Sourcing and hiring the best industry experts is more challenging than ever. And according to the trends and stats, the situation is about to get really crazy. In fact, surveys and studies show that 4.53 million Americans left their jobs in a very brief while. So, posting an ad that just says “We are hiring” is a tested formula to receive precisely zero resumes. And you have to make an extra effort for improved hiring experience in job ads and better results. So let’s grab hold of a few proven remedies and build a more successful recruitment process that starts with a clear, objective, and attractive posting.
What is a job ad?
Job advertisement definition is pretty straightforward. So, to put it simply, a job ad is an official announcement that informs people that a particular position within a company is open. Its principal objective is to notify potential candidates, both active and passive, that there’s a new opening they should take a sneak peek at. It should be precise and engaging to attract talents to hit the apply button. Here’s a thing: a well-crafted ad will help you target skilled individuals that have precisely what it takes to join your team and get the job done smoothly. So, get ready for a tour through the best tips and practices that will help you compose a clear, effective, and appealing advertisement.
Why is a well-written post and improved hiring experience in job ads crucial?
Creating a clear, objective, and interesting job advertisement that accurately shows the responsibilities and skills expected from a candidate helps a company make a fantastic first impression. And as we all know, positive notions and experiences are the most powerful way to boost a brand. So, a well-written JD is made to help candidates form a realistic idea of the open position and answer their key questions regarding the role. And, by doing so, it narrows down your pool of applicants to only those who can truly be a good match. That way, you’ll shorten the entire hiring process and save a whole lot of money. Crafting a transparent and persuasive description is a recognized path toward a successful hire, and more – it offers a chance to improve recruitment processes in the long run.
What should be included in a job ad? [a brief guide]
If you want to learn how to write a job advertisement that will encourage top talents to find out more about your company and send their resumes, it’s best to start with the basic stuff. So first, here’s what the structure of every well-written job description has to contain:
- A precise title,
- A unique and engaging introduction,
- Key responsibilities that a new hire will take charge of daily,
- The full list of must-haves and a few nice-to-haves,
- Salary range and employee benefits.
These are the basic elements an employer and their recruiters and hiring managers simply have to take into account.
✅ Here’s a pro tip: before coming up with any requirements and posting your vacancy to multiple job boards, social media pages, and other channels your ideal candidate is likely to visit, make sure to define your hiring needs and develop a fail-proof recruitment strategy.
5 simple steps to take & reach the target effortlessly
Now that we have covered the main elements of a well-made and successful JD, let’s unlock a few secrets that will help you nail each paragraph and captivate your readers’ (and potential hire’s) attention:
- The job title is a key ingredient that will decide whether people will even keep on scrolling through the posting and reach the apply button. So keep it as simple and precise as possible. Inserting vague or ridiculous titles (such as ninjas, pirates, etc.) will only keep the best candidates away from your firm. Plus, mind the keywords and phrases from the very first line.
- The introduction should be attention-grabbing. So, how to catch someone’s eye in just a few lines? Well, list the crucial details that make your company unique. Sum up your culture and mission statement here. Because if there’s no value proposition in the ad, potential hires will likely move on and review other postings instead.
- The key responsibilities should be exactly what they sound like. Make sure to mention all the main duties and tasks that you expect your new hire to fulfill. And while getting into some specifics, it’s only wise to keep this part concise too. Lengthy JDs will hardly allure busy professionals. So highlight the most important daily activities and showcase the whole working environment through them.
- The full list of requirements for a specific role is an unavoidable part of a well-written JD. It’s essential to be extra careful and clear while separating the “must-haves” from “nice to haves.” Focus on the necessary hard skills and experience first, and mention a few soft skills and traits you’d highly appreciate.
- The list of benefits and a salary range will definitely help your target audience learn whether you’re a match. Name a few points like health insurance perks, extra PTO, or personalized employee development plans and advantages. Also, embracing transparency and having open salaries is what all top industry experts recognize as a massive plus.
Here’s one final piece of advice: make sure to write inclusive job ads and promote diversity. First, it will help you attract more different applicants with amazing backgrounds. And in the long run, it will impact retention rates and increase motivation and productivity.
