TOP TIPS FOR WRITING A GREAT JOB ADVERT
Ever seen a boring job advert and:
Been hesitant to apply?
Doubted whether it would be a good fit?
Felt it had no human touch whatsoever?
A job description is usually a candidate’s first impression of your role and your company. It’s also the one of many job descriptions they’ll read whilst searching…
So, if you don’t impress them – say goodbye to that application.
IDENTIFY YOUR IDEAL CANDIDATE
Writing a job description without any idea of your goal can leave you feeling stuck, or publishing something that is half-hearted or simply wrong.
Some questions to ask yourself when thinking of your ideal candidate are:
What value will this person bring to the company?
What skills and/ or experience is required?
What attributes are crucial in this role?
Although you probably know all the responsibilities this person will have, a job description isn’t complete without a clear understanding of the sort of person you’re looking for.
BE REALISTIC
It’s good to know what sort of person you’re looking for, but remember that being too specific may hinder your chances of securing great talent.
Of course, many roles require specific experience and education, but if yours doesn’t – have a think about the core things that matter about the role. It may be that you realise rather than having X years’ experience, it’s more important that they have the soft skills and commitment to achieve in the role.
In fact, 81% of sales professionals say candidates don’t need a degree to work in sales (Finlay James). But the things they will need are:
Interpersonal skills
Willingness to learn
Flexibility
Communication and negotiation skills
An understanding of sales
EXPLAIN WHAT’S IN IT FOR THEM
Have you read a job description that is all about the requirements, and nothing about the benefits?
There’s thousands of jobs out there with similar requirements, similar (or better) salaries, so why would they choose you? Writing a job spec isn’t just about summarising a job, it’s about showing a potential candidate that it’s not only the job that’s a right fit for them, but the company too.
Maybe there’s huge progression opportunities, with in-depth training, and high quality support. Maybe you have a fantastic benefits package with healthcare schemes or retail discounts. Maybe the role itself is unique because of the level of autonomy and creativity.
Not only do those things bring a human touch to your job spec, but it also helps people envision what it would be like to work at your company.
At the end of the day, it’s not just you looking for a good fit, it’s also the candidate. With many options on the table, candidates have a large choice of roles to choose from, meaning you have to try to impress them just as much as they’re trying to impress you.
HIGHLIGHT THE CULTURE
Just like highlighting how much they’ll be valued from a business perspective, candidates need to know they’ll be valued from a personal perspective.
First impressions are key, and if your job ad comes across as dull, pressurising, or robotic – people may assume that your company is like that too.
If you have an exciting, friendly, and fun workplace – shout about it! Whether it’s company socials, a dog friendly office, casual dress, or regular mental health catch ups – these are things that turn a regular job, into something that is desired.
‘Work-life balance’ is a term that we’ve all seen much more of since the pandemic. Why? Because people have realised the importance of healthy boundaries between their professional and personal lives.
But not only that – people want to work somewhere that enhances their lives, rather than watching the clock like a hawk and restarting their lives at 5pm.
This is especially true with the younger generations of Millennial’s and Gen Z’s. In fact, 77% of Gen’s say it’s important for a company’s values to align with their own – particularly in the areas of diversity, inclusion, and well-being (Deliotte)
If those are things you are committed to as a company, make that clear in the job description! Not only will a strong company culture attract employees, but also retain them, keep them productive, inspired, and collaborative.
- Written by Shannon Matthews
NEED SOME FRIENDLY ADVICE OR MORE TIPS?
If you are looking for more advice or help finding your next job, we can help, please give us a call on: 0117 301 8495 or take a look at our jobs page. Alternatively, if you’re an employer in the South West and South Wales looking to recruit and need someone with real recruiting expertise then we can help – let’s chat.