First impressions matter. Eye-catching job advertisements that effectively communicate the experience, qualifications, and personal qualities required for a role are crucial in attracting the best talent. They enable you not only to showcase a great employer brand, but to filter out unsuitable candidates.

Your recruitment advertisement is your greatest chance to impress and attract the most talented job seekers in a market where talent is tight.

Time pressure and the vast numbers of job advertisements and information online means that potential candidates will scan job descriptions quickly before moving on, which is why it’s important for them to be engaging.

Use standard job titles

Keep the process simple by using standard job titles, as people tend to search for their current title. For example, a Marketing Manager would search for “Marketing Manager” on job boards.

You may see job descriptions with titles such as ‘Marketing Guru’ or ‘Marketing Ninja’, but job seekers simply aren’t thinking of their role in this way. Similarly, if you need a barista, that should be the job title you advertise, not ‘Coffee-Making Genius’.

Keep it short and sweet

Every piece of information in your job advertisements should be relevant and concise. Job descriptions between 700 and 2000 characters received 30% more applications (Indeed, 2019).

Place yourself in their shoes

View your advertisements from your ideal candidate’s perspective. Include information such as how will they contribute, what rewards and opportunities for development are available, and what personalities are suited to the role. Avoid internal company jargon and acronyms that could isolate potential candidates.

Inject your organisation’s personality

While it’s beneficial to use standard job titles and keep things short and sweet, that doesn’t mean you can’t get creative.

Distinguish yourself as an employer by showcasing what makes your organisation and the role you are offering different to others, as well as your company culture and team members.

There’s nothing less engaging than dull, lifeless job advertisements with generic wording. So demonstrate your employer brand by including your logo, organisation values, and making the language personable. Casual, colloquial language, when used appropriately, as well as the word “you”, can create a memorable impression.

An expertly crafted job advertisement will net you far better candidates while filtering those unsuitable in the early stages of your recruitment process.