do employees get out of being a part of this organization? Those are the things you want to include in this first section. This is also where you will want to include your basic business information such as where you are located, the neighborhood you are in, and what is nearby.

Part 2: The “What”

In the next section, you want talk about the “what”. This section says what skills and capabilities are most essential for success in the position, the most valuable to your business. Often, there are ultimately so many skills and capabilities that would be useful for an employee to have and we want to thoroughly list them all to improve our chances of landing the best possible prospect for the position. However, research shows that the more skills and capabilities you include in your job announcement, the less likely somebody is to really assess it and apply for the job because they begin to see all the things that they can't do rather than the ones they can. So, keep this section to the seven or eight most critical items that you feel are most important for them to succeed in the position.

Part 3: The “How”

In your final section, you will include what we call the “how.” This section outlines how prospective applicants apply for the position. What information are you going to want to know? Do you need a copy of their Registry certificate when they apply? Do you need other information upfront like them to fill out an official job application or a background check request? These are the questions that you will want to include in this final section.

As you are drafting your announcement, don't hesitate to look for inspiration from online job sites. It is often a great idea to see what other announcements for child care providers in your area, or even across the nation, are highlighting as important “whys” and “whats.” This is a great way to understand how things are being discussed or communicated currently in the market. Once you’ve created your job announcement, it is also a good idea to test it before you start sending it out in the world. Try starting with two or three of your friends, maybe find somebody in the child care industry, but also somebody who isn't. Ask these trusted contacts for their honest opinions. Is the job announcement clear? Does it make sense? Is this something where they would look at the job and say, "Yeah, this is kind of interesting?" If your job announcement is appealing to these few contacts, it is a good bet that it will be appealing to prospective applicants as well.

Need Help?

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The content included in this guide has been adapted from Lean Recruitment: Finding Better Talent Faster (2017), by Gary Romano and Alison LaRocca.