What Makes a Great Job Advertisement?

Is the job ad dead? Well certainly not yet. All companies, from big corporates down to small businesses continue to advertise vacancies on such mediums as SEEK, Indeed and Linkedin. HR and hiring managers sometimes wonder why people are not getting inspired by their job opportunity. It could be because the market for that role is ultra competitive or it is often due to the quality and presentation of the job ad.

A job ad is like any sales pitch and its ultimate purpose is to allow ease of access for promising talent. And like any great movie or book, you must capture the attention of the audience from the beginning. Think about the role in particular and target questions or statements that might appeal to him or her. Craft the introduction using words to capture your potential candidates, ideally, you want to strike a good balance of professionalism and excitement. Know the difference between what qualities and expectations needs to be mentioned rather than what would be preferred. At the end of the day, the job needs to be filled by the most ideally skilled candidate.

Keep it concise. List three to five key responsibilities or competencies someone would need to be successful for the job. List the essentials of education and experience, and depending on the type of job, 400 to 800 words should suffice. Whilst you don’t want your job ad to address every skill under the sun, you do want to make it as detailed as possible. Share and make clear the realities, the possible rewards and room for growth within your company. Selling them the opportunity is the employers job.

This is why it is important to maintain a human voice. Indicate to the potential candidate that the company is exciting and it does have a sense of personality. This will set you apart from other listings and set the tone for the culture of your organisation. Be sure not to overdo it with humour and misrepresent the feel of your company. Think about the words you use and ensure it’s inclusive, everyone has an opportunity for the role if they believe they have the required aptitude and skills - even if they only have experience in a completely different industry. The more transparent you are from the beginning means the likelier they are to succeed with your company in the future.