Those who wonder how the perfect employment ad looks like must keep in mind that there is no such thing as a general recipe for creating it and the rules that the recruitment departments and human resource specialists are guided by are not universal. Therefore, how can a job be promoted efficiently is something that varies from case to case, depending on the field of activity or to which type of candidates the ad is addressed.
However, there are strategies and directions that those writing employment ads can follow, to make sure their message reaches their target audience and has a positive impact. A job ad is the first contact that a candidate has with the prospective employer or the recruiter. When the latter finds that, while after publishing a job ad, there are no applicants, they should ask themselves some questions and do something about it.
A Job Ad Is Not Just a Job Description
An employment ad is not just a job description and therefore it should not be limited to describing the duties which that position involves. The ad must have a message, in order to be appealing for the right candidates for the job and to make them find themselved in what they read and to feel attracted to apply. Such a strategy will help to make the recruitment process more efficient and can narrow the list of applicants strictly to people who really fit the job profile, making the selection less tough.
First, the title of the ad must be attractive and contain the name of the position, so that the person who intends to apply will know if it is worth to open it and to read it. The ad title should never mislead or disappoint the one who is looking for a job. In other words, situations where the title has nothing to do with the ad text should be avoided, as this may affect the image of the employer and the candidates could get to think twice before applying to their ads.
Job Ads Should Be Readable
Equally, it is important to have a structure for the job ad, the way it looks like on the page, and to have the information very well organized. Usually, candidates get to read many ads to find the right job, they will want to see information organized in several sections, bullet points, one below the other. A long and difficult to read story might determine some of them to change the page, even when the job ad includes a long list of benefits.
Accordingly, besides describing the responsibilities that the position involves, the job ad should also contain a short list of the benefits such as the private medical insurance, free parking at the office or flexibile schedule. Furthermore, there should be a clear distinction between the mandatory knowledge and skills needed for that position and those that are not mandatory but could represent an advantage.
Last but not least, exaggerating things should be avoided, and descriptions, although appealing, should deliver an image that matches to what the job actually offers. Otherwise, candidates will tend to expect too much, and the applicants will be either overqualified or under-qualified, depending on the promises that job ad comes with.
BIA HR TEAM