Struggling to attract qualified candidates? Don’t underestimate the power of a well-written, innovative job ad. Job seekers are now in charge and are facing more opportunities than ever before, so for recruiters, this means putting in the extra effort that is vital for standing out and catching the right people’s attention.
1. Write your way into their hearts
Make it sound like it’s a position to be excited about, whether that means changing the title to something more appealing or writing the ad in a way that makes it sound personal and intriguing. The aim is to ignite that fire within them, not kill it. But unfortunately, fancy titles aren’t always enough to get someone to hit the “apply” button.
Try to read and write the job advert from the job seeker’s perspective. How does the wording make you feel? Simply avoiding words and phrases that might have a negative impact will give you a better shot at finding your perfect match and not scaring away your potential dream colleague!
The Virgin article about the importance of representation in the workforce brings up many interesting points, one of which was about how women only tend to apply for jobs when they feel they have the required qualifications. Men, on the other hand, are more likely to apply whenever they find the job interesting. So, browsing through the listed skills and filtering out the unnecessary ones will also give you a wider range of applicants.
2. What have you got to offer?
Make sure you highlight what you can offer as a company and what it is that makes you different from your competitors. It’s a two-way street and looks way less “robotic”. Free fruit and flexibility are great, but what about the culture? Are you working hard to cultivate a great work dynamic? Are you a team filled with great personalities? Don’t forget that you’re welcoming them to a family!
A huge part of what you have to offer is your core values. Your identity, foundation, and beliefs. It will give the readers the chance to decide whether they can picture themselves working for you or not. At the end of the day, you want to attract candidates who feel aligned with your values and can proudly stand behind them. Don’t forget to mention why and what you are doing to get there.
Here’s an example. Let’s say that you are promoting Work-Life Balance. Be sure to always give examples of how this is done. Maybe you are doing walking meetings once a week to promote health and to get out of the office. This might sound like a simple detail but it is a brilliant example of how to bring out your personality.
3. Be like Sievo and kill it with a video
Adding a video to your ad will immediately spark it up and generate more engagement. There are many powerful ways to play around with visual content and to make it genuine and inspiring, depending on what special feeling you want to convey through your advert. Since we are heading towards a future of visual content, adding an employer branding video into your job ad should be an approach worth considering if you haven’t already.
If you’re looking to make it less uptight and more human, using a bit of humor is always a good way to start. Just look at how our friends at Sievo have showcased their culture (pssst… rumor has it that they were awarded “Best Employer Brand Video 2018”)
4. Make them feel important
Lastly, underline what makes this specific position important for the whole team or company. According to Matt Buckland’s article, personal development and a sense of belonging are two of the most important aspects to consider when writing a job ad. As an employee, you want to feel like you are making a difference and that the working hours you put in matter.
Why is your company an optimal place to grow? How are you going to help your future candidate to reach their potential? Making room for personal development will not only increase loyalty but will also make you an employer worth counting on.
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