The quality of your job advertisement determines the calibre of applicants applying for the position. Get your ad wrong and you may find yourself sifting through hundreds of job applications from unsuitable job seekers, or worse – you might receive no responses at all! Here, we share our top tips for writing job ads. Read on to find out more…
Define the position and the qualities you’re seeking
In order for you to advertise a job vacancy accurately, you’ll need to understand the position and identify any qualities that your ideal temporary or permanent staff member should possess. List the daily tasks that will need to be performed, as well as any essential skills and experience required. Job title, salary, and benefits – company vehicle, commission, pension, and bonuses, for example – also need to be taken into account prior to writing the advertisement. You may even want to list the type of people skills, or describe the character, that would fit in with existing staff members.
An eye-catching ad heading
Now it’s time to think of a catchy ad heading. Keep it short, but interesting enough to grab attention, capture the role, and make the advertised position clear. Get this right, and you’ll excite the reader and encourage them to read on!
Describe your company
As the applicant may become a part of your team, why not include a short, vibrant description about your company? It’s a good opportunity to promote your organisation without disclosing your company’s name, so describe the company’s role, location, size, and reasons why there’s an open position. This immediately informs the reader about the company’s location and sector.
Describe the ideal applicant
This is the part that really gets to the nuts and bolts of what you’re looking for – preventing unsuitable or inexperienced candidates from trying their luck and wasting your time! Incorporate bullet points and short paragraphs for easy reading, especially when discussing candidate specifications, qualifications and experience. Instead of using the usual job ad jargon make the position sound more dynamic. For example, if you’re searching for a marketing manager, be specific – is it a general marketing manager you’re searching for, or a B2B operational marketing manager, for example? You can also make the ad more personal – list the applicant’s responsibilities and actions under the sub-heading, ‘Your contribution’. Don’t forget to include minimum requirements. That way there’s no room for chancers! Wrap up the advert by listing the salary and/or benefits, and don’t forget to check for spelling and grammar errors.
Target your ideal candidate audience
Once the advert is complete, it’s time to consider where to place it. For example, if the position is industry specific, consider advertising in niche online portals related to that industry, or if the position is for senior or top management, try aspirational online and print publications targeting that upper LSM bracket. Don’t forget LinkedIn – the user demographics of this popular social media site reflect a typical profile of a university educated, mid to heavyweight career level candidate who is career-oriented.
Handling your job advertisement
Don’t have the time or inclination to go through hundreds of CVs? Ask about our ad handling service!
