Recruitment advertising guides: writing job ads that work

A job ad is not just a list of skills or experiences — it’s about creating a positive first impression of your business. In today’s hyper-competitive talent market, it’s vital to write recruitment ads that attract the quality candidates you need to drive business success.  

Click here to access our in-depth guide to writing job ads that work. 

Why is recruitment advertising important?  

Spending so much time at the start of the recruitment process might seem like an inconvenience, but it will pay the dividends in the quality and fit of the applicants you attract. Writing an effective job ad is a vital part of the recruitment process.  

If you get it right, you’ll attract applications from sought-after talent, positioning your brand as an employer of choice. Get in wrong and you can risk making a poor hire — a bad hire can cost your company up to 30% of a yearly salary.  

Every job is different, every ad should be too.  

Identifying your audience  

To correctly identify your target audience, you need to consider the following;  

• What are their behaviours, skills and priorities?
• Where are they likely to work now?
• What form of messaging will they respond to? 
• What type of media can we potentially use to reach them? 

A job ad isn’t just a list of skills and experience you want the candidate to have. It’s an opportunity to sell the role and to tell candidates what makes your business unique.  

It’s increasingly vital to get your job ads right and create a positive first impression of your business. Job ads are employer brand content you control. When you have a clear idea of your target audience you can start thinking about the wording of your ad. 

Writing effective job ads to attract high-quality talent  

An effective job ad is not just a job description. It is a carefully crafted message with the aim of attracting the best qualified candidates for your job. To start you need to identify who you are trying to recruit. 20% of job seekers revealed they’d be put off applying to a role with an unclear job description, indicating just how important they are.  

Writing recruitment ads that work 

Writing an effective job ad is a vital part of the recruitment process. But it can be a challenging and daunting task.  Get it right and you’ll attract potential candidates from sought-after talent while positioning your brand as an employer of choice. Get it wrong and you risk making a poor hire or even worse, damaging your wider employer brand.  

• What to include in your job ads
• What (is the role, including a job title?)
• Where (is the specific location?) 
• When (working hours and shift patterns)
• Why (should candidates apply?)  

Even if you have written the perfect job advert, for people to read your job ad you need to know where to place it. Today’s jobseekers are very active on digital, mobile and social platforms. According to indeed, 9 out of 10 jobseekers now use their mobile phone in their job search.  

It may seem like there is a lot to consider when writing the perfect recruitment advert, but taking the time to properly plan, identify you audience, write your job ad and share it across the most effective channels will prove invaluable.   

For more information on how to attract the best talent via your job advertisements, download our guide, writing recruitment ads that work.