In order to attract the best candidates, you need to construct an effective job advert that not only makes the role sound exciting but also pushes out the right message about your company.
After all, first impressions count and a poor advert could leave candidates feeling hesitant about applying for your role.
To help position your business as an employer of choice over other companies, we’ve put together some top tips for writing a good job advert that ticks all the boxes for applicants.
Use the right job title
The title is what hooks the reader in, helping them decide whether they should click and learn more, or keep scrolling. When it comes to the job title, the golden rule is to keep it relevant, and simple.
Using a title that’s too complex may mean that it won’t show up when candidates search for the advertised role on a job board.
For example, someone looking for a sales position is much more likely to search for ‘Sales Executive’ over something quirky like ‘Talented Sales Superstar’.
So, always go for the former option when deciding what job title to use. Doing so will ensure that your role appears higher up on a job board’s search results and you reach a wider talent pool.
Sell the company
Unemployment is at an all-time low, meaning competition to find candidates is tough. Therefore, you need to sell your company and the role to potential recruits to ensure they hit that apply button.
Begin by giving some background information on your company. A brief paragraph explaining who you are and what you represent will work well. You could tell this as a story to give applicants an idea of what it’s like to work for you. Here’s an example:
Are you looking for an exciting challenge? An opportunity has come up in our sales department for a talented sales executive to join our thriving team. You would be working for an industry leading car trader who is passionate about investing in its employees while providing customers with a brilliant service. We offer excellent development opportunities for our employees, along with a wealth of company benefits.
What’s more, make sure you have a dedicated section at the end of your job advert where you describe what perks you offer. Many candidates will find a job appealing for more reasons than the salary and will be after some top workplace perks – so shout about what you offer employees.
This might be a great holiday allowance, flexible working opportunities, staff discounts, company lunches or dress down Fridays.
Include the right information
A job advert with barely any information may struggle to appeal to candidates. That said, pages of detail about the company might overwhelm applicants too.
As such, it’s all about striking the right balance. After all, you want to give candidates enough facts about the job, without bombarding them with confusing details.
Here’s a list of the information you should include:
- Job title – remember to keep it simple!
- Salary (if known and you want to disclose) – a rough bracket is fine
- Information about the company – talk about your story, company perks
- A job description – including key responsibilities and working hours
- Personal specification – including the qualifications, skills and experience you are looking for
- Details on how to apply – for example, do you want a CV and a cover letter?
Be sure to tick off these as you go, so you don’t forget to include anything important.
Use bullet points
A handy tip for writing your job advert includes using bullet points. After all, too much information in one long paragraph can be hard to read.
By breaking this up into smaller points, candidates can pick out key facts quickly. This means they can judge whether they have the right skills to apply to your role.
Below, we provide an example of how you might include this:
The ideal candidate will have the following qualities:
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- Two years’ experience in a sales environment
- Friendly can-do attitude
- Great communication skills on the phone and in person
- Able to work under tight deadlines
- A team player who works well with others
In summary
Creating a brilliant job advert takes some time and thought, but it’s worth investing the effort in order to attract the most talented candidates. Follow our top tips above to help you out, and you will fill your vacancy in no time.
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