Writing an effective online job advert which will attract the best candidates for your client is a very important part of using any job site or job board so here are a few tips that can help.
Think about the target audience
Think what you would like to know about a job for you to apply for it. What would attract you to a job? In simple terms the ideas about writing an effective online job advert is to first get the attention of the candidate. Generate enough interest for them to read the advert and even more important get them to make an ACTION to apply.
Getting Attention: This is the "job" of the job title and the first few lines of your job description.
Remember that when recruiting online it is the key words that the candidate will grab, so go for the most obvious description going, otherwise your advert will appear half way down the search results pages. Online people are impatient and they will only skim read, looking at multiple job adverts within seconds. Job titles need to be, intuitive and instantly understandable. This is not the time to get creative. If it is a Sales Manager you’re looking for, don’t title the job ‘business development co-ordinator’. There will be plenty of room to expand the role to screen out unqualified or unsuitable applicants in the job description.
Getting the candidates interest: Generating interest is done by thoughtful and informative content.
Tell the user what they want to know as quickly as possible. Keep your content tight and brief - in the age of information we are all constantly bombarded by way too much content; short, sharp and to the point information are the quickest and most effective way to get your point across.
Build interest in the job opportunity and the client by describing the details of the job and the job requirements. Tell the candidate what s/he will be doing on a daily basis and the challenges they will face. Explain a few benefits they will feel by working for your client, and why the candidate should want to work there. Your job is to make talented job seekers interested in this job opportunity and in your client, by showing them how this job will both benefit and challenge them.
Just the facts: However make sure you just put in the facts - don't be tempted to make a job sound better than it is and make sure you get across the benefits of working for your client. You need to get a good balance between being informative about the job and making it enticing. When adding the requirements for the job is best to only put in the experience and skills that are an absolute must have. Don't scare away talented candidates by creating a "wish list" of job requirements that is a mile long. Listing too many "must have" skills is a mistake that recruiters often make. If your client can teach skills or has a training plan then this can be a magnet for attracting candidates as - learning new skills is a great way to attract new employees - being able to learn new things in a job is a excellent motivator.
Getting Applications: There are standard bits of information that quality candidates will want to see in every job advert. These can also act as a checklist for when you are writing the advert. Highlighting good points of this standard information is the final clincher that will get applications.
From our research in the jobs that are on recruitersite, by far the most powerful factor for increasing response rates is including a rate of pay. Even if the rate is not anything special - you will save your time and the candidate’s time by including what the job pays.
Some examples of benefits that will bring in more applications include:
• A salary or rate of pay that is higher than industry standards.
• On the job training
• A planned pay rise evaluation schedule
• A company car or other company type benefits
• Medical insurance
• Flexible work schedule
• Performance bonuses (more vacation, money, prizes, etc.
• Opportunities for promotion
• Opportunities to telecommute
• A great working environment
Remember to include your selection criteria, this is important for 2 reasons both to help ensure you only receive applications from relevantly qualified and competent candidates and to direct the applicants to provide you with information you require to asses them for short list.
GET THE APPLICANTS ACTION: For those of you who have ever worked in Direct Marketing you will be well aware of the classic sales technique of including a call to action. Adding something that forces the issue and adds some immediacy to the process will help in generating interest.
Simple examples include:
• Apply now!
• Don't miss this once in lifetime opportunity and apply now!
• Take charge of your career and apply now!
• Great jobs like this don't come around that often, so make sure you apply now!
• Get your CV through to us today!
• Applications close XX Jan - so get your CV to us quick!
It is also good advertising practice to add contact email and phone number as well as a reference tag, so you know where the applicant responded from enabling you to track effective job boards.
So what next:If the above pages have helped you to write your next advert and are keen on using online recruitment then the following pages will be of some use.
1. Make your job advert candidate search friendly
2. Guide to online recruitment.
Talk to one of our experienced recruitment advertising consultants. We are here to help..
