THE ANATOMY OF AN AWESOME ADVERT
As recruitment specialists with over a decade of experience, we've written our fair share of job adverts. We've also grown with the change in candidate behaviours, the emergence of new technology and the mindset of millennials.
A far cry from the old softly worded back catalogue of day-to-day tasks, today's job adverts need to be impactful, interesting and exciting to cut it with modern jobseekers.
In the same way that a candidate needs to tick all your boxes, your advert will need to tick theirs. Get it wrong, and you'll be dismissed with a swipe of the right thumb.
It doesn't take the works of a wordsmith to create a compelling recruitment ad, though there are a number of elements that will give you the edge to ensure yours smacks impact and draws in a high quality of talent.
SET THE TONE
The tone of your advert needs to reflect the culture of your brand. Nobody would buy a luxury hamper that's written up to sound like a kid's packed lunch. If you're going for premium, go luxe. If your style is more off-the-wall, inject a little creativity.
Consider the level of candidate you're looking for and the role itself. Creatives need to be engaged with wit, cool ideas the odd sense of humour. Technical candidates will be more excited to read a technologically savvy advert that screams 'modern thinking'.
LESS IS MORE
The average candidate will spend around 8 seconds reading before their attention span starts to wane. Go for short but sweet if that works for you, though ensure all the key information is still covered. Aim for no more than 600-700 words and put the most important details at the top... in case that attention span decides to switch off and head elsewhere before it reaches the finish line.
KEYWORD IT
Think searchability when creating an advert online. The combination of great content and effective searchability (kind of like this article) is a science of its own.
Candidates will search for certain job titles online, so it's much more effective to stick with 'Sales Team Leader' rather than opt for 'Biz Dev Dynamo' if you want to be seen.
AVOID WAR AND PEACE
You'll naturally want to tell prospective candidates about where it all began, the businesses big successes and plans for the future. Though save some mystery for the interview itself. If you have a backstory worth telling, consider directing candidates to your About Us page online to find out more.
Keep the details focussed on what the role entails and the type of person you're looking for. This prevents the anticipated influx of unqualified, irrelevant applications to sift through because you used your word count selling your own brand.
KNOW WHAT YOU REALLY WANT
Distinguish the ‘essential’ skills, experiences and qualifications from the ‘nice to haves'. Listing all the criteria in one long list can be off putting to candidates who may well have all of the essentials, but not all of the additional traits. Be clear on what will get a candidate through to the next stage, and what might give them the edge over other applicants. You'll be more likely to receive more relevant applications.
CALL THAT ACTION
We've seen numerous job adverts that outline a really great role, then forget to include details on how to apply.
If it's a simple, send your CV, include the email address or a link to the application page. Check the link works. Twice.
If you require candidates to prepare something a little more in depth, be clear on what it is you want, when by and how they'll submit it. A vague 'get in touch for more info' won't be enough to encourage an application.
FUTURE PROOF IT
Only 42% of recruitment sites are optimised for mobile, yet over 50% of candidates use mobile devices to search and apply for jobs. Make your ad mobile friendly, and you increase your chances of it being read through, and easy to make an application.
Have you seen a job advert that leaves you impressed? Tweet us and let us know! @ThePeoplePod #AwesomeAds