The Do's and Don'ts of Writing a Job Advert
First impressions can be powerful. In less than 20 seconds, someone can form an opinion about you. When you think about your job adverts, think about them as first impressions for potential employees.
A job advert is your opportunity to leave a great first impression and the better you craft the advert, the better the candidates you'll attract. That being said, there are a couple of things to keep in mind when writing a job advert.
The Do's of Writing a Job Advert
DO: Provide clear information and expectations
Your job advert should be precise when it comes to your expectations and the minimum requirements for an employee. The moment a potential employee goes through it, they'll know if they are a good fit for the job.
DO: Include the salary
Salary is a crucial part of the job advert, as 70% of job seekers want to know about the salary before applying. Still, many decide to leave it out, which can waste a lot of time since, regardless of other factors, if salary expectations are vastly different to what is on offer you will have candidates turning down the job. As start-up founders and small business owners there is not a lot of time to be wasted.
DO: Include job benefits
Apart from the salary, other factors like work-from-home or hybrid work models, inclusive workplaces, extra holiday, free gym memberships, and similar things can make a huge difference in attracting candidates.
The Dont’s of Writing a Job Advert
DON'T: Go overboard with the details
It can be tempting to post the job description but it’s too much information at this stage. Remember with a job advert you want to keep things brief so they are engaging.
DON'T: Discriminate in any form
Pointing out age restrictions, gender bias titles, and similar can be viewed as discriminatory and should be avoided entirely. It is best to stick with job adverts that don't involve those factors and uses gender neutral language.
DON'T: Make promises you can't keep
If you aren't entirely sure which perks you can offer, such as salary increases, promotion policies, and similar benefits, it's better to leave them out. Although they will attract more attention and applications, in the long run, they can cause disappointment and that won’t benefit anyone.
Rounding it up
Hiring the best people is essential for any business to succeed, and crafting a strong job advert can give you an edge in attracting top talent.
Don't be tempted to overhype; experienced candidates will spot overly-fluffy language right away, so focus on presenting your offer concisely and effectively. That way you don't won’t miss out on those hidden gems who will make a true difference to your business.
If you have any doubts or need guidance with crafting your job advert, feel free to get in touch with us at: hrsupport@pmp-hr.co.uk or you can take a look at our Building A Successful Team workbook.