How do I make my job ad attractive? [3 bonus tips to boost hiring experience in job ads]
Here’s a thing, 73% of talents are not actively looking for a new career opportunity. And in this climate (+ with the mind-blowing number of people who are quitting their jobs), the only smart tactic is to understand where your candidates come from and strive to meet their expectations. Now, you’ll have to stay true to your core values and keep the recruitment strategies and job postings aligned with your actual needs and aims. But it’s crucial to formulate and distribute your vacancies in an engaging, effective, and attractive way.
Know what candidates want to learn
If you were chasing after a brand-new career, what would your top priorities and preferences be? Which key questions would you like your potential employer to answer immediately? Think about it before writing a job ad. Here’s what to include:
- Talk about the projects,
- Show how valuable the position is for the company,
- Mention the future of this role, whether it can evolve, and which new skills your hire will acquire,
- Say a few words about colleagues and managers,
- Don’t forget to bring up the matters of compensation and benefits.
Also, be sure to say whether it’s a remote or on-site job, what’s the location, and what are the working hours like. Finally, add a clear CTA. Provide all the applying instructions, but make sure to keep this step as simple as possible.
Set the tone and expectations
Your tone of voice in advertising and recruitment matters way more than you might think. So, be sure to build a strong brand and promote vacancies to match its personality. Because combined with the unique visual identity, your tone will let the audience know who you are and who you need on your team.
Pay close attention to the vocabulary you use. Would you add a dash of humor to a posting or just keep it neat, simple, and a bit more businessy? Do emojis match your branding and social media aims (and recruitment tactics)? So, you see: it’s what you say & how you say it. And because more than 90% of those who scroll (and judge) while looking for a fresh start in a company that meets their expectations mind the brand, your tone of voice can be the key to a successful hire.
Learn how to spark enthusiasm
Getting your perspectives genuinely excited about the role you’re promoting should be the top priority. And a generic JD with a bland format just can’t do the trick. So, do your best to get creative. This doesn’t include the loud talk and a sweeten-up reality. But it does mean that you must put yourself in a candidate’s shoes and discover what will work. Focus on your unique selling point and use it to push all the right buttons.
👉 Another point to keep in mind is that the number of qualified applicants might easily increase by 34% when the ad includes a video. So feel free to mix it up. Use various types of content and see what your target audience prefers. Including a video that showcases your culture and daily routines within your firm is definitely a good way to introduce yourself to talents. Since we live in a smartphone gazing & on the go era, it’s always clever to offer an instant solution. Grab their attention and save their time. Plus, use the opportunity to highlight what truly matters to them and stand out from other employers.
Extra tip: Many fail to understand the hiring experience in job ads. Use it as an advantage!
The lack of transparency is the most dangerous enemy of the excellent hiring experience in job ads. Yes, we’re talking about open salaries here. While it’s not the sole shortcoming many employers tend to display in their recruiting efforts, it’s often the crucial element that pushes away qualified applicants. How so? It’s mainly because all talents have certain expectations. And while some of them truly are keen on landing a new position, they’d hate to get into a time-consuming process without this sort of input.
Here’s another gap to turn into your favor: according to studies, only 25% of companies focus on their diversity targets. Now, you can surpass this issue successfully by following a few simple rules. Start with using gender-neutral language in job ads and avoid words and phrases that speak out to a single group. Also, boil down the jargon and some industry-specific terms. While you’re at it, make sure not to use the lingo that only appeals to a small talent pool of a certain age. In other words, promoting gender diversity starts by eliminating the ads that target pirates and hackers, and overcoming age-related stereotypes and biases begins with erasing digital-native-like language and similar expressions from your postings.
💡 If you’re hiring software engineers and you need an effective job post example, have a look at this template and use it as a starting point.
Follow this guide to boost hiring experience in job ads easily
Enhancing hiring experience in job ads and going the extra mile to boost the whole recruitment process, engage candidates, and turn them into brand ambassadors doesn’t need to be hard. It’s exactly the other way around: enticing the most experienced industry professionals can be quite easy! Just stick with the basic pattern, ensure to nail each segment, and keep it simple yet informative enough. Don’t be afraid to explore new ways to promote your posts and activities, and do some research to understand your direction.
And if you need help to recruit and retain the best tech talent, drop a line to the most reliable recruitment agency.
