How to write a great job advert

A job advert is the crucial first step in attracting fantastic talent to your team. Travis O’ Rourke, President of Hays, Canada, gives his decades of experience on how to write an advert that works.

Writing a good job advert: Key insights

• Candidate expectations are changing. In order to attract the best talent in the modern workplace, businesses must shake up the style and tone of your job adverts.
• For example, to reach relevant job seekers and rank well on search engines, job adverts must include keywords – such as key industry terms, salary details and location. Clarity and relevance is all important.
• A good job advert tells the applicant everything they need to know about the job, including the tasks involved and the wider purpose and culture of the organisation.
• To write an effective advert that contains all the information, you can follow our simple template (below).

Read the full article for a detailed dive into the dos and do nots of writing a great job advert.

Alternatively, contact your local consultant for more info on how we can help you with your recruitment needs, from job adverts onward.

The importance of a good job advert: Background

The world of work is changing. Job applicants have different priorities and new considerations when looking for their next big role. Not only that, but the increasing digital reliance on phones, computers and tablets means that job seekers’ expectations of brand engagement have also evolved. Combined, these two trends mean that companies should reappraise how they write job adverts.

Active job seekers will be attracted to brands that provide a positive experience from their first point of contact. Writing a good job advert starts this relationship off on the best possible footing. Organisations must promote their job vacancies to professionals in compelling and meaningful ways if they are to make an impact in a crowded market.

Therefore, we have put together a brief, but comprehensive guide on how to write the best job advert for your role. Informed by research from our Hays What Workers Want report, this article outlines what applicants are looking for, and how you can use the job advert to best promote your business. 

What do job-seekers want to see in a job advert?

It’s crucial to include key information about the role and your organisation. You are much more likely to engage and keep the interest of jobseekers if you give them a fuller picture of the opportunity. According to our What Workers Want research, 42% of surveyed professionals who left a role in the first 12 months did so because the job advert content was misleading.

Looking closer at the insight we gained from jobseekers further – our research showed that:

• 80% want to see a detailed role description
• 65% want to see the role requirements
• 61% want to see compensation and benefits information

How can I add maximum value to my online job adverts?

We live in a busy digital world with lots of distractions. If you want to make your advert stand out, there are a few things to bear in mind and brief your recruiter:

• Use a common, searchable job title. Including a location in the title will also help to ensure your job advert is found by the most appropriate candidates on search engines.
• Make sure the body content of the job advert is clear, relevant and includes commonly-searched keywords. Think about structure. Descriptions should be easy to digest, so you may wish to use bullet points rather than extensive paragraphs.
• Think carefully about what information candidates will really find valuable and incentivising. Whilst it’s tempting to include all of the information about your organisation, remember that candidates really only value information that will affect their working life. Obviously important is insight into the type of work the position involves and the compensation and benefits. However, candidates are becoming more discerning, and you will also benefit from clarity around other aspects of the role. What does success in the role look like? What are the potential career paths available? Describe the underlying principles of the company and your culture. Your recruiter can help narrow this down to what really matters. 
• Connect the job with your company’s strategic priorities. Express the broader objectives of your organisation, and demonstrate how this role helps to achieve them.

What sort of language should I use in a job advert?

A job advert is a piece of professional writing and there are certain rules that should be followed when composing one. You are also representing your organisation via the advert, so it’s important to embed your values and company identity in the wording.

Things to remember when crafting a job description include:

• Using compassionate and empathetic language is an opportunity to show that your brand has a human identity. 
• Avoid negative language. Words like “can’t”, “never” and “must” imply that you will demand things from the candidate, or that your workplace culture is very authoritarian.
• Make sure to use inclusive language and imagery. According to our Diversity & Inclusion report, less than half (49%) of surveyed professionals think that their organisation uses suitably diverse wording when it comes to job adverts.
• Adopt the first or second person. Third-person language is too formal and creates a gulf between you and applicants. Referring to “we” or “you” feels much more personable than “the successful candidate”. Writing in the first or second person helps candidates envision themselves in the role.

A good recruitment partner can ensure that your job adverts are aligned with your brand’s tone of voice, using the correct language.

How should I promote our company culture in the job description?

Aside from salary, workplace culture is the most important criterion for candidates. Expressing your company culture is critical if you are to attract candidates who would be a good fit for your company. Therefore, you will need to brief your recruiter on your culture and give details of how your team works together.

There are several ways to do this:

• Organisational purpose and company values. In the aftermath of the pandemic, many candidates are looking to align with employers who share their progressive values and goals. As leader, ask yourself what’s important to your organisation? Do you value curiosity, honesty, expertise? Use the job advertisement as a way to showcase your stance. For example, if you are an innovation-led business, mention some of the things your organisation has done that are exciting and new.
• Growth and progression opportunities. Emphasise what you can offer as an employer. Talk about your investment in your employees, and the learning and development opportunities you provide. Many candidates are newly committed to professional development and want to work within a culture of lifelong learning.
• What sets your organisation apart from others? This could be a first-class flexible working scheme, innovative products or services, remote working opportunities, regular team socials or birthdays off. You need to identify your own USP as an employer. Not all of these details might seem greatly important, but together, they can really help your brand to stand out to potential jobseekers.

What does a good job description look like?

1. A relevant and descriptive job title

Applicants may see hundreds of job adverts every day. It’s vital to include a clear title that will hook the candidate and invite them to read further. 

2. A brief introduction and background about the company

This should be a single paragraph that gives a flavour of the most appealing aspects of both the role and your organisation. This is a good place to briefly draw attention to, accolades and awards.

3. Your company story

As mentioned above, culture is a huge consideration for professionals applying for new roles. It is crucial to introduce the values of your organisation, as well as your organisational purpose. Showcase company diversity and inclusivity (D&I), job security and progression opportunities.

4. The main job description

This is the main part of the job advert where you outline the major details of the role. You must be clear and comprehensive, without overwhelming the reader with too much detail. Consider what challenges you will expect the new hire to resolve in the role. Those challenges should form the spine of your description. Also, be sure to reference other elements, such as the working hours, salary, benefits, development opportunities, and anything else an employee might find enticing.

5. Your ideal candidate

The person specification is a powerful part of a job advert. It should present a list of the required skills and desirable traits of the ideal candidate for the role. This description should be effective in narrowing down a shortlist of candidates, whilst keeping the job advert broad enough to also attract those with transferrable skills.

6. An explanation of your application process

Outline what will happen once a candidate has applied. Giving clear details will assure them that you are professional and a company with a genuine regard for people. Managing expectations is key to a positive application experience. Even if you do not ultimately invite them to interview, the candidate may retain a positive impression of your business going forward.

This part of the job advert should include a promise to contact successful applicants as soon as possible.

7. Closing statement

Your advert should end with a closing statement that encapsulates the best parts of your role and your organisation. In particular, it should express an eagerness to continue the conversation post-application. You can promote the company generally here, by including links to any website pages or videos which illustrate what it’s like to work with you.

Your advert 

Writing a great job advert is just the start. Combine the steps above with great employer brand content – such as captivating blog posts, engaging videos, and biographies of your team members on your website. Encourage your employees to share this content to reinforce the messages embedded in your job adverts. A broad outreach like this will put you in a better position to reach the right candidates in the new digital era.

The changing world of work calls for a rethink about how you portray your brand’s values, culture and communications in your adverts. Getting this right will help to keep your organisation relevant and appealing to the greatest talent.