Attracting Top Talent: How to Write a Successful Job Advertisement
Everyone is on the hunt for top-notch candidates with the right skills and experience to add to their team. Job advertisements are a great way to get candidates and stand out amongst other companies. Job ads are shorter, more attractive versions of the job description and serve as an interest tool, rather than a qualifying tool.
Skywalk Group wants to help you acquire the best candidate pool possible, which is why we suggest these tips for writing a job advertisement that gets replies:
Use an Accurate and Short Job Title
When posting a job ad, make sure the job title is accurate and aligns with the type of candidates you’re targeting. Job titles should be short, concise, and to the point. To help candidates find your posting, we recommend not including extra information in the title such as shift, sign-on bonus, etc. Including this makes your ad harder to find by candidates when searching online. Simplifying the title enhances the visibility and ability for candidates to find the posting.
Include the job location and working hours
Remote and hybrid opportunities are huge benefits for companies and what the majority of candidates are looking for. Including that information will help application traction and give candidates better insight into what’s expected of them. Additionally, including job location and hours will also help screen out candidates who aren’t interested in that.
Include benefits and compensation
If you live in a state that does not require pay transparency, we recommend including compensation in your job advertisements. This gives insights to candidates before applying to ensure that compensation aligns with what they are looking for. Like job location, this can also be a screening tool. If the pay is posted, you know you are most likely going to talk only to candidates that are ok with that pay. Additionally, including benefits are a big selling points on job advertisements. Some good benefits to include are insurance coverage, 401Ks, tuition reimbursement, company car, annual bonuses, etc. Be sure to include any unique benefits to your company. This gives you the opportunity to stand out amongst other companies.
Clear list of job responsibilities and requirements
A job ad should be a shortened version of the job description. We recommended that you put only the main job responsibilities and requirements on the ad. A good recommendation is 3-7 bullet points for each section. It’s also beneficial to differentiate between ‘must-haves’ and ‘nice to haves’. Opening it up to ‘nice to haves’ helps draw in more applicants who might not think they have all the skills 100% but have enough and are interested in the role to warrant a conversation.
Brief information on the company:
We recommend including a 1-2 sentence summary of your company. This way candidates can get a brief overview and understanding of your company without having to do additional research.
Provide contact information and directions to apply
Including contact information encourages prospective candidates to connect or seek clarification. We recommend including at least an email address for candidates to reach out to.
Have too many things on your to-do list? By partnering with Skywalk Group through our RPO solution, OnRecruit®, we can take that burden off your plate. If you need help with your job posting and hiring needs, contact us today!
By: Sami Sandecki
Other articles that might help:
Draw in the Best Applicants with a Top-of-the-Line Job Ad | Skywalk Group
How Companies are Attracting Top Talent and How You Can, Too | Skywalk Group
Why Candidates Aren't Applying for Your Jobs | Skywalk Group
How to write an effective job advertisement (with examples) | Indeed.com UK