When it comes to writing recruitment copy, first impressions really do count!

Job advertising is one of the most effective sourcing mechanisms available to you and your company - not only for candidates, but for prospective clients and future employees too.

Advertising is often the very first time people get to find out who you are, what you do and how good you are at doing it. This is why greater time, effort, imagination and responsibility need to be devoted to this crucial part of a recruitment consultant's role, particularly in today's automated world that allows multiple postings direct from an individual's desk-top.

Ask yourself a few questions...

Is your advertising budget being spent wisely?
A poorly written, wrongly targeted advertisement lacking in preparation, understanding and direction is not just a costly missed opportunity. Rather, it gives your rivals a competitive advantage whilst portraying your business in a poor light.

Is your job advertising working hard enough?
Get it right and everyone is happy. Get it wrong and sooner or later you will pay the cost. If a consultant can't deal with the basics, potential candidates aren't going to have a lot of confidence in letting them look after their career aspirations

Does your advertising look and sound professional?
Every time your company posts a job online, remember you are effectively branding your company. That's why it is essential that your job advertising is consistent in looks and sounds professional. Are you confident this is the case?

Are you confident in your ability to attract the right candidates?
You may know where and when you want to advertise, but are you producing well written, properly targeted ads? In my experience, many consultants find writing copy a chore - accordingly, they put it off until the very last minute. The result? Rushed, badly thought through copy that does nothing to motivate or inspire the reader.

If the answer to each of the above questions is an emphatic ‘yes' then that's great, you really are maximising every opportunity. If, on the other hand, the answer is ‘no', then it really is time to up your game or face the consequences - continued bad response, poor quality candidates and generally unimpressed casual browsers who could have been that next great candidate or big client of the future. Remember, first impressions really do count!

By Alasdair Murray, freelance recruitment advertising copywriter
© June 2010