When you’ve spent a lot of time creating your job advert, it’s easy to think that you’ve got your latest recruitment advertising campaign nailed.

Naturally, it can be disappointing to then see the top talent get snapped up by other businesses in your area.

It’s a competitive market for talent; therefore it’s important to do everything you can to attract the candidates you need, particularly if you’re recruiting for roles requiring niche skill-sets.

If you find yourself losing out on candidates to your competitors, you need to make sure that your job advert stands out and distinguishes your company from other businesses.

Try following Webrecruit’s top tips to make sure that your job advert is memorable:

 

Don’t just talk about your achievements, show them

Any company can talk the talk.

“We’re innovative, we’re unique, we have a sociable culture…”

Jobseekers see these words and phrases thrown around in job adverts all the time and they can start to lose all meaning. As such, you should aim to show and not tell.

Don’t just say “we’re innovators”. Instead, talk about the amazing products you’ve created, how consumers have reacted to them and any awards that you’ve won.

Want to convey how sociable your culture is? Rather than saying “we have a sociable team”, talk about your weekly trips to the pub and your summer BBQs.

By actually talking about your achievements and showcasing your culture, you can provide much more of an insight into what it’s like to work for your business, which will resonate far more with jobseekers than buzzwords.

 

Don’t just copy and paste the job description

A job description is not a job advert. (You can read about this further in our blog, 8 Key Differences You Need to Know Between a Job Description and a Job Advert).

However, a large number of companies still just copy and paste their internal job descriptions on to the job boards. This is a huge no-no; job descriptions are usually very detailed and contain information on every single duty that the candidate will be completing. Job descriptions are also often filled with internal language that might be unclear to anyone not working within your business.

A job advert is meant to provide an overview and short summary of the role, as well as selling the opportunity.

 

Don’t be afraid to be different

A job advert doesn’t have to read like a formal document or an essay; you can inject some humour and use more colloquial language to make your advert stand out from the others on the job boards.

Be mindful of your brand – it will look slightly odd if the writing style of your advertising isn’t aligned with your other communications.

However, an advert written in an unusual style is likely to stand out to candidates and make your business more memorable.

 

Make sure it’s easy to read

Many job adverts contain huge paragraphs of text, which can be difficult to digest and can easily put jobseekers off.

To set your advert apart from the competition, make sure that your text is formatted for an online audience and is easy to read. Avoid long, clunky sentences and ensure that paragraphs contain a maximum of two sentences.

This will increase the chance of jobseekers applying for your role; just think, you could be missing out on your perfect candidate because they don’t want to have to read through a lengthy advert.

 

Tailor your advert to the sector of the vacancy you’re advertising

The style and language used in your job adverts should differ according to what sector the job you’re advertising is in.

For example, an advert for a Marketing Executive should read differently to one for a Customer Service Advisor, an Electronics Engineer or a Front End Developer.

At all times, it’s important to keep your target audience in mind and think about who you’re writing your advert for.

Include details that will appeal to them – if you’re trying to attract someone who’s a team player, talk about the friendly team environment they’ll be working in. If you’re trying to target someone competitive for your next sales role, talk about the fast-paced environment and the amazing bonus scheme that you offer.