There is no one-size-fits-all template for a job ad – they should be different per job, company, and industry. A good job ad template should indicate the company’s expectations of a candidate and the perks and benefits they will get. It is equally important to make sure that everything written in an ad would be enough to attract only the best candidates. The general rule is to make the job ad understandable. Candidates cannot relate to what they can’t understand. Remember to be straight to the point and avoid using euphemisms.
Here are seven steps to help you craft a job post that will attract the best person for your open positions
1
Write a search-friendly job ad
In today’s digital age, your next hire is probably scrolling through his/her phone right now looking for available job opportunities online.
Make sure that your job ad will appear in online searches by doing keyword research. Think of what your potential candidates might be looking for. Relevant keywords usually include:
Job type
Job title
Rank
Role
And location
Tip: Look at Google’s related searches portion to give you more ideas of relevant keywords you can add in your job ads.
Once you have your list of keywords, try to embed them as much as possible into the contents of your job ad. Make sure not to overuse these keywords as they could make your job ad look unnatural.
2
Be mindful of your ad format
It is always best practice to make sure that anything you have on your website is optimized for mobile as well. In crafting your job ads, brevity is the key.
It should be short yet straight to the point and candidate-centric. Avoid long paragraphs and, as much as possible, write sentences in bullet points.
Using headings is also important to help guide your readers visually. Headings help divide your content into specific sections such as:
About the Company
Qualifications
Requirements
Perks and Benefits
Etc.
You can also highlight important parts of your text by using the bold and/or italicize functions.
3
Briefly describe the company
Tell your potential candidates who you are and why joining your company is going to be one of their best decisions ever.
This section of your job ad gives you the chance to showcase the following:
Your company’s culture
How long you have been in the business
Facilities that excite employees
Awards and recognitions
And other company facts that will excite your potential candidates
You can also include one or two sentences to share why your company needs a person for this role and an overview of how this person can contribute to achieving your business goals.
4
Give complete yet concise information about the job
It is important to write a job title that your potential candidates can understand and relate to.
Make sure that your ad title is not using your company’s internal jargon. A vague job title will affect your ad’s searchability online and will attract candidates that do not meet your expectations.
Describe the role as clearly as possible. Make sure that responsibilities are not broadly stated and primary tasks are written in understandable terms.
The goal is for potential candidates to read your job ad and be able to say that “this job post perfectly describes me and what I can do.”
The primary tasks and responsibilities section of your job ad is very crucial to make sure that you only attract candidates who can handle what is expected from them. Writing an effective job post will save you time from filtering unfit applicants.
5
Clearly state your requirements
Your job ad should clearly state the minimum qualifications of your ideal candidate. This can include:
Their level of education
Years of experience
Projects handled
The number of direct reports
Industries worked for
Etc.
Indicate also what potential candidates need to submit to process their application i.e.:
To attract candidates, give them a glimpse of the potential perks and benefits they can get once they join your company. These benefits can include:
Medical coverage
Insurance
Graduate program support
Training
Allowances
Bonuses
And incentives
If possible, disclose a salary range you can give for the position. This helps manage expectations of potential applicants. If you are not allowed to do so, indicate that salary will be discussed during the interview process.
You can also briefly share the career path waiting for the person who will fill this position. Potential candidates would want to see that their growth and development will be looked after and taken cared of by your company.
7
Include a call to action
Write a clear call to action.
Should interested applicants call you first?
Send their requirements through email?
Visit your office?
Are walk-in candidates allowed?
Who is their contact person?
You should be able to answer these questions in your job post. A clear call to action will make the process easier for both the applicants and your company.
Also remember to indicate your company’s contact information – phone, mobile, website, email, and address – for any questions the applicants might have about the job post.
Do all of these and expect your phones and email inbox to be busy in the coming days.
Final Thoughts
In summary, there is no single correct answer to how a job ad should be written. It depends on your company’s needs and requirements for a specific position.
The steps discussed above aim to help you write job ads that are clear and understandable to ensure that you attract what you need.
You should not be selling your company only, but you also have to make sure that you speak the language of your potential candidates as well. Managing expectations as early as this stage will help you save time and proceed to interview only candidates that are highly likely fit for your open position.
