There is much more to writing a job advert than you may think.
It’s an ideal opportunity to promote your company, its ethos, products, personality and passion to potential employees.
But you are asking yourself, why should we, as the company be making an effort, it’s down to the potential candidate to make the effort, they would be very lucky to get an opportunity to join our team, and to a certain extent you would be right. Yes they should take their application seriously, and apply correctly, with a relevant and inspiring CV, but it’s still a good idea, for the company to put the best foot forward when writing the job ad. It says a lot about the company as to how the ad is written, the types and calibre of candidates you will attract in response to a well written ad, and surely the better the ad is written – the more people you will attract to apply, and the more choice of candidates you’ll have.
A correctly written job ad will also attract the right level of candidate, a job ad which does not explain the role correctly or uses a misleading job title can confuse the audience and you end up with a wide range of ill-fitting CV’s and a waste of your own time and money on an advert.
I’ve had applicants comment before that they felt encouraged to apply for a role as it was written in an inviting and informative manner, without jargon, they understood what was required for the role, and other possible opportunities, an idea of the bigger picture and gave them an insight as to the type of company they could be joining.
At the end of the day, it’s a two-way decision, the candidate has to prove they are the most suitable candidate, both in experience and qualifications but also has the right character to fit with the team and the dynamics for it to be a long-lasting and fruitful placement, but from our experience, it also works well for the company to wear its heart on its sleeve, state the obvious but also don’t skimp on the description, elaborate on what else could arise within your forward thinking and approachable brand.
Candidates are not just looking for a job to pay the bills, they have a passion for this chosen subject, they understand ‘horse’ and therefore, if they find a role they are passionate about, they will work harder and stay in the role longer, if they are happy and passionate they will be more conscientious. They want to know what prospects there are, room for personal growth – training or management opportunity, Directorship even. If they will be encouraged to bring ideas to the table, feeling part of the bigger picture, how diverse or dynamic the company is, will their job be safe in 12 / 18 months’ time? Is your company looking to secure a ‘been there – got the T shirt’ type candidate, and you want to entice them away from a competitor then ‘up your game’, consider why they should leave the security of their current role to join the unknown – even if you think it’s a safe move.
Even if you feel your brand is so well known that you don’t need to introduce yourself in a job ad, it pays to show your character. Start as you mean to go on, be proud of your brand and never stop shouting about it. Marketing plays it part not just on the product.
