Attracting the right candidates can be a hard task for even the most well-known employers on the market! Whether you’re recruiting for a niche skillset or simply up against competitors that pay sky-high salaries, it’s important that you do all you can to stand out and entice the right people to hit that apply button! Here are our top 10 tips to make a Job Advert work for you:
Describe your company, but keep it snappy
You want to paint a picture for a candidate, and give them an insight into what you do, your company history and what it really is like to work for you. Try not to use up all your advert space talking about things that the candidate doesn’t really need to know – after all if you manage to wet their interest with a well written advert you can guarantee they’ll visit your website to research you further!
Stick to regular job titles
It can be tempting to jazz up your job titles to stand out, but think about what a potential candidate will search for on a job board / social media site. So while it may be tempting to post a job for a ‘Talent Delivery Specialist’, you’ll probably get more views for keeping it simple with ‘Recruitment Consultant’.
Don’t be cringe
There are way too many job adverts that state they are looking for ‘Rock stars’ or ‘Ninjas’ and basically any other cringe worthy term you could think of. This is something the digital sector has been guilty of for quite some time, and frankly the moment has passed!
Be clear about the skills and experience needed
If a candidate feels over or under qualified for a role then they are far less likely to apply, so don’t be too vague about what you’re looking for! List all the skills you need and state the level of experience as well. A bit of extra detail can go along way, so try and explain how the candidate would use their skills within the key responsibilities section of your advert.
Repetition = Optimisation
The more you repeat key skills within your advert the better positioning you will get across many of the job boards! It doesn’t have to be obvious repetition either, if you break your advert into sub-sections try and work the skills into each one.
Be open about salary and benefits
A lot of companies shy away from advertising their salary bands, sometimes it’s for fear of upsetting current employees who may be on a lower salary, however advertising without a salary is often the biggest turn off for potential candidates. Not only can it prevent a candidate applying, but it can also limit how well your job role is seen in a search on a lot of UK job boards. Don’t forget to disclose your benefits too, and be specific – a great pension scheme or the option of flexi-time can help attract candidates over salary alone.
Give an authentic idea of the company culture
You want to attract candidates with the right cultural fit, so be clear about what yours is in the advert. Are you relaxed with the option to work flexible hours? Are you fast-paced and loud with regular beers after work? Whatever it is, make sure you mention it in the advert – it will help give a real impression of what life is like at your company.
Be realistic about what you’re looking for
When you sit down to write your job description, be realistic about what it is you’re looking for. If you try to fuse too many job roles together you may put people off, or you may simply struggle to even find this person!
Make it easy to read
People find it easier to read an advert that has been broken down into small sections / using bullet points. I would advise writing an advert as:
Make sure you’re seen
The best job advert is pointless if nobody sees it so make sure you are getting the best coverage. A combination of job boards, sponsored adverts on sites like Indeed and social campaigns will help you target both active and passive candidates. JobHoller offers a number of different packages to get your adverts seen by the right candidates – call 01244 739 351 / email [email protected] to find out more.
