David Cummings on Startups

Consider Alternate Job Titles When Recruiting

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David Cummings

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Earlier today I was meeting with a couple entrepreneurs to talk through what is and isn’t working well with their startup. One of their challenges was on the recruiting front: they couldn’t find the right sales engineer. Only, they were calling it an application engineer. The position, based on the roles and responsibilities, could also be a support engineer.

When recruiting, consider alternate job titles that have the same roles and responsibilities. Here are some items to keep in mind:

  • Job seekers look at job titles that are similar to what they are currently doing
  • Five startups can give the same position five different job titles
  • Roles and responsibilities can be exactly the same with job titles that vary wildly
  • Consider offering a fancier title to recruit someone earlier in their career as a perk for joining a startup

Recruiting is tough, especially in the current technology boom. Look for ways to cast a wider net through alternate job titles.

What else? What are some other ideas for using alternate job titles when recruiting?

Comments

One response to “Consider Alternate Job Titles When Recruiting”

  1. David Avatar
    David

    As a job seeker in the Pardot world, I would also suggest that you might show (on the application page) the possible upward growth within the company that that particular position would be heading towards. You could create a small org chart of job titles that would be growth opportunities down the road within that company. This would definitely just be an idea of titles, as careers are subject to change and adaptation, but it would at least be good for the applicant to see what the future could hold as well. It could be positive in 2 ways: 1- It could further encourage an applicant that that particular position is for them (great employee addition to your company), and 2- It could also turn away applicants that might not be committed to the company for the long run (great for the company in that it saves you the time and resources of turnover).

    Just as important as it is to feel passionate about the job you are applying for, I also believe it is important to know that your job choice has the opportunity to grow and expand into a lasting career. Just some thoughts. Thanks!

    Reply

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