How to Write a Truly Convincing Job Ad

How to Write a Truly Convincing Job Ad Something that not enough recruiters realise is the power of branding and marketing. As Ive written before, you can be a great company that offers the best jobs in the world but if your job adverts dont reflect that then you wont get the best candidates. While people will probably send in applications based on almost any advert, they wont necessarily be the best people you could potentially get â€" because the top candidates are applying for jobs that seem to be much better prospects. Crafting a great job ad is not just a matter of listing a few dull duties or recycling the ad you used five years ago. Its a chance to showcase your employer brand and demonstrate the real, tangible reasons why the cream of the crop should find a place in your organisation. How can you turn your organisational needs into an exciting, enticing recruitment advert? Luckily its easier than you might think, at least once you know how. Be precise Too many job adverts suffer from vagueness and dont give a clear idea of what kind of person is needed. This is sometimes deliberate, as employers like to keep their options open and wait until they meet the successful candidate before they decide what exactly the job involves. Its fine to be flexible, and to want to tweak the role later to take into account your new employees skills. But if the ad gets watered down to the point where its not clear what the role is any more, then you need to make some more concrete decisions about exactly what needs the new employee will fill. Remember its not for everyone One of the best job postings ever (gender discrimination aside) was this one, in which explorer Ernest Shackleton recruited men to go with him to the South Pole: To be honest, it doesnt sound like my kind of thing Id prefer a job with a pool table and beer on Fridays. But thats fine. I probably wouldnt have managed very well on the expedition itself. A seasoned adventurer though would want nothing more than to be a part of this trip. Its a recruiters duty to let readers know clearly why they might not be suitable, by outlining necessary experience and qualifications. That way, unqualified people dont have to spend their time applying for a job they wont get. It sounds simple, but many employers shy away from stating hard requirements for fear of making the work sound unappealing. But at the risk of repeating ourselves, the best candidates will be suspicious of a job that will appear to accept just anyone. Include only what you need Just as an ad should be enticing without being vague, it should also be descriptive without rambling. After all, a posting is not meant to be a full job description nor should it aim to list absolutely everything the role involves. Instead its main purpose is to attract those who are likely to be qualified and interested in the role, and turn away those who are not â€" anything else can almost certainly be cut. Heres what you can safely leave out: The first six paragraphs comprising very detailed company history Too much about perks â€" perks are great but not the first thing candidates need to know Promises you cant keep â€" for example, raises after six months! Overuse of jargon or acronyms Writing a great ad for a job opening doesnt have to be difficult, stressful or time-consuming, as long as you keep in mind throughout what a prospective candidate is likely to want to see. Put yourself in their shoes and youve no reason not to get it right every time! Author: Liam Coleman is Co-Founder and Joint Managing Director with online recruitment agency BlueOctopusRecruitment in Leeds, UK.