How to turbo-charge your online job ads

Your online job ad has a lot to do with what kind of candidates you attract.

Improving your ad can help it get seen by more of the right type of people, stopping you from wasting time on candidates with the wrong skills or experience.

Here’s everything you need to know:

Get your basics right

Start off with a little bit of market research. Check out where your competitors are displaying their ads, how they’re presenting them and what kind of language they’re using.

Use this as a basic guide. But, remember, you need to be original and engaging if you’re going to grab the best candidates.

The main aim of your job ad is to spell out the important details of the job. Present them in a way that filters out applicants who won’t make the grade by using phrases like: “We will only consider applicants who meet X, Y and Z criteria”.

Become an employer brand

In this digital age, news travels fast. That’s why it’s so important to spell out what makes you unique as an employer.

Take a hint from marketing and create a company ad, rather than just a job description. Speak to candidates in the first person; tell them about your company culture, mission statement and why people like working for you.

Make it original and speak to candidates in their own language, steering clear of industry buzzwords and jargon.

Let them know what it’s like to work for your company, and how they might gain in the short and long-term.

To give candidates a positive experience whether they’re successful or not, make sure you manage their expectations throughout the process. Tell them when they’re likely to hear from you and how long each stage is likely to last, putting in as much care and attention as you would for a client or existing employee.

Expert-level tips to make your job ad go ‘pop’

Tip 1

Use software like Google AdWords to find out what keywords and phrases companies and job hunters in your industry are using to advertise/ find vacancies.

Add these to your job description, but make sure it’s original and still flows naturally.

Tip 2

Filter out all the applicants who haven’t read your job ad properly by giving specific instructions or setting them a task.

You could ask them to:

·         Include a chosen word in the subject line of their response

·         Complete a task, like writing a 50-word description of why they’re the ideal candidate

·         Respond to your ad on your site, or to a chosen email address

Tip 3

When you think you’ve crossed the T’s and dotted the I’s, give the ad to someone else to check through. Rather than a senior exec, see if you can find someone who’s recently applied for a similar position and ask them if they would respond to the ad. And if not, why not?

There you have it; the steps you need to take to make your job ad go from 0 – 60 and beyond. By tuning up your job ad, you can land the most suitable applicants and bring new skills into your company.