How To Write An Effective Company Description

November 20, 2017 Staff Advice for Employers and Recruiters, Recruiting & HR 0

Your company description appears on job postings, your company profile, your LinkedIn page, and your company website. People will copy and paste your language to use in their blog posts and press releases. If you want to make sure everything being said about your employment brand is consistent and correct, then consider refreshing your own profile as we enter a new year.

What do you include in an effective company description? What do you exclude? Here are some things to consider.

1. Put yourself in the shoes of a job seeker

Imagine you’re searching for Marketing Coordinator jobs on JobsInNH.com. You go to the search bar, you type in Marketing Coordinator and receive a list of matching jobs. You click on a few posts, and the job descriptions seem identical. The only thing truly standing out in each job advertisement is the company description.

In this case of job postings, the company description is what convinces someone to apply. “What” a person does is not as important as “Who” they’re doing it for. That’s why it’s important for your company description to sell your opportunities.

Compare your company descriptions to a competitor’s. Who would you rather work for? If the answer is your competitor, it’s time to spice up your company description in your employment ads.

2. What To Include

If you want your company description to stand out, consider adding these checklist items to your description:

  • Start with your company’s mission statement. Why do you exist? Why should anyone care?
  • Include a history of your company. When did you start? What are your monumental moments?
  • What does your company actually do, beyond the mission statement fluff? Who are the customers you serve? What products and services do you offer?
  • How big is your company? Will the candidate be part of a team of 10, 100 or 1,000+?
  • Where are you located? Are you local to New Hampshire? Are you national with a New Hampshire presence?
  • What’s your culture like? It’s tough to put into words, but if your employees had to describe it, how would they communicate what it’s like to work at your company?
  • Do you have a company ethos? If so, include it! If not, do you have core values that are distinct, different, and that you’re proud to share?

3. What’s In It For Me?

Every job seeker considering employment at your company is asking themselves the question, “What’s in this for me? If I get this job, how will my life improve?”

You should share the unusual and unique perks of working at your company. Free lunch on Tuesday? New Nikes on day one of your employment to promote a casual workplace? $500 per month for a company car with free gas?

You should also share the standard perks employees come to expect from employers. Including this information fulfills a job seeker’s mental checklist before they decide to apply.

Sell Your Company

It’s never easy talking about yourself, but writing an effective company description once does all the talking for you. Put yourself in the shoes of a job seeker; include the basics and the unique aspects of your company, and you’ll have a description that accurately sells your employment opportunities. If you enjoy the description, chances are that your ideal candidates will too.

AAA of Northern New England is a good example of a well written company profile. It sells the mission of the company, lists the perks and benefits and provides perspective on why you should work there.