Quick Answer
Skills on job listings are for display purposes only. They help candidates quickly understand role requirements, but they don't affect how your job is discovered, matched, or placed on publications. For job discovery, use Job Industries instead.
Overview
There's an important distinction between Job Industries and Skills:
Job Industries: Affect how candidates discover your job (browsing, search, publication placement)
Skills: Display requirements for candidates who have already found your job
Adding skills doesn't make your job more discoverable—it helps candidates who've found your listing decide whether to apply.
What Skills DO
Help Candidates Self-Screen ✓
Skills give candidates a quick checklist to evaluate their fit:
"Do I know Python? Check."
"Do I have project management experience? Check."
"Do I have the required certification? No—this role isn't for me."
Communicate Expectations ✓
Skills set clear expectations about what the role requires before candidates invest time reading the full description.
Provide Quick-Scan Information ✓
Displayed as tags, skills let candidates scan requirements in seconds.
What Skills DON'T Do
Affect Job Search ✗
When candidates search for jobs, Skills aren't the primary search factor. Job Industries and job title drive search results.
Affect Publication Placement ✗
Skills don't influence which Heritage Web publications feature your job. Languages and Job Industries determine placement.
Filter or Match Candidates ✗
Heritage Web doesn't automatically match candidates to jobs based on Skills—they're informational only.
Skills vs. Job Industries Comparison
Feature | Skills | Job Industries |
Purpose | Display requirements | Categorize for discovery |
Format | Free-form tags | 26-category flat list |
Maximum | 50 | 10 |
Affects search/browse | ✗ No | ✓ Yes |
Affects publication placement | ✗ No | ✓ Yes |
Affects matching | ✗ No | ✗ No (jobs don't get leads) |
Best Practices Given Display-Only Nature
Focus on Must-Haves
Since Skills are for candidate self-screening, emphasize requirements that would disqualify candidates who don't have them.
Keep the List Manageable
50 skills is the maximum, but 10-20 focused skills typically work better. A massive list overwhelms rather than informs.
Use Job Industries for Discovery
Make sure your Job Industries are properly selected—that's what helps candidates find your job in the first place.
Use Job Description for Detail
Skills are quick tags. Use your job description to explain requirements, provide context, and describe how skills will be used.
Important Notes
Don't expect Skills to drive applications: They inform candidates who've already found you
Job Industries are essential: Make sure industries are correctly selected for proper job categorization
Skills complement, not replace: Use both Skills AND a detailed job description
FAQs
If Skills don't affect discovery, why bother adding them? They help candidates quickly evaluate fit. A well-tagged job listing saves everyone time—candidates can self-screen, and you receive applications from people who meet basic requirements.
How do candidates actually find my job? Through Job Industries (category browsing), job title (search), Languages (community publication placement), and location. Skills help after they've found the listing.
Should I add every possible relevant skill? No. Focus on must-have requirements. Use your job description for nice-to-haves and detailed explanations.
Can Skills hurt my job listing? Not directly, but an overwhelming list of 40+ skills can intimidate qualified candidates. Keep it focused and realistic.