Maximize Your Job Posts with These Seven Tips

Maximize Your Job Posts with These Seven Tips

In a competitive employment market where candidates have the upper hand, you need to do everything you can to stand out and attract the very best talent. A well-rounded job post will lure the right candidates in and ultimately pique their interest enough to submit an application. Crafting the perfect job post includes everything from choosing the right title to writing an enticing description to selecting the best promotional channels.

Here are 7 tips to make sure your job posts are hitting the mark:

1. Select an appropriate and accurate job title

Most job applicants start their search online and usually search by job title. Including keywords in the title – like marketing or accounting – will ensure you appear in their initial search. It’s also important to select the right terminology for the level of applicant you’re searching for. Specialist may be more appealing than associate or coordinator. Remember, the job title is the first thing an applicant will see and it will determine whether they’re interested enough to click and read the description or just continue scrolling.

2. Include company and team information in the job description

There’s a good chance a potential new hire’s first experience with your brand will be reading a job description. This is your chance to sell your company. Think about what you love most about your job, work environment, coworkers, etc. You don’t want this to read like a lengthy, boring company history. Keep it short but make sure the applicant gets a sense of the company culture and what it would be like to work there.

3. Format your description to be aesthetically appealing

Nothing will make a candidate hit the back button quicker than a 500-word description written all in one paragraph. Your post should be broken into sections with each section clearly labeled. An example of this could be what we do, what you’ll do, what you need. Incorporating bullet points under each section will further aid with scannability.

4. Write in the second person instead of the third person

Your description should sound like you are talking directly to the applicant. Using “you” instead of “the ideal applicant” or some other variation will give the candidate a more personalized experience. This small detail can really make a big difference in whether or not a candidate can visualize himself or herself in the role.

5. Forego formalities

This goes hand-in-hand with number four. A candidate who is searching for a new role is likely reading many, many similar sounding job posts. Don’t be afraid to inject humor or personality into your descriptions. In fact, you should! Making your job post less formal and not read like a laundry list of qualifications will actually make it more memorable.

6. Research where your ideal candidates are in order to reach them

You’re probably not going to find the next CFO of your company from a bus ad. Different promotional channels are better suited for different demographics. Millennials and Gen Z love Instagram while Gen Y can more often be found on Facebook. Not only is effective advertising about picking the right channel, but also about crafting compelling content. Don’t shy away from eye-catching designs or bold statements. It’s all about grabbing your audience’s attention.

7. Simplicity is key

The perfect candidate saw your job post, clicked on it to learn more and was sold on the company and now wants to apply. The last thing you want to do is turn them off with a lengthy and complicated application process. In fact, 60% of online job applicants quit the process before finishing for this exact reason. Instructing an applicant to email their resume to the appropriate person instead of sending them through an ATS will significantly reduce this friction.

The Bottom Line

Your employees are the most important part of your business. Taking the time and money to find the right ones is worth your investment! Maximize your job posts by utilizing keywords, personalization, digestible formatting, appropriate promotional channels and a frictionless application process.