In today’s competitive job seeker market how do you stand out and create a WOW factor in your job advert that attracts the right candidates to apply to your role.

As job seekers are now more discerning about the type of role and work place they are willing to consider, your job advert is the first opportunity to begin a conversation, so make the advert interesting and make it about them.

Remember your advert may be the first contact a candidate has had with your company.  When writing a captivating job advert you need to include information that inspires them to learn more and communicate clearly to them why your company is the ideal workplace.

The key goal of your job advert is about attracting uber talented people to your organisation.  Potential candidates need to view your advert and be motivated to take the next step.

Reach the ideal candidate

So how do you reach the ideal candidate for your business? You firstly need to explain what’s in it for the potential candidate and ask yourself the following questions.

  • What are the reasons they should apply for this role?
  • What makes your business a great place to work?
  • Are there any career growth pathways available?
  • What training and career development will they receive?
  • Who are their team-mates?
  • What are the benefits of working within your organisation?
  • What are the values and culture of your workplace?

Your aim is to encourage people to apply for the job so create short adverts that provide clarity.  Communicate clearly and succinctly using a language style that is simple and easily understood.

You are building a connection with potential candidates and should write the job advert in a format that reflects your workplace culture and resonates with the ideal job seeker.

Your advert should be honest and describe clearly the ideal candidate you seek to attract.  Use your job advert as a filter with the goal of talking to right people and discouraging those candidates from applying who are unsuitable to the role.

Explain and outline the role plainly and with enthusiasm.  Describe why they should invest energy in your organisation.  Your job advert should be interesting and engaging as you want them to take the next step.

Be clear on how the candidate can contribute to the success of your business.  Good people want to be motivated and valued when using their skills and experience in solving challenges within the business.

Creating a great job advert

Tips to create a captivating job advert that deliver a positive candidate experience.

  • The Fundamentals. Include: Job title. Job description. Location. Salary. Company name (or brief description, if confidential). Key skills. Call to action. Contact details.
  • Ask questions and make statements that appeal directly to the ideal candidate you have in mind for the role.
  • Use the right language. Your job description should be warm, inviting and show personality. Talk to the candidate in friendly conversational tone using ‘you’ and ‘your’.
  • Include a specific location. People want to know where the job is located and where they are going to be working for a variety of practical reasons, i.e. the commute, proximity to home, schools and more.
  • Include the salary. Including the salary is paramount to making a great job advert. Don’t waste potential candidates time, or your own, by attracting candidates who are either under-skilled or over-skilled.
  • Your company name. A very important detail if you are managing the hiring process directly yourself.  It gives potential employees a chance to research your company before taking action.
  • Describe your company culture. Show people what they can expect when they join your organisation, and why someone would want to work with you and your team.
  • Highlight your values. Talk to the right people whose values align with yours as morals and values are important to people. Let potential candidates know what your business stands for as this can increase your hiring success.
  • Promote the work life balance. As most of us spend a large amount of our time in the workplace, describing things like flexible working hours, parental care, location, and other positives are worth mentioning.
  • Make the advert easy to read. Keep it simple, clear and concise. Don’t waffle or fill the advert with boring or unrelated information.
  • Focus on the Role. Job seekers are eager to find out about the role itself, including day-to-day tasks and what kind of experience is required.
  • Define and distinguish the ‘must have’ skills, experiences and qualifications from the ‘nice to have’.
  • Be found in Search. Include key search terms so your job advert is easily found in a Google search without being overusing those terms.
  • Don’t use clichés and jargon. By using honest and natural language your potential candidates will respect and be attracted to the opportunity so much more.
  • Link to a video. Video marketing is popular and a great way to showcase your organisation beyond a few words.   This is not essential.
  • And most importantly, don’t forget a call to action.  Make it very clear what the potential candidate needs to do RIGHT NOW if they are interested in applying your role.

The team at Centastaff can help with creating a candidate attraction strategy including assisting in creating captivating job adverts. Please get in touch with our team today.

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