How to write a really effective job ad
Attracting talent, as we know, is not an easy task. A company can focus on employer branding, focus on talent attraction, activate corporate branding strategies to improve its online and offline reputation, but all this does not automatically lead to capturing the attention of the most suitable people for a given search, and efficiently. On the contrary: a very important, if not decisive, role in the process of recruitment and selection is played by job ads.
SUMMARY
- Why it is important to write an effective job ad
- Description and job posting: what’s the difference? Let’s clarify
- How to write a job offer
- 5 tips for attracting top talent
- Where to publish your ad: choosing the right channels
Why it is important to write an effective job ad
Writing an ad effectively is far from straightforward, it is not only the first impression between the company and potentially valid candidate: it is also a business card. Writing it in an incomplete, unclear way or, even worse, using terms that may be discriminatory, misunderstood, or too general, not only risks giving rise to an unproductive process (few or too many candidates are not online), but can, in the long run, also affect the corporate image.
That’s why you have to pay special attention from the moment you analyze the company’s needs and identify the candidates to look for until the moment of publication.
In this article, step by step, we will see how to write an effective job advertisement.
Description and job posting: what’s the difference? Let’s clarify
Job description and job posting are two terms borrowed from the Anglo-Saxon world that encompass very different meanings and that are one propaedeutical to the other.
The job description is the description of the job required, but it is basically an internal document in which the HR of the company or the recruiter of an external agency define, together with the managers, the responsibilities of a specific role, the characteristics it must have, any hierarchical reporting and other aspects such as salary, etc.
Job posting, on the other hand, was created to attract candidates, to be shared to as many people as possible. That’s why it has to be a version of the job description arranged ad hoc and “enlivened”. The objective is to highlight both the job and the company offering it by focusing on certain aspects.
Job posting is therefore the activity of publishing a job offer within one or more recruitment channels to close the position to be filled (vacancy). That’s why job postings are also job ads: they aim to “sell” to candidates the company, the team, the position, all the things that make the job you’re offering “great” and that’s what must come out of the ad posted on job boards.
How to write a job offer
For an ad to be truly effective, then, it is important to consider all the various sections that should make it up:
- title
- job summary
- job description
- skills required
- company description
- salary
- location
- instructions on how to apply
Let’s take a look at each aspect in detail to identify which are the mistakes not to be made and the best practices to be implemented instead.
Title
The headline of an ad is crucial: it’s the first thing a candidate comes across. That’s why, like a newspaper article, it must attract attention and invite you to read everything that comes after. It must therefore be specific, targeted and as clear as possible to anyone who knows the industry, but perhaps not the company of reference.
The suggestion is to use keywords that describe the role and avoid corporate jargon that might confuse the aspiring candidate. If you tend to give a name other than what is commonly used for a certain professionalism, know that it is not certain that whoever is on the other end will understand what you are talking about. Therefore stick to standard experience levels and when you have to define them use words like “senior” or “junior”. In addition to attracting the candidate, this will also help you in terms of SEO: a clear title will ensure that, following a certain job search, Google will return your ad among the various results.
Tip: if possible, in addition to the type of experience required, include in the title also the city where the person will work. Often many people search, for example, on the web for “Management Assistant Milan” instead of “management assistant” in general. Also, if the role you are proposing is part-time, put that in the title so that those who want a full-time position at all costs will know, from the first lines, that it is not exactly what they are looking for.
Job summary
Just as LinkedIn teaches us with its profiles, the summary of the position sought can be a winning move for your ad. So open with your ad with a summary that gives an overview of the company and the expectations you have for this position, as well as the location of the job and other details (a minimum of 3 to a maximum of 5) that will get the potential candidate excited and enticed to apply.
Kind of like the method for a newspaper article: it’s about those few lines that make people then read everything that comes after. It’s then the job description that will expand on these details and insert new ones.
Job description
The word itself says it: it is the description of the job required. For it to be really effective, it is necessary that the job title is clear from the start (for which the same indications that we have given you in the title of the announcement are valid).
It is equally important to describe the main responsibilities of the position. It should not be particularly long, but clear and concise.
You should also emphasize the expected tasks and those details that can make a difference. Are you looking for an event manager, and is it important that they know how to use social media? Specify this, as well as be clear about the day-to-day tasks involved in the position. This level of detail will help the candidate both better understand the workplace and whether he or she is up to the task of performing those particular tasks on a daily basis and meets the necessary requirements.
Next, don’t neglect to clearly state who the candidate will need to refer to for their work – it will help them have a broader picture and a clear sense of how their role is viewed in the company and what impact it has on the business.
Required skills (hard and soft skills)
Each ad deserves to have this section covered separately. In addition to specifying the level of education required, work experience, certifications and technical skills required for the role, include soft skills that not everyone necessarily has. For example, the ability to work in a team – a skill that is far from obvious – problem solving or other personality traits that may be crucial.
