How To Write A Job Advert That Works

Job adverts come in many shapes and sizes, but there are a few simple rules that every advert should follow to ensure it attracts the right candidates. Read this then download our free guide.

An appealing job title

The most obvious way to increase the number of people who view your job advert is to make the job title appealing. Internally, the role may be known as a ‘Grade 2 Global Communications Support Officer’ but how many people are going to type that into a search box? If the kind of person you want to attract is the type who would want to work as a PR Executive, then title your job ‘PR Executive’. If you have access to a CV database, find some CVs of the people you would like to invite for an interview and use the ‘Desired Job Title’ field as the basis for your advert. If that’s what they want to work as, that’s what they’re likely to search for.

Setting out your structure

There’s no set format to how you describe the job role, but you should look to include these elements:

• Short introduction – Aim to keep this to around 40 words and talk about the job rather than the company. This will help the reader quickly assess if it’s an appropriate role for them, enticing them to keep on reading.

• Role responsibilities – List between three and seven main tasks the successful applicant will be expected to undertake. Try to relate these to a business objective where possible so the applicant can envisage how the position fits into the company’s plans. For example, “Developing an email marketing programme to help increase customer retention levels”. Remember your advert is not a job description and therefore doesn’t need to include every element of the role, just enough to get the right people to send their CV.

• Person specification – What skills, qualifications or attributes are you looking for in your ideal applicant? Try and divide these up between what is necessary and what would be an advantage. If you are hoping to obtain a high level of CVs, you can afford to be less specific with your requirements, whereas if you just want a couple of high-quality applicants, then be very clear about the strict criteria they will have to meet. Job seekers take literal notice of this area and you can affect your response rate dramatically with just a few carefully chosen words.

• Rewards—In addition to information on the salary candidates can expect to receive, you should also look to point out some of the key benefits and perks they can look forward to. What would make them want to apply for your role rather than a similar position with a competitor? Rewards don’t have to be financial, so think about what flexible working programmes, team outings, or child care options your company offers.

• Location – As well as filling in the ‘Location’ field when filling in the online job posting form, you may also want to add more specific information about where the job is based. Is it a new office? Is it work from home? Is it Hybrid? Are there good transport links? What is the local pub like? Is the role always based in the office or is there a certain amount of travelling involved? Where people work is often just as important as the role they are taking on.

• Your company – What’s your business? If your company isn’t a well-known brand name, you’ll need to provide an explanation of what kind of industry you are in. Rather than copying the ‘About Us’ section from your website, try to relate this to the role. So if it’s a sales role, you could put “A leading supplier of textiles with an aggressive expansion programme to gain business outside the UK.” whereas for an IT role, you could put “A leading supplier of textiles with a newly developed online ordering system built on a .NET framework.” Don’t make the mistake of providing too much information here, the job seeker will do their own research if they want to know more.

• Next steps—If the reader is interested in your vacancy, what are the next steps you want them to take? All job adverts on Monster have an ‘Apply Now’ button. This is the best way for people to apply so you can track the response. Is there any specific information you want the applicants to include in their cover letter? Now is the time to ask.

Remember why it’s called a Job Advert.

Remember you are selling the job. If you consider the job as your product and the job seekers as your customers, you need to make a compelling case for why they should make a transaction (or take their time to apply for the vacancy). Job seekers value their skills and experience highly, and if you want them to apply for a job, you’ll need to appeal to their wants and needs in the same way you would with a consumer. Think about iwhen you’re shopping. Which products catch your eye? What kind of products is your target candidate attracted to? What lessons can you learn from the advertising language they use and the way they are displayed?

Many job ads assume that the employer is doing potential candidates a favour by inviting them to apply. This attitude instantly discourages your audience—if you’re not welcoming in your job adverts, you can’t expect people to think you’ll provide a welcoming workplace. You don’t advertise products just by listing the features.

Looking for a job is a full-time job in itself, so don’t make it too long. Especially on mobiles, people won’t scroll for ages.  Long, rambling job adverts suggest a stifling working environment, whereas a fun, joke-packed advert will give the impression of unprofessionalism. Talk to people on their level and in the second person, using ‘you’ and ‘your’ rather than ‘we’ and ‘our’.

For every job advert you place, resist the temptation to just copy and paste the description you used for the last time you hired for this position. Think about how the responsibilities of person specification may have changed. You want to employ humans with their own individual personalities and attributes, not robot clones!

Get Your Well-Crafted Job Advert in Front of Top Candidates

Now you know that an effective job advert needs not only an appealing title, but also a summary of responsibilities, day-to-day tasks, required qualifications, and an attractive introduction to your company and its culture. But the best advert won’t do much if you don’t broadcast it to top talent. Now – Download our one-page guide to keep and share with your team.