Reaching prospective candidates with your job offer is only half the battle. The other half is to make them read it and respond to it. How do you make that happen?
1. Be real and consistent.
When writing your advertisement, use language that is consistent with your company style. If you’re a creative business, an IT startup, or a small, family-run company, make it clear. Applicants want to know what type of company is recruiting and what to expect. Remember, this is the time of informal fun, so keeping that style can make your advertisement stand out. But also keep it real – if you are a corporate organization with strict rules and a dress code, don’t pretend you aren’t.
2. Avoid cliches.
“Industry-leading, fast-growing company,” “fast-paced environment,” “fun, creative and vibrant team,” – most companies make these claims about themselves. It used to sound cool and meant something, but not anymore. Being original means sounding natural. Use your own words and be honest. If your team consists mostly of geeks and you hire only a couple of new employees each year, say it out loud. Admitting the facts instead of packing them into false words will make your job advertisement different – and more attractive.
3. Don’t forget to list soft skills.
Listing the hard skills necessary for a job is, of course, essential, but make sure you don’t skip the soft skills. The candidate will have to work in your specific environment, so it’s good to tell them what qualities are required. Good communication skills? Ability to work under pressure? Listing soft skills will spare the disappointment both for you and the candidate. And since many companies skip that part, your advertisement will be positively different.
4. Describe the team.
Go a step further and describe the team for which you are recruiting. Give your prospective candidates context, so they can see if they will fit in. Working with graduates who have only just started their career is much different from joining a multinational team of people with different numbers of years of experience. Make sure your prospective applicants know it in advance – it will certainly make your job advertisement stand out.
5. Be honest about money.
This one should be a standard, but it is not. Giving the possibly accurate salary range in the job advertisement will give your prospective candidates a clear idea if it’s worth applying at all. Don’t waste their time if you can’t afford them. On the other hand, if you pay your employees well, why not turn it into bait to attract the best candidates?
Conclusion
Writing an attractive job advertisement is not about using catchy phrases and promising something you can’t deliver. Of course, wording and context are important, but it’s more about being real, consistent, and honest. It is the best way to stand out, and it will bring more valuable applicants to your job offer.
