The first impression is crucial during the recruitment process for both the candidate and the employer. To stand out in a competitive candidate market, recruiters need to use every opportunity to shine the best light on their company’s employer brand. There are various ways you can connect with candidates throughout the different stages of the hiring process. The typical steps of the recruitment process depend on the role and the company, but the first step is the same for all – identifying the need to fill a position and posting a job advertisement.
When potential employees click on the job description, you are one step closer to converting them into an applicant. To attract exceptional talent, it is essential for recruitment advertisement to be clear about what an employer is looking for and accurately reflect the role’s specific responsibilities and duties. According to a Job Seeker Survey, 43% of workers find job descriptions to be very generic and not specific to the actual job. Learning how you can write an effective job ad can improve your recruiting process and help you find the best candidates for open position. In this article, we discuss how to write an employment ad – one that attracts top talent, whilst also making sure you receive only highly relevant applications.
What is Job Advertisement?
A recruitment or job advertisement works as an announcement that a certain position is open for applications. Job ads are designed to provide information about the specific role, its duties and requirements, the benefits of the job, as well as to give some information about the company. The goal of a recruitment advertisement is to convince qualified candidates to apply for an open position so that an employer can find the best possible person for the job. Creating great job ads is not only about attracting qualified candidates, but also creating excitement about working at the company and enhancing brand awareness. There are many ways to write a bad job advertisement, like leaving out basic information or using inappropriate jargon. To help recruiters avoid making such mistakes, we listed some fairly basic rules to follow that will help them present their jobs and companies in the best possible light.
Job Advertisement Structure
Your job advertisement needs to be very clear about your company. Do not assume that candidates know anything about your business. Job description is your chance to let the candidate know more about your company and why you are a great place to work at. You should include this information in your job ad to really capture the candidate’s interest.
Here is a structure of an effective job posting:
Job Title
Choosing a good job title is a crucial step for the success of your recruitment campaign as often it is effective job titles that make a difference. Candidates usually spend on average less than five seconds to decide whether to click on online job advertising. Thus, make sure your title is clear and to the point. Avoid using evocative job titles such as magician, rockstar, guru as they can easily confuse candidates.
Job Location
The job location should include the address of the office and the amount of traveling that may be required. If the position is remote, make sure to accurately reflect the level of flexibility. For example, “remote-only” means the job is 100% remote, while “flexible work” could mean 50% remote, 100% remote or working from home only once a week.
About the Employer
It sounds obvious but it’s important to introduce your company and tell job seekers what it’s like to be an employee at your company. Most candidates not only want to have a good job but also work for an organization that matches their personalities. Briefly sum up your company’s culture, mission and values and provide a link to your careers website or page if it includes information about the employee experience.
About the Job
Use bullet points to outline the key duties and responsibilities. Make sure to list exactly what the employee will be doing so people with relevant experiences can feel confident they are a fit for your position. Try to use words like “you” and “your” to draw potential candidates into the job ad. Keep it straightforward and don’t go into many details.
Requirements
Be careful with overwhelming potential candidates with requirements. If you list qualifications that may not be essential, you risk turning away great candidates and significantly reducing the number of applicants. Present the criteria that are absolutely required for your role, while leaving out optional skills. Then, you can add in the skills and experience that are not essential but might be a benefit.
About the Ideal Candidate
Take time to think about who your ideal candidate is and share those expectations for experience and skills in your job ad. Share information on what an ideal candidate looks like together with the opportunities that the position has in terms of career growth. A candidate centric description engages higher quality candidates.
Salary Range and Benefits
According to a survey conducted by LinkedIn, salary is a top factor for 61% of people who are going through job postings. However, pay transparency can be a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it can streamline the conversation later in the recruitment process since candidates already know whether the job is financially viable for them. On the other hand, talking about salary up front may draw attention away from the opportunity at hand. Whether you choose to include a salary range or not, make sure to mention other important benefits that will attract candidates.
Application Process
Define the application process. Transparency is crucial in the hiring process as candidates want to know what the next steps are once they have applied. Giving people an idea of how the recruitment process in your company works reduces the risk of candidates losing interest in your position.
Your First Job Advertisement Template
When writing ads for jobs, working from a template helps to make sure that you include all the essential information. Some employers choose to write their own creative job advertisements templates while others might use different styles of premade templates depending on the position. Here are a few tips on how to write a job ad using a template:
- Decide on a tone
- Refer to the job advertising structure to select key categories
- Edit the sentence stems
- Make it personalized
- Include a call to action
Before working with a template, decide what tone best works for your open position. Many companies try to project a specific voice in their job ads to support their brand identity. Once you decide on your tone, refer to the job advertising structure and select the categories that you want to include in your job ad. Edit the sentence stems accordingly to include all the necessary information. Many companies will have to modify sentences to make it personalized so that pre-written sentences align with the purpose of their job ad. Finally, at the end of the job ad, include a few sentences asking jobseekers to apply. As an example, check this job ad template by SHRM to get an idea of what a customizable job ad template could look like. If you decide to write your own template, you may get inspired by successful recruitment advertising examples from other companies.
Where to Advertise Jobs
So, where are the best job advertisement websites? Here are the top free and paid places to advertise your jobs:
- Your website
- Social media
- Online job boards
- Newsletter
- Pay Per Click Websites (Indeed, social media, Google)
How Employa Can Help You with Job Advertisement
While we’ve gone through a variety of factors that make a good job advertisement, there is a lot of tweaking, which means it can be challenging for recruiters to come up with a successful recruitment strategy. AI-powered recruitment tools, like Employa can be very helpful in automating recruitment process and promoting your job posts.
Employa can be used as an AI-driven extension for your existing ATS, which will promote your posts, engage candidates, drive interest with email nurturing, and present you with only the best candidates using AI applicant sorting. Or you can engage us to work as a full-cycle recruitment agency on your behalf. In this case, our team of advanced AI tools and experienced human specialists will devote all their efforts to getting you the best talent on the market.