Location
The candidate must know where they will be working, for example in the head office or in another branch, and they must find out from the ad so that they can make their own evaluations.
If the company offers benefits to help those who have to travel to a site far from the main one, say so clearly: company car, accommodation in the city where the candidate will work, etc. Specify whether it is for a limited period or not: a professional may decide to make 6 months of “sacrifices” if he knows that then there will be the possibility of being transferred to a closer site.
Company Description
Tell the story of the company – this is information that candidates are very interested in.
How many years it has been in existence, average age, average time in business (obviously if it’s high), interesting clients and projects, equipment used, innovations implemented, awards, recognition and participation in corporate social responsibility events or activities: these are all details that will help you best “sell” your job ad.
Salary
Finally, be clear about what you will offer the candidate: what kind of contract, whether full time or part time and also the expected salary for the position. In Italy, unlike abroad, there is a tendency not to publish the salary that the candidate will receive and instead it can be, or rather is, another way to attract talent. If at the beginning the salary is not particularly high, but there are rewards and incentives, say it clearly as it helps the reader to understand what will be his career road map within the company.
Instructions on how to apply
Specify – particularly if your ad is posted on channels other than the company website – how the job application should occur. Whether you have to click on the button below the ad, go to a particular career page, or write an email. Also be clear about what should be attached in addition to the resume: a portfolio, motivational letter, articles he/she has written, linkography, etc…
Tip: In order to write an effective job ad in all the sections we just listed, an ATS software like Inrecruiting can be particularly helpful, as it will guide you in writing the various sections, without letting you miss a single detail.
5 tips for attracting top talent
In light of the above, here are 5 tips to always keep in mind when posting your ad.
Be specific
Try to be as specific as possible and to do this work closely with the manager to whom the worker will refer once hired so that you understand what tasks the resource will perform and what characteristics it must have. You will need to list these characteristics specifically so as not to create misunderstandings or false expectations in the candidate. If you send in your resume, do so because you really want the job and not because you think you will be an executive assistant when in fact the company is looking for a receptionist.
Be clear
Make sure that the job requirements and tasks are easily understood even by those who do not work in the company. Therefore, as we said, avoid corporate jargon and too many Englishisms that don’t help you to understand the required role well. After writing the ad, test run it: have a friend or a professional who has nothing to do with the sector read it: if they have understood everything, that’s it.
Be decisive
To avoid wasting time and receiving applications from people who are “just looking for a job, no matter what” make it clear in the ad that resumes that are not in line will not be considered. You could, for example, use wording like this, “Please read carefully the qualifications required for this position: the successful candidate will need to update quickly and, therefore, we will only consider those who meet all of the criteria listed above.” This certainly won’t stop everyone, but it will help discourage people who perhaps think that not all of the requirements in the ad are “true.”
Be demanding
Try not to make the application process too easy, i.e. in addition to asking for a resume – or instead of – make the potential candidate complete a task. A company that’s looking for a webmaster may ask that those interested in the ad describe their approach to designing a website, obviously explaining why you’re asking for such a thing. Those who are really qualified for the role won’t back down, in fact they’ll be happy to be able to demonstrate their skills already by the time they send in their CV, the others – it goes without saying – will leave it at that. And this will definitely make the search and solution process more focused.
Find the right tone of voice
Just as with a company blog or website, find the right tone of voice for the ad. Which is nothing more than the sum of the linguistic and lexical choices that a company makes that help it create its identity and be recognized from the very first things it writes. It’s not so much the what, but how it does it. That’s why you need to find the right one and one that is in line with all of the company’s external communications.
Where to publish your ad: choosing the right channels
So far so good, but where to post the ad? We know that the channel is also of fundamental importance in the whole talent attraction process.
But which are the channels most used by recruiters? According to the Work Trend Study 2021 research conducted by Adecco, in collaboration with the “Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore” in Milan, social media are undoubtedly used by 58.6% of HR professionals, with a preference for LinkedIn.
The research conducted by Inrecruiting on the main sources of recruitment, the Source oh Hire 2023, also identifies LinedIn as the main social channel.
Posting an ad on LinkedIn, undoubtedly, being the professional social network, is definitely something to do, but what is important is to avoid relying on one source to do recruitment. Not just LinkedIn and not just a job board or aggregator, but aim for multiple posting – so-called multiposting – which is even more effective and, according to HR Tech Survey 2015, is the preferred route for 50% of recruiters.
Relying then on ATS software like Inrecruting, which integrates job posting multiposting systems and therefore allows you to post multiple ads simultaneously on different job boards (which can be decided at the time) not only ensures that you save time, but that you have a much better chance of finding the right candidate.
