CEDR Two Minute Trainer: Effective and Legal Job Ads

It’s critical to attract the right applicants for your team. An effective job advertisement is like any other marketing material: it represents the culture of your practice. You also want to make sure your advertisement is legal, without any wording that could be interpreted as discriminatory. Remember, if it’s in print, or on the net, it’s a permanent record!

Compliance is especially important in today’s internet-based job posting world where there’s no limit to the number of words you can use. Just because it’s on the net or in a social network doesn’t mean that all the rules don’t apply.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at a  sample ad for a Front Office Assistant position:

Seeking Bright Shiny Front Office Assistant

Busy multi-doctor practice looking for full-time front office assistant to provide joyful, superior service to our valued patients. Certified assistants are preferred, but we are willing to train the right person. You must be excited to learn new things. You need excellent interpersonal communication skills in order to contribute to the team and motivate and instruct patients on optimal oral health. The ideal candidate thrives on organization and understands the value of supporting others.

Our employees receive:

• competitive pay and benefits
• achievable bonuses
• a four-day work week
• longevity incentives

If you are enthusiastic, friendly, and a quick learner, please email your resume and a cover letter detailing your applicable experience and why we should consider you to be part of our team. Don’t wait – We have an immediate opening for the right person. High school diploma required; experience in medical field preferred.  We may not respond to all who apply. EOE.

Do you want to work for this company?  You can create all kinds of variations of this style of job ad until it fits your needs.  The key points to cover when you are developing your job ad are:

1. Make your ad attractive to the best candidates. Assume you are competing for them and make your ad stand out from the rest with a relevant headline and content that describes the opportunity and its benefits with enthusiasm.
2. Make it about them. Traditional job ads focus on what the employer needs, but the best candidates want to know what’s in it for them.
3. Motivate the candidate to take action.  Put a sense of urgency in the ad so they know the opportunity won’t last long and that they better apply now.
4. Include a specific request.  If you need someone who follows directions well, have them complete a few different steps when they apply.  If you need someone with attention to detail, ask for them to respond in a particular way.  This will automatically weed out those who ignore your request.
5. Keep it legal!  Be careful not to make any statements or imply that you won’t hire person from protected classes.  Protected classes include race, color, ethnicity, national origin, gender, age (over 40), disability, pregnancy, and veteran status.  Again, use gender neutral language.  Avoid language that excludes someone based on their age or ability.  Avoid saying, “recent college graduate”, “young and energetic”, “athletically inclined”, or “she will have organization skills”.

Here are some additional tips to consider:

• Avoid being too clever. Use short sentences with specific language. Compare:

“We want a team leader who can think outside the box, inspire, lead, and deliver quality and excellence.” 

vs.

“We want a Team Leader with at least three years of experience managing a fast paced medical/dental office. The Team Leader must be able to motivate and manage compassionately up to 15 employees. He/she must recommend and implement policy changes and improve operations. The Team Leader must joyfully serve our patients and our team.”

• Use bulleted lists for easy reading when applicable.
• Include the rate or range of pay if top candidates will be looking for that.
• Be vague about benefits. (“$15 – $20 per hour, DOE, plus production bonus.”  “We offer above-average benefits.”)
• Include any certification, experience or education requirements.
• Include whether the job is part-time or full-time.
• Finally, include a statement of “Equal Opportunity Employer” or “EOE”.

Good luck finding the perfect addition to your team!  Now go have a productive, successful, and lawsuit-free day!