Getting the most out of your job adverts

Getting the most out of your job adverts

Writing job adverts can sometimes seem daunting. It can be hard to decide whether to keep your advert open to as many applicants as possible, or if you are looking for that ‘perfect’ candidate. Whatever the case, you will still want to put your best foot forward, as this will most likely be the first interaction your new employee will have with your business.

Finding the right candidates

Once you have decided on the ideal person for your role, you will need to optimise your advert so that it can be found quickly by the right candidates. This will ensure that when they run a search, you appear towards the top, attract their attention, and give them enough reason to apply.

Structuring your adverts:

Introduction: Write a short but sweet introduction to entice the applicant. The first few lines of this will be shown within the search results, so this should make the reader click your advert. Be clear about who you are as a company, and who you are looking for. Think of this as a sales pitch; why should talented candidates want to come and work for you?

Objectives: This is your chance to sell the role to the applicant. What are the main objectives of the role; who will they be working with or reporting to? Make sure you include the perks in this section; is there progression in this role? Is this a permanent vacancy or a long-term contract?

Responsibilities: Break down the day-to-day aspects of the role into small paragraphs or bullet points. This section should give the applicant an idea of what their new job will entail, so it’s best to be honest about what you will expect from them should they start.

Requirements: From education or qualifications to soft skills or personality traits, break this down into the necessities and the nice-to-haves. Your applicants should know exactly what they need to be considered, and what extras they can bring to the table to set themselves apart from the rest of the crowd. A big part of this is going to be the amount of experience in their role.

Shortlist Questions: Most job boards give the ability to set ‘eliminator’ questions. This allows you to pre-shortlist applicants, which is great when you need someone with specific requirements, such as minimum years’ experience or certain qualifications. Whilst this can really save time, be careful not to over-do it as you may miss out on good applicants if you set these too strictly.

Taking the time to perfect your job adverts is hugely beneficial, with more accurate CVs to review and the best candidates to shortlist. Following our guide can help to maximise results when advertising roles, but to save you even more time, why not contact us for help advertising your roles? We will even do the shortlisting for you.

Last year alone, we advertised over 3000 vacancies and our experts would love to talk through what we can do for your organisation. For more information about the services we offer, visit our Client Services page, or speak to the team on 0203 176 4790.