Penning the Perfect Accounts Payable Job Description
For employers, recruiting top talent in any field can be a challenge, particularly when it comes to seeking employees for AP (Accounts Payable) positions. While recruiters lament the availability of qualified talent, a critical piece of the puzzle is often overlooked. The more work that you put into creating the right job description, the more likely it is that you’ll find the right candidate.
According to statistics from Employment Background Investigations, a typical job vacancy can generate over 200 resumes. But zeroing in on the right talent among those 200 is a more difficult task. How can you increase your chances of targeting the best candidates? Creating an optimal job description is one way to do this. Here’s how.
Before you create your next AP job description, here are a few things to consider:
1. Determine your needs
Decide what you want and need in the ideal candidate. Is it proficiency in specific accounting software? Is it the ability to pay suppliers and reconcile accounts in a timely manner? Maybe it’s reporting on account expenditure, or all of the above. Once you have those details, sort them, extrapolating the most essential characteristics that your top candidate should have.
2. Make your list, and check it twice
Outline your most important criteria in a concise list. Studies show that employers who fail to clearly articulate their needs can turn away potential top candidates.
- Start with a short summary of the position, stating its purpose and role within your organization.
- Include the responsibilities of the job. Share the duties that you expect the employee to perform regularly.
- List the qualifications of the right candidate. Emphasize what the ideal employee must have to succeed in this position.
- Describe other preferred skills related to experience or education. Take the opportunity to highlight how the top candidate can stand out from the competition.
Download 2 free AP Job Description Templates:
3. “Keep it real”
The most important part of stating your expectations is keeping them reasonable. A joint recruitment guide from Jobvite and Glassdoor cautions against “unicorn hunting.” Avoid creating an environment where no interviewee can meet your expectations.
4. Share what you have to offer
Include a profile of your organization, focusing on company culture, benefits, and other areas of interest. Add compelling reasons that the ideal candidate would want to work for you. LinkedIn reports that 60% of employees who change jobs do so for the opportunity that comes with making that career transition. If your company is known for its professional development, consider listing that as a selling point. If you pride yourself on flexible work schedules or on the capability to work from home, you may want to include that. Monster.com points to a mistake that many company’s make when writing their job descriptions: including flashy perks that don’t translate into game changers for qualified candidates. Be sure to include details that will truly resonate with your applicant pool.
5. Take advantage of your selling points
Use the resources at your disposal to help you find the perfect candidate. One major resource that is often underutilized but readily available is your staff. Your own employees know your company’s selling points better than anyone, and a happy employee is proof positive for any job seeker. Looking beyond your organization, you can also seek the help of resources such as the Association for Talent Development, or the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). These resources generally provide yearly memberships, and, for a fee, can offer insight into recruitment strategies based on industry trends, technology advances, and much more. According to the Rea Report, published by Rea & Associates, SHRM resources may lead to increased visibility for your job description.
Even if you create a perfect accounts payable job description, it can only serve you well if it reaches your target audience. Just as essential to writing the description is advertising it. Monster.com cites failing to establish a recruitment strategy and distribution plan as one of the main reasons that employers fail to find their target candidates. So once you have created your ideal job description, make sure that you also create the avenues for your ideal candidate to find it.
Although penning the perfect accounts payable job description may seem challenging, ultimately, it is a great first step in the right direction. If you follow the appropriate steps, communicate effectively, and zero in on your needs, the end result is a win-win situation. You’ll obtain the support that you need, from a quality employee who’s likely to remain with you over the long haul.
