Writing a great job advertisement can be difficult.
Trying to attract the best candidates without saying too much is challenging. The perfect job advertisement will no doubt entice the perfect talents. But no job ad is truly perfect. Mistakes are common and they can lead to less interest in your vacancy. These are mistakes that can easily be corrected, you just need to know how to spot them!
With that in mind, here are 8 common mistakes you might be making when writing your job advertisement.
1. Isolating the Candidate
When writing a job advert, it’s important to avoid the use of negative language. Writing in the third person does a great job of depersonalising your ad, and can lead to candidates not applying.
There’s nothing wrong with having specific requirements. It’s a great way of filtering out irrelevant applications. But be careful not to isolate your candidates in your wording. Using “The best candidates for this role will be able to..” offers this effect, possibly turning people away from actually applying.
Make it personal. Talk to the candidate one on one. “You’ll be a confident public speaker…” etc. This allows the reader to feel personally involved.
2. No Mention of Salary
Choosing to not mention the salary in your advert will lead to lower quality applicants. It’s as simple as that.
Candidates with experience in the role you're advertising for will be looking for the best wage possible. Excluding any salary whatsoever from your advertisement reduces the appeal of the position with Reed.co.uk highlighting that there’s “50% more applicants to jobs showing a salary”
3. Lack of Company Branding
According to Jobsite, in 2017 there was “43% more applications to branded advertisements”.
Not only must you present the job in the best way, but also your company itself. If your branding is good, it’ll be noticed. It’ll be talked about. So having a brand people can associate with will lead to more applications for positions on offer.
People like to know where they’re applying, so give the people what they want!
4. Lack of Clear Communication
Having an unorthodox job title may seem attractive. ‘Director of Happiness’. ‘Sales Ninja’. They’re fun and quirky. Sounds appealing right?
It’s actually often the exact opposite.
Creativity is great, but job seekers look for familiarity when applying. There should be no need for interpretation. If your job title is anything like “Director of First Impressions” instead of “receptionist” then applicants may look elsewhere.
The inclusion of a vague or complicated job description should also be avoided. Why confuse your candidates? Be clear and straightforward.
5. Large Blocks of Text
Paragraphs that go into detail about every aspect of the position you’re advertising are unnecessary.
Instead, organising into short concise bullet points is by far the most effective method. Making all the information easy to access will make the applicant feel more confident in applying.
6. Clichés and Buzzwords
Featuring cliché phrases in your description can make your advertisement appear cheesy and actually uninteresting.
If you fill your pitch with overused lines it gives off the impression that there’s nothing enticing about the job itself. Distinguishing your advert amongst the rest in your field will lead to higher traction and interest.
Keep it simple, but be original and appealing!
7. Use of Company Jargon
It may seem that using technical terminology appeals to the top range candidates. However, like the use of negative language, it only serves to isolate the applicant.
Anyone outside of your company will be unaware about the role of a “level 4 international operator”, so why include it? Instead, by providing basics such as “your job will be to communicate with our foreign partners and build relations” is much more friendly and less vague and intimidating.
Remember, the point is to attract potential employees, not drive them away!
8. Overall Tone
As this will likely be the person's first impression of your company, it’s important to give the right impression. If your working environment is competitive, using words that are aggressive like “assertive” and “commanding” is a way of attracting those who would enjoy that type of atmosphere.
If you aim to create a relaxed vibe, opt for words such as “outgoing” and “approachable”. These will appeal to the relaxed extrovert you’re looking for.
If you want to improve the quality of candidates you receive from your job ads, give us a call at Hiring Wizard on 0161 696 8899. We provide premium job advertisement services, posting branded adverts for your role on all the major job boards.
