Different words attract job candidates in different cities

Different words attract job candidates in different citiesDifferent words attract job candidates in different citiesIf youre an employer seeking top candidates, think carefully about describing a job you need to fill as cool.That word may entice job seekers in Chicago, but it will turn off candidates in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York City. This is one of the conclusions that startup Textio found when it analyzed the language behind hundreds of thousands of job listings along with the wait times to fill that job.Needing good work ethic works in California more than WashingtonTake needing a good work ethic as an example. You may think thats a universally attractive trait for a job candidate to seek out, but the phrase worked more in California than in the Pacific Northwest. Needing a strong work ethic was associated with shorter job wait times in California, but actually was associated with longer wait times in Washington. Turns out, needing to roll up your sleeves and work h ard was a phrase that only attracted certain geographic candidates.Textio suggests switching up the language for Washington job seekers. Washingtonians prefer dedication over hard work, apparently. You change the Everett Washington version to You arededicatedand diligent, and now youre back in business, Textios senior data scientist Olivia Gunton wrote.Synergy is another word that could repel or attract a candidate based on where they are hearing it. In Salt Lake City, Honolulu, and Phoenix, its a positive word that can lead to quicker hires, but in Miami, Philadelphia, or Washington, DC, its associated with longer wait times. Meanwhile, saying that a job is intense works for candidates in Portland, Oregon, but not Cleveland, Ohio. A competitive workplace turned off candidates in New York City, Seattle, and Los Angeles, but not in London or Sydney.Ultimately, the words within a job listing are a candidates first look at a companys culture, and if candidates are repelled by the langu age within a listing, they may never bother to apply.To attract a job candidate, in other words, you cannot just spam job boards with the same generic listing - they must be personally tailored down to the geography of where you want the candidate to reside.