4 Key Steps to Crafting the Perfect Job Ad
Gone are the days of job postings pinned to the bulletin board in a coffee shop or supermarket. Now, everything is online, and every job posting is formatted the same when you use an online job board resource. So, how do you make your position stand out when it’s the same shape, size, and color as all the others? What makes a candidate choose to click on your post to learn more and ultimately apply? There are 4 key things to think about when you’re writing your job ad, and all are equally important to ensure you’re bringing the best and most qualified candidates in for an interview.
- Meaningful Job Title
Don’t beat around the bush or try to make your position sound more prestigious or executive than it is. You need to craft your job title carefully to target your ideal candidate. What terms are they searching for when they’re looking for a job? What position are they looking to hold? This may take a little bit of research to find out what is the most searched for and what is the best way to position your role online, but it is the most important step. If you don’t have an honest yet catchy job title, it will be more difficult for you to grab the right candidate.
- Clear and Organized Description
Have you ever seen a job description that is just one big, long paragraph, and it doesn’t include the expectations or compensation of the role? Most candidates will scroll right past that, and those that do read it may be disappointed by the lack of information provided.
When you’re writing your job description, make sure to include a short blurb about the company, the duties of the position, the required expectations of the candidate, and as much detail as you’re willing to provide about compensation and benefits. Organize each portion of information into its own section, so it is easy for the candidate to quickly check and see if they are qualified and interested in the role.
It is important to remember not to provide too much information about the company in the original job posting. You want to give enough that the potential candidate can get to know you and determine if they believe they would be a good fit for the organization and culture, but you also want them to do their research and come to the interview with more information about you than was provided.
- Honest, Yet Realistic Expectations
This is key to saving you time reviewing applications and interviewing candidates, and protecting the self-esteem and saving the time of your potential candidates. There is nothing more upsetting than someone thinking they are the perfect candidate for the position, and then finding out the salary is 30% less than what they need, or the job is in-house only when they live across the country and are looking to work remotely. Be sure to be upfront and honest about the position from the beginning. The more you can add about expectations, personality traits, required qualifications, and compensation, the better. It will save you hours reviewing candidates that weren’t even qualified for the job in the first place. Plus – if you have great benefits, the option to work from home, and an entry-level job, you want to advertise that as much as possible!
- Easy Application
There’s a fine line between an application that is way too easy and one that is just too complicated. You don’t want to have a quick one-or-two-click application because you will get so many unqualified candidates that you’ll have to take the time to sort through. On the flip side of that coin, you don’t want to make your application so complicated and extensive that no one is willing to complete it.
If the system you use allows a candidate to utilize a previously created resume, let them – there’s no reason to reinvent the wheel. If you have specific questions that you want to ask that are crucial to the role, be sure to ask those at the beginning. Genuinely interested candidates will take the time to answer them, and those that are just looking to mass-apply will skip right over them. You want to ask the questions and get the information you need to decide if the candidate moves onto the interview process, but you don’t need their whole life story and a dissertation in the application.
Once your candidate has seen your job post, decided to apply, and you realize that they are a good fit for your organization, you can send them an EZHire digital video interview link that will allow them to answer a few more questions about their personality, skills, work ethic, etc. and submit it to you at their convenience. Avoid the headache of dealing with scheduling conflicts and no-shows by using EZHire for your round 1 interview process!