How to Write a Job Advert

Every company wants to hire the top talent in their industry. That's why employers need to know how to write a job advert.

A good job advertisement is essential for attracting the best candidates. This can help improve the hiring process and help you find a new potential employee quickly and efficiently.

In this guide, we'll look at how to write a job advert, what you need to include in a job ad and how to attract candidates.

What is a job advert?

A job advert is a way of publicly sharing that there is an open position in your business. It's a chance for businesses to explain essential information about the responsibilities, key requirements and day-to-day tasks of a job opening.

Job ads also allow employers to share what benefits their company can offer a successful candidate. This includes information about your company culture as well as pay and other benefits.

Where should you post job adverts?

The distribution of job ads has changed dramatically in recent years. The rise of job sites, professional social networks and remote working means that a job ad could be viewed by potential candidates anywhere in the world.

Many companies also have their own career page that promotes vacancies from across their organisation. This can help them reach both internal and external applicants.

What should you include in a job advert?

Most job adverts follow a similar structure. This method can help you identify the key selling points and essential information about the role.

A good job advert should include:

• Job title.
• Salary bracket.
• Company 
• Essential qualifications.
• Information about the application process.

Together, this information creates a good overall description of the role. This information is often the most important for prospective candidates. Let's explore these further.

Job title

This is likely the first thing that candidates will see. That's why it's crucial that your job title is clear, concise and accurately represents the role.

A good job title should include the level of the role. For example, if it's a junior, mid-level or senior position.

It’s important that your job advert catches a reader's attention. First impressions count, so you want to make sure that your title is close to the industry standard. This can make it easier for relevant candidates to find your listing.

Location

Commute and travel times are important factors for applicants. That's why it's best practice to be precise when stating a job location. If the role involves travelling, flexible working hours or an option to work from home, you should highlight this.

Some candidates may like the idea of working further afield, while others may enjoy the work-life balance  of a short commute. Stating a specific location can help ensure that you get the ideal person through the door.

Salary bracket

Salary is often one of the biggest deciding factors for potential applicants. Often hiring managers will choose to leave this information off a job listing. This is so they can negotiate a final salary during the interview process.

However, adding salary to a job listing can help save time for both you and your applicants. If the salary range is too low, then senior candidates may be unhappy that they applied for a role beneath their skill set.

Company benefits

Perks and benefits are a great way to attract talented individuals. Free gym memberships, workplace socials and discounts on popular brands are some desirable perks that can attract new employees.

An effective job advert should give insight into the role as a whole, not just the main responsibilities. Recruitment is competitive, and often unique benefits can be the thing to seal the deal for a top candidate.

Providing information about what the company offers can help you attract the best talent and find the right candidate that fits in with your current workforce.

Essential qualifications

Some roles and industries require specific skills and qualifications. This could be a mandatory education requirement like a degree. Or it could be an industry or technical requirement like a health & safety accreditation.

Other roles, however, may just need a certain skill set. While it may be tempting to go for whoever has the most training, experience or qualifications but don't overlook other great candidates because of this. Everyone with the required skills should have the opportunity to prove themselves.

Information about the application process

Every hiring process is different. Some jobs may have multiple rounds of interviews before a successful applicant can be chosen. This could include a task, a group interview stage and or other challenges.

To submit an application, you may require both a CV and a cover letter that highlight their relevant skills. Make sure to always include a closing date for applications to avoid candidates missing out on their chance.

You can also provide additional information about how long it should take to receive a response. That way, unsuccessful applicants will know that they will not be progressing any further without having to contact you directly.

What makes a great job advert?

In some industries, the job market is often oversaturated. This means it can be hard for a company to stand out from the crowd and attract the right candidates.

A great job advert should do more than just list the full responsibilities of the role as bullet points. To write an effective job advertisement employees need to describe their ideal candidate.

Your job advert should enable the right candidates to visualise themselves in the role. Providing direct and measurable goals can also help the ideal candidate discover if they are the right fit for your company.

What mistakes do employers commonly make in job adverts?

Often, employers will miss out on an excellent candidate due to simple mistakes. So make sure you know what to avoid before you start writing a job advert.

Copying and pasting the job description

It's important to remember that a job advert is not the same as a job description. While a job description is an important part of any job ad, don't fall into the trap of just listing key information as bullet points.

This doesn't attract talent or help candidates see the benefits of joining your company. You want a candidate to see how your business can help them develop their careers. This is often the best way to show your worth as an employer.

Don't ignore soft skills

It's important that employees have the right skills. But you also want to ensure that they also fit within your business. HR professionals have long said that personal characteristics play an important part within a business role.

Soft skills are often overlooked when looking for a new hire. But they can make all the difference when searching for a dream candidate. So remember this when writing a person specification for a new job.

Keep it concise

Many candidates don't have time to be sifting through pages and pages of a job advert. That's why a job ad should be brief and straight to the point.

It's best practice to outline the main responsibilities of the role and key benefits that a successful candidate would receive. Keeping a job advert concise will avoid overwhelming candidates. This will allow them to absorb the key requirements of the role.

Get expert advice from Peninsula on how to write a job advert

Knowing how to write a job advert is an important skill that every employer needs to have. It's crucial that you know what to include to ensure that your business stands out. Otherwise you may end up watching your competitors hire the candidates that your company desperately needs.

Getting the right candidates in the right jobs is crucial for the success of any business. Peninsula offers expert advice on how to write job adverts that attract the candidates you need.

We also offer 24/7 HR advice that’s available 365 days a year. Want to find out more? Contact us on 0800 028 2420 and book a free consultation with an HR consultant today.