Need to advertise a job? Here are our top tips

Job advertising websites usually have a form that you need to complete with the key information, but at some point you’ll need to add some free text too. Be ready to complete all the boxes by following these 10 tips.

Think about the job title

The title of your job advertisement needs to do two things: say what the job is, and make it sound interesting. You might need to steer clear of the actual job title if it doesn’t mean much to the outside world: for example ‘Grade 3 HR MGR – operations and support’ is a lot less enticing than ‘HR manager for an international retail brand’.

Include a short intro

A sentence is all you need, and it should describe the role rather than the employer. For example: “We’re seeking a financial controller for our Exeter office, to manage day to day financial tasks and keep our Finance Director updated.”

Summarise the role requirements

List a few tasks that the role will involve, so that the reader can quickly see whether they are activities they have done before. It helps to give a sense of the bigger picture too. For example, ‘improving data analytics to give us a clearer picture of different customer types’ gives applicants a sense that they’ll be clear about the purpose of their work.

Describe the kind of person you need

A good way to engage with potential applicants is to say ‘We’d love to hear from people with…’ and describe certain skills, qualifications or attributes that are important.

State whether the job is flexible

Flexibility is very important in today’s job market. If you are a flexible employer you’ll attract far more applications by stating the fact. It is good to do this upfront, rather than lead with lengthy company details. If flexibility is a key issue with the prospective employee, then you need to capture their attention up front.

Highlight good rewards

Include the salary range plus some key benefits and perks that your company offers.

Focus on location

Make sure you include the location of the job, but think about anything else that’s appealing about your site. Are you close to a major road or public transport? Do you provide free parking? Do you have light and airy offices or an onsite gym?

Give a brief overview of the company

Unless you work for a household name you’ll need to provide a short explanation of the business. Ideally, you should tailor this to the opportunity – for example, for a marketing role: ‘We’re a growing pet care business looking to increase our brand awareness’.

Be as brief as possible

The purpose of a job ad is to gain someone’s initial interest, not to give them chapter and verse about the job, the company and what they can expect as an employee. Once interested, the potential candidate can do their own research during their application process.

Use a friendly tone

There’s a fine balance between a dull, factual advert and one that is overly ‘fun’. Take a look at other ads to get a sense of what works. ‘We’d love to speak to candidates who…’ is an informal and warm way of describing the perfect applicant. Use ‘we’ and ‘you’ rather than ‘the company’ and ‘the candidate’ and avoid exclamation marks in your copy.

By following these tips you’ll be able to draft a concise and engaging ad ready to be added to your chosen job advertising websites. Good luck!

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