7 Mistakes to avoid when writing a Job Ad

If your objective is to attract candidates for a specific position, the biggest part is that you have to publish and then spread a job post/job ads. Unfortunately, every day new job posts are published and this means that your post will always be in competition with those of other companies, such as your competitors.

The candidate who enters into a job board (that is a job portal) will be stimulated by a large number of job posts that will all seem very similar to each other: his attention and time are limited and he needs to make a quick decision on which ones to click on to have more details. The consequence therefore is: if you aim to write an effective job post, it is important to have ads without mistakes, starting from the title.

I have decided to present some of the principal mistakes likely to be committed when writing a new job ad: these can compromise the whole process of recruiting and therefore it is important that you know how to avoid them.

1)    Not being informed before writing a job ad:

To create an effective job post that is relevant to your audience, it is important to identify with precision the type of profile you are looking for, even before you start drafting a job description. It is important to treat this process with the maximum of attention: a job title and job description badly written, attract few candidates or even the wrong type of candidates. Check with whom you have collaborated on the search criteria (e.g. the line manager) to be clear about the profile needed and what the fundamental requirements of the ideal candidate are. Dedicating more time at the beginning of the process of recruiting will earn you more in the advanced stages like the Chinese proverb says:  “Depart later to arrive before.”

2)    Choosing a job title that is little understood:

Candidates decide from a heading of a job ad if they are going to open it or not. It is the principal element on which a recruiter should focus his attention. It can happen that posts for very interesting positions are written impeccably, but with a title or heading that is very little explanatory and unattractive – doesn’t even get opened, while other ads with an efficient title and poor description, attract more candidates.

A good way to identify what might be the best title for your job post is to try and publish a few different job ads with different titles, to see which one has the best results. It is not recommended to use poor titles that is not very descriptive or explanatory – for example, a title that is looking for “Sales Agent” is very poorly described. A more efficient example would be: “Sales Agent – web-marketing sector”, that indicates clearly the position and the sector, inviting who has past experience to click on the link. By doing this, you get the most suitable applications and you’ll save time in the screening process. Remember that the objective of a job post is to attract suitable candidates for the position and to exclude those off target who still want to be evaluated, eliminating them more easily.

3)    Not having a template for writing your ad:

A good job post needs to be clear and readable in a few minutes. If you present a confusing structure or one that is different from what the candidates are used to, the probability for the number of candidates to apply, will be lower. For this reason, in our Applicant Tracking System (In-recruiting) we have enclosed a template with guidelines to help companies on how to create and write a job post which would be clear and orientated for the candidate.

4 Macro phases to follow when writing a winning-ad:

1)    Job title
2)    Description of the company: insert a clear synthetic description of your company.
3)    Description of the position sought after: to be clear on the position you are looking for with the proposed objectives of the job and any hierarchy overs.
4)    Requirements: include the minimum requirements that the ideal candidate should have.
5)    Other information: detail of the type of contract, remuneration, benefits, the motive why a candidate should apply and any other useful information that can attract the ideal candidate.

4. Not revealing enough information about the company:

Why does someone need to work for your company if he doesn’t know you? Do not make a big mistake by giving wrong information and characteristics of your company as it can result in mistakes, which can demotivate candidates to apply for positions.

The section “Description of the company” both on the post and in the “work with us” section on your company website is an optimum chance to start branding your company and to convince the candidates of the value of sending their CV to you. The later – even if your company doesn’t have a recognized brand – online publishing of the job post is a great opportunity for Employer Branding, considering that it might be viewed by dozens of people and to be recognized as a company in the work market.

5. Writing too little:

When inserting the position and prerequisites, it is important to maintain a balance between quality and quantity. A lot of companies make the mistake of giving too little information, which makes it difficult for the candidates to evaluate if the vacancy corresponds in reality to their professional abilities and objectives. From experience, this type of errors is visible when it is neglected from the first step or if you have not accurately identified the profile that you‘re looking for.
The solution is simple: stop a moment and go back to the definition phase of the profile that accurately describes the position and characteristics of the specified working position.
Also, in emergencies, a job description written properly, helps to attract a bigger quantity of candidates, worth a big time-saving and cost-saving factor internally for the company in the selection process.

6. Writing too much:

Some recruiters focus on writing a lot when they write a job description, making the opposite error: writing too much. It is true that in respect to a printed AD where space is limited, space on the internet is unlimited, but it is also true that the attention of the candidates is limited. The bottom line is to be concise and clear and to get right to the point.
Inserting a long description of the prerequisites can cause problems: indicating a lot of prerequisites, risk in excluding potential candidates that might retain themselves and make them think that the position is too high and that they do not have what it takes for the vacancy. A simple solution is to indicate only 3 to 4 essential elements and to follow with only a few desired but not fundamental.

7. Not following the shape:

A job post presented as a wall of text certainly does not wake the interest of a lot of candidates. Also, the graphics are important, the more text you put and the more lines you write, the more you have to look at the graphic of the text and the actual visual effect it has.

When possible, the use of bullets point has become somewhat of the standard on the internet. It is not recommended to use cursive writing, because it might be difficult to read on the screen of the PC. It is better to use “bold” words, but only three or four at a time, and never whole sentences.
Keep these principles in mind when you draft a job description, in this way you give a better job post with the consequence of more quality candidates applying for the vacancy.