How to write an effective job advertisement that attracts top candidates
With 64% of recruiters citing finding candidates with the right skills among their top challenges, creating effective job adverts has never been more important.
Skilled workers often have a number of options available to them during their job search. As a result, knowing how to write a job advertisement that catches the eye and attracts top applicants is vital.
In this guide, we walk you through how to write a great job ad that helps you stand out, highlights what your organisation has to offer, and attracts your ideal candidates.
What is a job advertisement?
A job advert is typically the first point of contact candidates have with a potential employer. Adverts should therefore include a description of the role and a call to action that invites applications.
The best job ads will also provide job seekers with insights into things like:
- Culture
- Values
- Mission
Difference between a job advert and a job description
Job adverts and job descriptions are terms that sometimes get confused.
Job adverts are used externally by hiring managers to promote a vacancy, and cover the skills and experience required for a role. On the other hand, a job description can be used both internally and externally, and broadly describes the role a successful candidate will undertake.
The essentials of an effective job advertisement
Attracting the right candidates requires more than writing a job advert that lists the day-to-day requirements of a role and the benefits on offer.
When considering how to write an effective job advertisement at the outset of the recruiting process, there are several essential elements you need to include. Let’s take a closer look.
1. Use an accurate and appealing job title
Determining the job title is key to attracting potential candidates.
Using an accurate and specific title makes it easier for jobseekers to find the role they want. Generic titles are likely to attract more candidates, whereas a niche title will result in fewer, more relevant applications. As a result, employers may choose to use generic titles when looking for a high volume of candidates or when hiring en masse.
The title used will also determine how your job ad gets picked up by search engines and job boards. That’s why job postings with standardised, industry-recognised titles are likely to reach more candidates by appearing higher in search results.
2. Introduce your business
Candidates increasingly want background information on a business before applying for a role, with 66% more likely to respond to an advert that includes a statement on company values. As a result, job ads should include an introduction to your organisation with a company description that includes your mission and values.
This is a great opportunity to showcase your workplace culture and what makes it unique, catching the eye of candidates and helping them determine if the organisation’s objectives align with their own goals and values.
3. Provide salary details
Adverts that include a salary are more likely to attract interest, allowing candidates to determine whether the compensation matches their requirements.
Furthermore, our research shows the importance of salary transparency for attracting top candidates. We found that 72% of jobseekers see salary as the most important factor when applying for a role, while 74% avoid applying for vacancies without salary-specific information.
For a great job ad, try to be as clear and specific as possible with the salary you are offering. If you do use a range, don’t make it too wide. Candidates will appreciate the transparency, and you’ll get applications from candidates with the right expectations.
4. Specify the location
Your job ads should always be specific about location.
Vagueness in this area can result in applications from candidates who will find it difficult to commute to the workplace regularly, wasting your time and theirs.
If a role includes opportunities for hybrid and remote working, or requires the successful applicant to travel across multiple locations, that information also needs to be included in the advert, either in the location field or in the main body of the advert.
5. Outline the responsibilities for the role
Covering the responsibilities included within a role is crucial to an effective job ad. This should be as specific as possible, using verbs to describe the duties and provide an accurate representation of the workload.
These lists should be tailored to the role you’re hiring for. For example, our research indicates that healthcare candidates are less likely to prefer short responsibilities (26%), while those with trade, technical, or vocational certification prefer them.
Remember, job adverts represent an opportunity to provide candidates with information on who they will be reporting to if their application is successful, as well as any collaboration or team-oriented work that will be expected of them.
6. List the necessary skills and qualifications
Detailing the skills and education required for a job is crucial to ensure applicants meet the desired criteria. Ads should therefore specify the level of education and technical skills required, including essential soft skills, such as strong communication.
It’s also vital to consider the level of education required for the role you’re hiring for. Even with 54% of employers struggling to hire entry level talent, 37% still require candidates to have completed university study.
As a result, there is a wide pool of candidates employers can tap into by reconsidering the educational requirements on their job ads.
7. Include a Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) statement
Diversity and inclusion are essential values in any modern workplace, with job adverts prohibited from implying discrimination against anyone.
Including a D&I statement in job adverts can help employers attract a wider and more diverse pool of talent. 45% of candidates believe including a D&I statement on job ads is extremely important, highlighting the employer’s commitment to creating an inclusive work environment and promoting equity and fairness.
Taking job adverts to the next level
When considering how to write a job advertisement that can target candidates, employers should go beyond the basics outlined above. That means including extra information that ensures their adverts stand out from the competition.
Outline learning and development opportunities
Our research shows 69% of employees have changed jobs due to a lack of learning and development opportunities, while 9 in 10 want their employer to offer more training.
As a result, demonstrating a commitment to providing learning and development opportunities is a great way to attract ambitious candidates. This should include details of the specifics wherever possible, such as training budgets, mentoring programmes and opportunities to attend conferences.
Highlight additional benefits
To stay ahead of the competition, employers should highlight how the benefits they provide go above and beyond those usually offered within their industry.
For example, every employer will offer statutory annual leave. A more comprehensive employee benefit offering, which includes additional days of annual leave and regular social events, can make an advert more eye-catching and boost applications, with 58% of job seekers preferring job adverts to list all the benefits on offer.
If you offer flexible working or condensed working hours, highlight this too.
Things to avoid in a job ad
A great job ad is as much about what isn’t included as what is. Let’s look at some of the things you should avoid to get the most from your ads.
Unnecessary jargon
Buzzwords and acronyms are thrown around constantly in the modern workplace. Unfortunately, this can lead to confusion, with research showing some candidates feel they can’t apply for a role due to jargon preventing them from understanding what the job entails.
Totaljobs’ Jargon Decoder makes this a thing of the past by helping to create clear and concise job adverts. By identifying and translating confusing language, Jargon Decoder takes away the stress of applying for a role, ensuring more high-quality applications.
Accidental bias
Studies show that adverts can unconsciously signal whether a job is typically held by men or women through gender-coded language. These words, while often used unintentionally, can make women less likely to apply to jobs traditionally held by men, perpetuating workplace gender inequality.
Totaljobs Gender Bias Decoder ensures adverts have broad appeal and generate more applications by replacing male-biased language with neutral or female-coded suggestions.
Spelling mistakes and grammatical errors
When putting your job ads together, ensure you double check your grammar and spelling, as errors and typos can confuse messaging and potentially put candidates off applying. Consider typing ads out in a Word document before posting to ensure these are picked up by spellcheck.
Long ads
Job ads perform best when they’re short, snappy and concise. Overly long adverts that look like a wall of text won’t leap out to candidates in a crowded field, especially with an increasing number of jobseekers looking at opportunities on their phones and other devices.
Make sure you’re using bullet points to outline the responsibilities along with the person specification. This makes it much more scannable and digestible for potential candidates.