Job Advertisement vs Job Specification: What’s the difference?

Job Advertisement vs Job Specification: What’s the difference?

 

You have a limited recruitment budget, an empty position and an image of the perfect candidate to fill the post.

 

But how do you attract candidates to the vacancy as well as provide the right level of information about the role? Read on to find out!

 

What is a job advertisement?

 

Simply put, a job advertisement is your opportunity to sell a job.

 

Most individuals will spend less than 14 seconds reading a job post, so a concise job advertisement is an excellent way to retain a candidate’s interest.

 

A job advertisement should aim to spark the interest of the ideal candidate, highlighting duties that will be particularly stimulating; it is the perfect opportunity to sell the enjoyable, interesting or unusual duties of a job.

 

Whilst a job advertisement should be punchy, you may still want to include some basic requirements, such as professional qualifications and essential experience. However, an exhaustive list of regurgitated soft skills is likely to lose a candidate.

 

Unemployment rates fell to 3.8 % which has increased competition for talent acquisition, as candidates are increasingly selective about where they invest their energies.

 

A competitive salary alone might not be enough to tempt the perfect candidate, a job advertisement can tell candidates why they should bring their skills, knowledge, and talent to your organisation rather than your competitors.

 

Crucially, a job advertisement allows you to sell your company culture and what makes it an exceptional environment to work in, such as values, perks, training or training and development opportunities.

 

What is a job specification?

 

Not many individuals progress through their careers without reading a job specification.

 

A job specification will undoubtedly play an integral role in the hiring process, but how does it differ from an ad?

 

As the name suggests, it is specific. It provides detailed information about a job.

 

A job specification will include details of a role’s duties. Depending upon the level of seniority, these might include long-term organisational and strategic goals or detail some of the positions day-to-day duties.

 

This allows candidates to understand what is expected of them within a certain position; a job specification provides an opportunity for a candidate to cross-reference their skills and experience with those required in the job.

 

A specification will detail the qualifications and characteristics a candidate will need to complete these duties in much finer detail than an advert. This might include experience, technical expertise, as well as formal and professional qualifications.

 

Whilst a job specification signposts compatibility with your ideal candidate, it will also provide a deeper level of filtering out those who lack the correct qualifications and experience.

 

Job advertisement vs Job Specification

 

To conclude, a job advertisement represents a ‘best of’ or your organisation’s highlights, whereas a job specification should be considered the anthology or unabridged works.

 

A job advertisement is the outward facing, marketing component of the hiring process and sells to an audience.

 

A job specification is detailed and will be used extensively by both internal HR teams, as well as external applicants.

 

Finally, a job specification can give your candidates an idea of the job they will be doing, a job advertisement will sell your organisation and the culture they will be joining.

 

Webrecruit specialise in optimising job advertisements and making your employer brand and vacancies really stand out in an ever crowded market – get in touch to find out how Webrecruit can help you!

 

Request a Quote



Leave a Reply