Let’s get something crucial out of the way first: do you call it a job postingor a job ad/advertisement? Most of us in recruitment find it more helpful to say job ad. Why? The word ad emphasises the prerequisite to sell, which is vital for attracting candidates.
When we say sell, we mean writing a job ad that will capture and hold the candidate’s attention because it’s crafted to not only effectively communicate the company’s needs but also respond to the candidate’s questions and desires. If you’re on the hunt for some new talent, it is very easy to get swept up in strictly what you are looking for. This is, of course, very important, but it is rarely what candidates are focused on.
It’s time to step into shoes of jobseekers and walk around for a bit. Just so you don’t get lost, we’ll be your guide along the way. Let’s go!
1) Pick the right job board
It is easy to assume the most popular job boards are the way to go, after all that’s where jobseekers are looking, right? Yes, every Tom, Debbie and Harry will end up on a generic job board at some point. But if you’re looking to fill a very specific role, then you will want to make sure that the appropriate candidates see your job ad. In this case, a speciality recruitment agency will serve you best.
Perhaps you’re thinking “Well, of course, you would say that!” but it does make a lot of sense if you are on the hunt for top talent. You don’t want just anyone applying to your job ad. The recruitment process is time-consuming when conducted internally, and big job boards do very little to filter applications. Also, more to the point, skilled candidates with experience behind them tend to veer away from the big job boards because they know what they want and what they’re worth, and, therefore, prefer a more tailored approach.
2) Grab jobseeker’s attention!
The title of your job ad is everything, because if jobseekers don’t engage with this, then there is little chance they will stick around to read what comes after. However, there is a temptation here to get too creative. For a while, there was a trend in marketing to have quirky job titles, such as Wizard of Lightbulb Moments or Director of First Impressions. These are fun to use and can have a nice effect, however, we would advise only using them in conjunction with commonly understood industry terms, for example Social Media Ninja. At the end of the day, if jobseekers don’t understand what’s on offer then they cannot begin to imagine themselves in the role, and the quicker you can engage potential candidates the better.
3) What’s in it for them?
Grab a highlighter and take a close look at your job description. Now highlight everything that is a direct benefit to the candidate. Chances are there won’t be too many because what you’re looking at is a description of responsibilities and requirements. This is why we don’t simply post up job descriptions and instead craft them into job ads!
Benefits come in all shapes and sizes. Obvious ones are bonuses, packages, free health care, access to a company car, etc. However, chances are there are many other benefits you take for granted because you’re a part of the furniture now!
Are you located near the city centre? If not, do you have fabulous views? What kind of culture do you have? It is innovative and casual? Or maybe it’s supportive and ambitious? Do you have flexible hours? Do you have regularly paid for team lunches? Most importantly, do you have a foosball table?
Whatever benefits they are, make sure they appear near the top of the job ad. The aim is to grab attention early on and motivate the jobseeker to continue reading down to the finer details.
4) Filter those candidates
To reiterate, the ultimate aim of a job ad is to attract the most appropriate candidates to apply for the role, and not just anyone. Now that you have captured some attention, you can start the filtering process. A simple, effective way to do this is to make a clear list of skills and requirements along with a description of the overall responsibilities of the job. This a great place to intertwine those benefits you identified earlier.
Another particularly helpful tactic is to divide up the skills section into three categories: Required, Preferred and Desired. Candidates can sometimes rule themselves out of the picture because they don’t have everything on your list. However, with this guideline, they can get a more realistic measure of how they would stack up in an interview. Alternatively, some candidates chance their arm, and by having a “Required” list you can quickly filter these out!
Do you have a new and shiny job ad you would like us to display on our jobs page? Get in contact with us today and we’ll connect the dots between you and your ideal candidates!
