Tips on Writing Your Job Ad
How to write a great job ad
A well-written job ad will help you to attract great talent, promote your company’s brand, and build strong talent pools.
The search results
The search results are the first thing candidates see when they find your job ad.
Job title
The most important part of your job ad.
Avoid using jargon or internal titles. Job ads that use industry standard titles are more likely to be seen by candidates.
Key selling points
The best things about the job
StandOut job ads let you include three bullet points to showcase the best things about the role.
What will the candidate do?
What’s a company highlight?
What’s a benefit that your target candidate would care about?
Job summary
The essential information
The job summary should make your perfect candidate think "yes, this sounds like me!"
Be specific
Use short sentences
Use ‘action words’ like manage, own, create, build
Salary information
Candidates prefer to know the salary
You must include salary information for your role, but you can choose not to display it to candidates.
Job ads that display salary information usually receive more applications than ones that don’t.
If a candidate filters their search results by salary range, the filter will use your ad’s salary information whether you have chosen to display it or not.
Location
The more specific, the better
You must include a location for your role, but you can choose how specific the location is.
When a candidate searches for a specific suburb or town, job ads that provide this information have priority over job ads with a more general location.
If you specify a suburb, your job ad will still be visible to candidates who search for neighbouring or broader areas.
Writing to attract candidates
Using simple language and a clear structure will help candidates to understand your role.
Job details
What candidates want to know about the role
About the company
Candidates want to know who you are
This is your chance to ‘sell’ your company to candidates as a great place to work. Highlight the achievements and reputation of your company:
Is your company local, national, or international?
How many people work for your company?
What is your company known for?
About the role
Candidates want to know what makes the role special
Provide a high-level summary of the company’s goals, and explain how the role supports them:
What are the reporting lines?
Who are the stakeholders?
How will this role contribute to the success of the company?
Duties
Candidates want to know what they’ll do day-to-day
Make a list of the duties the candidate would be required to perform. Being specific about tasks helps candidates to work out whether or not they should apply for the role.
You should only list core duties - four or five are usually enough. Bullet points are an effective way of listing duties.
Skills and experience
Candidates want to know what will get them the job
List the skills and experience a candidates would need to succeed in the role:
Are there any qualifications that applicants must have?
How much experience (if any) do applicants need?
Culture
Candidates want to know if you share their values
Company culture is increasingly important for candidates when assessing whether they are a good fit for a company.
A video is a great way to introduce candidates to your company’s culture:
Why do people enjoy working at your company?
What kind of people thrive at your company?
What is the work/life balance like at your company?
Benefits
Candidates want to know what’s in it for them
There’s more to remuneration than just salary.
List the key benefits your ideal candidates would value most:
Learning and development programs
Flexible work policies
Share options
Mentoring.