How To Write A Job Ad That Attracts Top Candidates

It’s hiring season and your job is to find the best job candidates for your company. If you can land the right candidate, it can take your company to a whole new level. But finding the perfect new employee is never easy.

If you’re like most recruiters, you already have an image of the ideal candidate in your head. They have the exact skill sets you need with years of experience, outstanding references, and a great personality. The only way you’re going to find that person is with a compelling job ad.

Writing a job ad is one of the most difficult parts of the hiring process. You can’t just write a job description and advertisement during your lunch break. It needs to be a well crafted masterpiece that is designed to attract top candidates that you want to hire.

When you write a job ad that attracts top candidates you need to approach it with a marketing mindset, not a human resources one. You’re essentially creating an advertisement for one job with your cool company that is designed to make people want to apply. It needs to appeal to the perfect job seeker. And let’s not forget it’s also supposed to eliminate the job seekers who don’t stand a chance of getting hired. An extra hour or two writing a job description can save you hours or even days of sorting through resumes down the line.

How do you write a job ad that attracts top candidates?

• Learn About The Job – You need to fully understand what a specific job does on a day to day basis if you truly want to advertise and market it to the job seeking world. Go and observe this job in action. Get the details down.
• Put Yourself In The Candidate’s Shoes – Take five minutes and pretend that you’re the job seeker. What do you want to see in a job ad? What is going to make a job appealing? Why are you going to apply for this job and not that other one?
• Research The Competition – Every business has competition. Visit your rival’s website and see how they advertise for a similar job. Use their ideas and eliminate what you don’t like. This will help you craft a strong job ad that stands out and attracts the right job seekers.
• Use The Voice Of Your Company’s Culture – Every company has its own culture. Express that culture through the job ad.
• Pick The Right Job Title – Job Titles need to explain what the job does, but it also needs to bring the job to life. Be innovative and creative when you write a job title, but don’t go overboard. Make the title attractive so people are curious.
• Provide Insight Into The Company – Give a brief description of your company. A few sentences is plenty. It’s up to the job seeker to do further research, but give them a starting point – including where the job is located.
• Describe The Job – This is the most important part of the job ad. You have to describe the job, but since you already learned about the job it’s easy to write about the job’s responsibilities, duties, and roles.
• Paint A Picture Of The Day To Day Activities – Let a job seeker know what they are actually going to be doing each day. Recruiters never paint this picture and it leaves a vagueness to the job ad. Let job seekers know what to expect and be upfront with what this job actually entails.
• Write The Candidate Profile – Be specific in what you are looking for. Write exactly what you require. Use bold if necessary. For example: 5+ years of JavaScript experience, Master’s Degree In Interior Design, Legal Ability To Work In US. This is your chance to weed out the candidates that will apply for any job. Be specific now and save yourself time later.
• Discuss Compensation – People want to know how much they are going to make. They want full disclosure of any and all benefits. Let job candidates know exactly what you’re offering – starting salary, unlimited vacation, telecommuting opportunities, health insurance, 401K, etc.
• Supply Specific Instructions On How To Apply – Tell people exactly how you want them to apply for the job. Give specific details and see if they can follow directions. Let them know application deadlines, where they can ask questions, and what the application process consists of.
• Make Your Job Ad Visually Appealing – Just like writing a resume, make your job ad skimmable. Use keywords and bullet points. Bold the important stuff. Make it visually attractive.
• Read It Again. And Again. – After you write a job ad, put it aside and do something else. Then read it again. Then read it out loud. Then give it to your co-workers to read. Tweak it as necessary.
• Choose Where To Post It – Obviously you need to post your job listing on your company’s website. You also need to consider where your prime job candidates will look for jobs. Sure millions of people will visit Monster.com or Indeed.com, but why not target seasonal workers on JobMonkeyJobs.com, post the ad on an professional organization’s website, or pin a printed copy at the local outdoor shop? Focus your ad in the right places to attract top talent.

As you can see, there is a lot to consider when writing a job ad. Take the necessary time to craft the perfect job ad if you want to find the best job candidates for the job interview round. You’ll save yourself time and you’ll help your company be successful when you learn how to write a clear job ad that attracts the people you want to hire.