Writing Job Ads

Job Description – Use the extra space
Online Recruitment Advertising offers you the benefit of unlimited space in which to describe your vacancy. Why not use it? Put in as much information as possible about the job that you’re advertising. Unlike classified advertising, you don’t pay by the line, so you can afford to be generous with your job description. Tell the jobseeker the details of the vacancy: hours, requirements, responsibilities and perhaps even a little about the company’s culture. This should give people a chance to realise whether or not they meet your needs, and whether you meet theirs. Ultimately, you’ll save time by not interviewing people who don’t fit.

The Job Title – Make it Descriptive & Targeted
Use the “Job Title” section well. It is a one sentence summary of everything the job involves. It’s also the part that everyone gets to see, so make it vividly descriptive. Use full sentences. e.g. “Experienced German Credit-Controller required, €21K per annum, immediate start” instead of just “Multi-Lingual Call Centre Jobs”. We find that you will receive more and better applications if you catch their attention from the start.

Language – Who is going to be reading this?
In an ideal world every candidate would come fully versed in company policy, processes, and how you take your tea! Unless such insider knowledge is a pre-requisite for the job, when writing a job description you should avoid using company terminology that would not be understood by the man in the street. Use plain English if you want your job advertisement to attract more candidates.

Payment – If you can, do.
If you are at liberty to reveal the salary, then you should. It makes all the difference in attracting someone whose expectations match your own. If you know the salary range but not the exact salary, then you should state the range, and add “According to Experience/Suitability”. Only if the salary truly is negotiable should you say “Negotiable”. If you do not wish to disclose salary, then say “Undisclosed”.

Your contact details – Open as many doors as possible.
Give a jobseeker as many opportunities as possible to contact you: Your name, full address, phone, fax, website and most importantly email. It helps to enter your full name, rather than your title, as it gives a human face to your company. Finally, it sounds obvious, but it’s worth double checking to make sure your contact details are correct.