Make sure the right candidates see your job opportunity no matter your industry, with 10 tips from BCL Legal on writing an effective job advertisement.
Attracting the right candidate for a role can be tricky regardless of the industry you are recruiting for – the most qualified people for the job will always be the most sought after.
Writing an effective job advertisement plays a vital part in the recruitment process, and there are various components that must be included in order to attract your ideal candidate.
10 step job advertisement formula
1. Your job advertisement should not be a replica of the job description
A job advertisement should outline the core responsibilities involved in the role, the skills and experience your ideal candidate will possess as well as how an interested reader can get in contact.
2. Include a postcode
Including a post code in your job description can increase the chance of your job being spotted by a geographically relevant candidate in the search engines or on a job board. Many job seekers will only search for jobs in their area, so a postcode can drastically increase your chances of the right candidate coming across your role out of thousands on a job board.
3. Keep your content structured
It is likely that your job seekers will be scanning advertisements while on their commute or after work using tablets and smartphones; it is therefore crucial that you cater to this and structure your information so that it is quickly and easily consumable.
4. Set out your advert for speed-reading
Use bullet points and numbers with short sentences to make your content as simple and quick to read as possible. Long paragraphs of information are difficult for readers to absorb and are often skipped over.
It is more likely that your candidate will be able take the relevant information from smaller chunks of text rather than letting it get lost in a complex paragraph.
5. Consider your language
Beginning each short sentence or bullet point with a verb implies to the reader that you are being efficient with your choice of words, and the facts you have chosen to include.
6. Be clear and to the point
Your candidate will decide in a matter of seconds whether or not they are interested in a job; it is vital that key information such as the day-to-day responsibilities involved in the role are clear and one of the first things they see.
7. Avoid vague job titles
Make sure your job title is a clear representation of the job role you are advertising. Using a vague title such as ‘Hiring now for marketing role’, will reduce the chances of the job appearing in the search results and are often viewed by the job seeker as spam.
8. Use keywords in your job advertisement
Make your job advertisement as relevant and therefore visible as possible to job seekers searching for a role, by mentioning your job title and related keywords several times within your content.
However, it is important to avoid the over use of keywords here as search engines can view this as spammy behaviour.
9. Include salary information
Including the salary boundary of a role immediately refines the job seekers who will find your job advertisement. Find out from the organisation you are recruiting for if this figure is negotiable; this will retain the interest of high calibre candidates who may otherwise dismiss a salary that matches their current amount.
10. Structure of your job advertisement
Whether you choose to use bullet points, short sentences or numbers, your job advertisement should include the below information in the following order:
- A brief overview of the role
- A person specification
- The key job responsibilities
- Salary and benefits
- Information about your company
- How to apply
Securing your top candidate
Finding job seekers with the skills, experience and knowledge to match the requirements of a particular role is a competitive task in the recruitment market - use our formula for writing an effective job advertisement and increase your chances of securing your ideal candidate.
Author Bio
Danielle Middleton is a digital content writer for BCL Legal, the expert legal recruitment agency with offices throughout the UK. BCL Legal recruit for a range of roles in law firms and large organisations, specialising in pairing candidates who are the right fit for a role no matter the stage they are it in their legal career.
