How to Write a Great Job Ad? 

How to Write a Great Job Ad? 

by Anja Zojčeska 19/11/2018

Why do you need to write a killer job ad?

With unemployment rate lower than ever, there is a fierce competition for a talent in the job market. According to Glassdoor, 76% percent of hiring managers admit that attracting top talent is their greatest challenge.

To win in the war for talent, you need to differentiate yourself from your competitors. In order to to stand out among other employers, you need to learn how to write a killer job advert. A killer job advertisement does more than just attracts the attention of your ideal candidates.

A killer job ad will also convince your ideal candidates to apply for your open job positions. It will make them eager to work at your company! Forget about the standard, boring job ads. Let’s learn how to write a job ads that people really want to apply to!

What do candidates want to read in your job ad?

To write a job ad that attract candidates’ attention and makes them want to apply, first you need to understand your candidates’ wants and needs. What is important for candidates? What do candidates really want to read in a job ad?

To find out, Talent Board did a research and asked 95,684 candidates what job-related content do they find most valuable. According to the Talent Board’s North American Candidate Experience Research Report, candidates want to know details about the job duties, salary range and benefits.

A similar research has been performed recently by LinkedIn. LinkedIn created a job ad heatmap which shows what sections of job ads candidate really care about, and which they ignore. The results of their study confirm the findings of Talent Board’s research – when it comes to job descriptions, candidates want to what work they’ll do (job duties) and how much they’ll make (salary and benefits).

Key takeaway? Be transparent and state the salary range in your job ad. It will give you a competitive advantage when trying to attract candidates. It will also prevent you from wasting your time on candidates you can’t afford.

Top 5 tips for writing great job ads

Want to make your job ads irresistible to candidates? Follow these top 5 tips:

Tip #1: Start by defining your ideal job candidate

Before you start writing your job ad, try to imagine your ideal job candidate. Think beyond the standard job description templates which list the job duties and requirements. Think about your ideal candidates interests beyond work, their motivation, lifestyle… Try to picture your ideal candidate as a real person.

Creating and defining your ideal candidate’s profile will help you narrow down your search and target the candidates that will be the best fit not only for your role, but also for your company culture. It will also help you create a job ad that sounds more human and authentic.

Tip #2: Optimize your job ad title

Use your job ad title to communicate the most important job ad information: Job title, level and position. These are three most important self selection criteria candidates first look at to decide if your job ad is worth their time. Make it easy for the right candidates to recognize the right opportunity by addressing them in the title of your job ad.

Although you might be tempted to use a creative job title such as “Marketing ninja” or a “Sales rockstar”, please resist the urge and stick to the terms your ideal candidate would google when looking for a job. In other words, make your job ad titles search network friendly.

Tip #3: Talk to your candidate

Write your job ad in a way you would talk to your friend. Avoid the overly formal tone and ditch writing in the third person. Writing in second person will make your job ad seems more friendly. If you call out the candidate by saying “you”, it will be easier for them to imagine themselves in the role you are offering. Imagine you are having a coffee with your ideal job candidate. How would you present the job you are offering to that specific person? Write it down in a conversational tone. Use these notes as an outline for your job ad!

Tip #4: Sell the job

Your job ad has one final mission: convincing your ideal job candidates to apply to your open job position. To increase the chances of that happening, you need to sell your job. Think about it for a moment. Why would your ideal candidate choose to work for your company instead for some of your competitors?

Formulate an appealing employe value proposition and use it as a magnet for attracting candidates. Make sure your job ad is focused on candidates! Instead of writing about your company and what you are looking for, focus on your candidates and how they can benefit from joining your company and your team.

Tip #5: Turn your job ad into an eye candy

First make your job title reader friendly. Structure the text in a way that makes it easy to read. Use paragraphs, headings, bullet points and bold the important words. Your job ad should contain a lot of white space. Simplify your text and get rid of all phrases and words which are not absolutely necessary. Keep it short and sweet.

Finally, make your job ad visually attractive and appealing by adding an interesting photo or even a video (if possible). Make sure you use photos and videos of your real employees and everyday life in your office. People want to see the faces of their potential future colleagues!

Next step: Promoting your job ad

Now that you’ve written a great job ad, you need to get it in front of your potential candidates’ eyes. Where should you promote your job ad?

When it comes to job posting best practices, you should follow one simple rule: Go wherever your ideal candidate is. What are your ideal candidates’ favorite communication channels and platforms? Which social media network do your ideal candidates prefer? Post your job ads there! Aaaand…that’s a wrap.

Now you know how to write a great job that will stand out and attract the top candidates. So what are you waiting for? Start writing! 🙂