How to write successful job advert copy

When you are promoting a job vacancy in your company, the same basic principles apply as those for when you advertise a product or service that your company is selling in the marketplace.

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Most marketing manuals agree that all adverts should follow a clear structure, firstly to grab the attention of the reader; then to immediately show relevance to the reader; next to create a desire in the reader to follow up on what they have read; and finally, to clearly explain what action the reader should take. These four clear steps should be followed rigorously if you wish to ensure successful responses to your job advertising campaigns.

Following are our ten top tips to make sure that when you advertise vacancies in the future you, increase the quality of the individuals applying as well as the number of responses you receive.

Good content is much more important than flashy graphics. Job seekers are interested in finding out as much as possible about the company, the job opportunity, and the nature of the position. Although flashy graphics may initially attract a job seeker, they will be of little value if the reader can’t make an informed decision because the advert doesn’t give a clear explanation of what’s on offer and what they need to do to apply for the job. The most important things to consider when creating an advert are to clearly explain what the job involves, what is on offer to the successful applicant, and how they should apply for the vacancy.
Put yourself in the shoes of the reader. Think back to when you were last searching for a job. You probably used many different platforms to identify jobs of interest, and quickly discarded any adverts that didn’t efficiently capture your interest. So, remember that once you have initially gained the attention of a job seeker you need to retain their attention by making sure that you communicate clearly, concisely and simply the key information about what you are looking for. Don’t waffle about the vacancy, but do use selling words wherever possible to maintain the interest of the reader. It’s also helpful to include industry-specific words that are commonly written or spoken – but avoid obscure jargon that the reader may be unfamiliar with.
Do some research before constructing your advert. Many advertisers write an advert without carrying out any research, but you’ll do a much better job if you involve your existing team, with the objective of generating content that will sell the opportunity. A good way to do this is to draft a simple questionnaire to identify what attracted existing staff to the company and what has kept them there. This should provide great information to use in the job advert for attracting new applicants. You could also interview successful employees in the company that have been promoted. This will generate useful information to help you outline and substantiate the genuine opportunities for progress within your organisation for the right person.
Encourage applicants to follow their dreams. People seeking a new position often have in mind that it could be the dream job they have been searching for. Therefore it is important to express what makes this particular opportunity unique and worthwhile. Stressing positive characteristics of the company, such as your high staff retention rates or solid growth of the company, can be a good approach; in fact anything that is special can help to make the advert stand out and attract more applications from the right candidates. But don’t offer cash as a motivator to apply – this is a no-go area. On the other hand, stressing your benefits package could be used as an extra hook for the interested reader.
Use a strong but meaningful headline to attract attention. If you’re not using the job title to attract readers, it’s worth working hard to come up with a headline that is calculated to grab attention. Again, using internal questionnaires can generate some great ideas. Or if you have attained accolades as a company, you might be able to showcase these achievements to help your advert stand out from the crowd. For example, “Imagine working for the leader in your field” or “Innovation has led to our success – and it can lead to yours”. It’s good to offer a benefit that the reader can relate to.
Keep the body content of your advert short, sharp and to the point A concise but thorough explanation of the role will capture the interest of the reader, while strong selling words that show the benefits within the role will help to keep them interested. Your objective should be to build a clear picture that creates desire in the mind of the job seeker, so that they are sufficiently inspired to submit an application because they really want the job. This can often be achieved by explaining the potential in the role, or the rewards (other than money) that can be gained. And keep in mind that as well as selling the vacancy, it might also be useful to sell the company, the department, and perhaps even the departmental head to whom the successful applicant will report. Sub-headings and bullet points can be helpful to break up the text into easily digestible chunks, and a strong closing sentence can sometimes be useful to reinforce the core message that you want the reader to absorb.
Don’t forget the vital ‘Call to Action’. Towards the end of your advert, you should clearly state exactly what you want the reader to do next. Your aim is to prompt an immediate action, such as telephoning, writing, emailing or attending an open day. And be sure to include all of the relevant contact information that will enable them to do so!
Use appropriately authoritative design and typography. If you have the budget, it may be worth involving professionals to improve the design, layout and content of your advert. But they are not mind readers, so you’ll need to give them clear guidance about your requirements and objectives by producing carefully considered draft copy (as described in previous tips) for them to use. Also, give them your corporate guidelines, if there are any, together with high quality artwork for your logo. Getting your copy edited by a professional copywriter could be beneficial. They can check your spelling and grammar, and add value by using their experience to fine-tune your copy, and perhaps contribute a stronger headline. Finally, if you are simply providing copy that is to be turned into an advert by the publication it is going into, make sure that they use a normal, straightforward and legible typeface, and don’t get too carried away with inappropriate graphics.
Be prepared and be professional. Before publishing your advert, make sure that you have your response strategy in place, because the way you deal with applications will reflect upon the public perception of your company. You will need to think about what to do with the ‘no’ applicants, and what interview process you will use to identify the best candidate. Once you have received all the applications and sorted them into a ‘yes’ pile and a ‘no’ pile, a letter should be sent immediately to notify all of the unsuccessful applicants. Applicants that are promising enough to go through to the next stage should be sent a pack containing an invitation for interview, together with literature that you have prepared in advance, explaining in detail everything they need to know about your organisation, and the vacancy. If you experience an unexpectedly large response, an interim letter explaining this, and advising applicants how soon you will be in touch, will prevent any damage to your corporate image.
Be sure to place your advert in appropriate media. You may have a very well designed and written advert, but placing it in the wrong media can undo all your good preparation. Where possible obtain media packs to get information about potential publications, and ask your own team about their favourite reads. And don’t forget online media, which are becoming increasingly important. These actions will help you to identify the best places to obtain maximum impact and visibility when you showcase your vacancy

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