A combination of skills, experience, approach and capability that solves your problems.

Imagine they are at home with their significant other. They've read your advert, if you're lucky, or are considering your job description. Perhaps your website or your EVP.

The boyfriend/wife/dog/mirror asks

"So what is this job and why on earth are you thinking about applying?"

If your ideal candidate can't answer this, then they likely don't understand what the role entails and what's in it for them.

So why on earth would they apply?

If you are struggling for candidates, for whatever reason, at least make sure you have your basics right before you use the excuse of skills shortages.

If your job description, advert, communications or messaging is obscure, ambiguous, jargonistic or impenetrable, in all likelihood the only people you will appeal to need any job, not just yours.

And they'll be applying for every job that looks roughly right, no matter how poor the documentation is.

Which is what you are competing against.

While the candidates that may be most suitable - your ideal candidate - won't have a reason to contact you, and you may never even know.

Solution?

Make sure your documentation is relevant, relatable, representative and appealing.

Can't do that?

Get a good interpreter in, who'll strip back the layers of your vacancy onion, show you what good is, and get the job done.

It doesn't have to be us.