Is your job advert not attracting the right candidates? Here are a few reasons why your job ad might not be doing as well as it should be and how you can fix that.
- Written by Safa Nawaz
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- July 19th, 2021
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- 7 Minute Read
Thousands of jobs are being posted daily, making the job market extremely competitive. If you are an employer and are wondering why you are not attracting the right candidates, the problem may lie in your job advertisement. There are many ways a job posting can be unsuccessful in attracting the right candidates for the job. It might not include all the relevant information, which may put candidates off from applying, or it may be too lengthy and include too much information and therefore may not appeal to certain candidates. You may also be advertising your ad in the wrong places and as a result stop the job advertisement from reaching the people you want to hire.
What your job advertisement should include:
When potential candidates are reading a job ad, they are usually looking out for certain information that is useful and relevant to them. Your job post should include:
- The location of the job
- The working days/hours
- The job title must be clear
- The salary
- The main duties of the job role
- The name of the company, business, or industry
- Clearly outlined required skills/experience
- Employee benefit schemes
- Start date
- Contact details
However, it is important that this information is presented in a simplistic way and that the job ad does not become too lengthy. Most candidates will only read a job description if it is clear, concise, and broken up into smaller sections. On the other hand, exceedingly long paragraphs will put them off from applying. 72% of hiring managers say they provide clear job descriptions while only 36% of candidates say they are provided with clear job descriptions so making sure your job ad is clear and concise is vital.
Following these steps when writing a job advertisement will make it easier for candidates to understand if the job role is suitable for them and will increase the number of quality candidates you are receiving for the job.
How should your job ad be structured:
There are four key parts that you should keep in mind when writing a job ad.
The title of your job ad is extremely important. It is the first thing that a candidate will read. It needs to grab their attention and make it clear what their job title will be.
The second part is your key selling point. Including a small description underneath the job title will provide insight/best thing about the job role as well as the company’s culture to the candidates. However, be careful to not add too much information. It is vital that you include information about the company so that candidates can get a better understanding and feel of the culture of your company. Location, salary and working hours can be added here too.
Job summary is the next part. You should also describe the job opportunity and what skills are required for that role, listing the most important skills first. Including your company’s logo is always a good idea as it makes it easier for candidates to recognise your company quicker.
Final step is the call to action. It is important that you include a call to action (CTA) at the end of your job ad. This could be an ‘apply now’ button, a contact number, or an email address for a candidate to contact you or to send in their CV. If there is no clear CTA, candidates might not apply. If there is any specific information you require from the candidates, you should mention it at the end of the job ad.
Where should you post your job ad:
There are many online platforms where your job ad can be posted. However, where you choose to post your advert will have an impact on the type of candidates that apply for the job and the number of applicants.
Social media platforms can be your best friend when it comes to advertising your job role, especially platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Post about the job opportunity on all your social media platforms and get people within your network to share the post so that it can reach as many potential candidates as possible. This is a great way to find candidates who may be perfectly suited to the job role as people tend to interact with others who share similar interests and are in the same or similar job fields on social media.
Social media platforms are great platforms that you can use to your advantage. Paid ads on these platforms can help your ad reach many people with the right skills. You can also target your ads by selecting options such as location, skills, occupation, or industry etc. so that they will reach people that your ad is targeted to.
• Posting on your company's website
Most employers underestimate the effectiveness of posting their job ad on their company’s website, especially smaller businesses. There are many advantages of posting on your company’s website such as job ads being more dynamic as well as it being cost effective. It also draws people to your website which can help to grow your brand and help with the search engine optimization of the website. Many candidates will look at a company’s website for jobs or to find out more about a company before applying to a job so use your company’s Google presence to your advantage!
• Posting on job boards
There are many employment websites that allow you to post job ads and help find the right candidates. However, many of these sites, such as CV library and Indeed, can charge you for each ad that is posted. Although this is a great way of getting your job ads found, it can be costly. If you are a smaller business, this may not be the best option for you. Posting on social media or your company’s website might be a better idea.
• Personal & professional networks
One of the main ways your job ad can reach potential candidates is through word of mouth and employee referrals. An employee that works for you may know someone who is suitable for the job role and could recommend it to them. You can also reach out to people within your social network and people in your personal life such as friends and family.
Overview:
When writing your job ad, keep the candidate in mind and contemplate about what it is they would want to see. Think of your job ad as a marketing tool that is helping you to sell the position to a suitable candidate.
The way in which your job ad is written reflects how you are as a company. If your job ad is lengthy and written very formally it could suggest a more serious work environment whereas a more informal job ad that addresses the candidate could suggest a more fun and enjoyable work environment, meaning potential candidates are more likely to apply. Remember to make your job ad sound as welcoming as possible, you want to attract the candidates, not discourage them from applying.