3 Steps for Writing Compelling Job Advertisements

Are your job advertisements not bringing the response you want?  Perhaps you are not writing job advertisements that are compelling enough? As employers, we usually feel we are on the winning edge when it comes to recruiting. Slightly so. Whilst we may be the decision-maker, most of us have felt that we didn’t receive the quality of the candidates we were hoping for sometime or the other. A major reason for that could be that candidates spend an average of 14 seconds while looking at job descriptions before deciding to apply. This means that the first few lines of your job ads are critical. If they’re not compelling, candidates might not even bother to read the rest.

Writing job advertisements can be time-consuming. Remember that the primary goal for job advertisements is to attract the right applicants. 

Read our top 3 tips to writing job advertisements that are compelling and get the applicants you want:

Write to engage

Don’t write lengthy job ads that are full of industry jargon. Explain the role (via bullet points) to showcase where the ‘exciting’ bit really lies. Mention the difference they can make in the role. Be clear – ensure you list the most important things you need, not the whole job description. 

We know it might be difficult, but you must choose key tasks and ask yourself what is absolutely critical for the candidate to have. Most applicants are on their mobile phones when job seeking, they will not scroll too long to read your long advertisement.

You can get to your long wish list once you get them on the phone or face to face – the key is to attract the right people to your job advertisement and from there you can drill down deeper into their other skills.

Answer the ‘What’s in it for me?’ question

Thinking about your ideal candidate applying to your job advertisement is essential to writing a compelling job advertisement.  What are they thinking? Why would they want to work for your company? What might motivate them day to day?

While mentioning company perks and benefits is great, most candidates want to know how the role is meaningful. Address your desired candidate’s needs directly and be sincere. Make sure they know what they’re going to be contributing to. A great idea is to speak to an employee currently doing the role, ask them what excites them the most and use the same phrase in the job ad.

Use inclusive language

Using inclusive language allows diverse candidates to apply for your roles, thus bringing diversity and innovation to your team. Job descriptions play a large role in perpetuating inclusion and you can avoid that by using our inclusive language guide.

It’s common knowledge that women are far more critical of their skillsets than men. If you know that the role you are recruiting is dominated by women don’t have endless requirements and strict seniority demands (eg: instead of reporting to, use working with) as this can deter women from applying as they often want to make sure they check every box you list. Use this free gender decoder tool and leave your candidates with a better impression.

Remember, job ads have the potential to make a positive impression on candidates and even potentially change their impression of your company. Use it to your advantage and get candidates to embark on their career journey with your organisation.

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