As an amateur historian, nothing gives me greater pleasure than settling down with a musty old book and seeing what treasures it has inside (sadly, I’m not kidding). This is going to benefit you because I’m planning to scour the JCK archives—which go all the way back to the 1800s—to find tips and suggestions from long ago that might still relevant for today’s jewelers. Okay, and a few not so relevant finds that I stumble upon that are hilariously out-of-date. The key to this endeavor will be your feedback. Let us know if you think what I find still applies to today’s marketplace. Your comments will be featured on the new Louped In blog (link), written by yours truly.  

From the August 1951 issue of JCK, here’s some advice from writer Paul Lockwood for getting better results from jeweler’s classified ads seeking new employees:

1. Tell the Whole Story

You wouldn’t be advertising for an employee if you didn’t have something to sell—a job. When you prepare your regular digital advertisements or your direct mail pieces you include all of the details what will bring in more customers.

2. Be Specific

What is the starting salary? What benefits are there for employees? Vacations? How long? Insurance? How much? What advancement? When? What is “central location?” What are regular hours?

3. Be Consistent

One advertisement may not bring in any applicants, or it may not bring in the right type of applicant. However, surveys have shown that 50 percent of the newspaper (they were all the rage once upon a time!) readers read some classified advertising everyday. If your ad isn’t there he may see another jeweler’s advertisement and you will have lost this prospective employee forever.

4. Don’t Try Too Hard For Position

Using the key word as the first word in your help wanted advertisement will insure good readership—readership of good employees, or good prospective employees. It will eliminate a lot of needless interviews and letter reading—and it will reach the right man quicker at less cost.

5. Make it Easy to Apply

Giving the name of the jewelry store, its address, telephone number, and the name of the individual to interview (including a website or email address wouldn’t hurt in today’s world I suppose) makes it easy for the prospective employees to act.

The same issue of JCK also included this gem:

Comments can also be sent to dford@jckonline.com.

JCK