How to Write Job Advertisements That Make People Want to Work for You

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Job advertisements are a crucial first step in the recruitment process. They inform potential applicants of open roles and give organizations the opportunity to hire qualified candidates for their companies. However, before getting to the final stage of the hiring process, you first have to make sure potential employees see your job listing. To do that, it’s helpful to know how to write a job advertisement, what it typically includes, and why we need them in the first place. Also known as job postings or listings, job advertisements are written descriptions of a vacant position that encourages professionals to apply. These can be presented on job sites, social media sites, or both.

Often, these advertisements include a description, skills and qualifications, salary and benefits, and a little about the company itself. In these points, recruiters will want to use strong and persuasive language to convince candidates to apply for the open position and to get them to stand out in the sea of endless job postings. It can be hard to distinguish your job advertisement from the rest — especially now when there are a record number of job openings — but there are a few tips you can follow to ensure you’re writing a job advertisement that makes people want to work for you. Below, read about everything you need to make your job advertisement stand out.

Give an accurate description 

While it’s important to highlight the many reasons a potential candidate would want to apply for the role, you’ll also want to paint an accurate and informative picture of what the job will entail. This ensures candidates understand job expectations, duties, location, salary and more. ZipRecruiter offers templates that make it super easy to create one if you find yourself needing guidance. These templates provide sections for the “job summary,” “duties and responsibilities”, and “requirements and qualifications.” They even come in customized sample templates for an array of roles such as office clerk, oral surgery assistant, and health educator. Because you’ll want to write the job description in a way that details a typical day on the job, be sure to be as specific as possible — a generic job description does nothing to differentiate you from other advertisements. See below for an example server job description from ZipRecruiter:

We are seeking a personable server to join our team. In this position, you will create an intimate and high-quality dining experience for guests. You will answer customers’ questions, assist them with their choices, take their orders, and deliver their meals with a smile. We are looking for a candidate who is warm and calm under pressure, who knows how to be a team player, and who works with urgency throughout the shift.

Don’t go overboard 

In order to write a good job description, you need to strike a delicate balance between providing enough information and not providing too much information. The perfect length for a job advertisement is around 300-700 words as longer job postings tend to attract fewer candidates. For this reason, you’ll want to keep your job advertisement as concise as possible, including things such as an introduction to the company, two or three points about the job, and more informational items such as when the company was founded and where you see it heading in the future.

Structure your advertisement 

According to a LinkedIn Heatmap, there are certain areas of job advertisements candidates hone in on more than others. Salary range, qualifications, and job details were at the top of the list so make sure you’re structuring your job advertisement in a way that makes these items easy to find. In terms of what people focused on the least, career growth and company details were at the bottom of the list. See below for an example outline of a job advertisement:

• Company introduction
• Pay range, benefits, and perks
• Duties and Responsibilities
• Requirements/Qualifications
• Closing (this should be no more than a paragraph)

Showcase your company and culture 

Company culture and values play a huge role in the candidate’s decision to apply to your company. So, with your job advertisement, you’ll want to make sure that too is a large focus for your organization with tools such as reviews or pictures of current employees with a tidbit about why they love working for you. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words so providing as much information about the work environment, work-life balance, team photos, work happy hours, or company retreats go a long way in reaching potential applicants.

See what else is out there

No matter what, it’s never a bad idea to see what the competition is doing as your research can allow you to see where you stack up in the job market in terms of salary, work culture, job descriptions, etc. To look, all you have to do is find competitor job advertisements on sites such as ZipRecruiter and see if your salary matches others in your job listing field or if that’s something you need to reevaluate. You’ll also want to use this as an opportunity to see what’s not working, what’s working, and how you can use that for your own job advertisements.

Sell it 

The whole point of a job advertisement is to encourage people to apply. While they may apply because they like the salary range and company culture, and have the necessary qualifications, additional benefits can be just what you need to ensure they do. If you have any perks, benefits, or work comforts, then be sure to mention them. Now’s not the time to be humble. By adding these, you’re showcasing what makes your organization special, and that makes all the difference in a job advertisement. See below for an example from Google’s careers page:

• Inspiring spaces to work, recharge, and collaborate with fellow Googlers
• Top technology, including internet reimbursement and company-paid mobile phone
• On-site meals and snacks
• Fitness centers, massage programs, and ergonomic support
• At-home fitness, wellbeing, and cooking classes

This article was created by BlogHer for ZipRecruiter.