There are 3 goals that you should have when writing a job ad:
# 1- Attract more of the right people
Job boards are search engines. This means that you need to use the right "keywords" in your job post title and the job ad that are most likely to be searched for by your target job seeker. (i.e. part-time job seekers search for the word "part-time" not "PT") Take just a few minutes and write down all of the words or phrases that may be associated with your open position and industry. Try searching for a few from your list and see what results you can find.
# 2 - Engage your audience/ applicants
You want the people who find your ad to actually read it. Legally reviewed job descriptions, full of legalese language and loaded with bullet point requirements and duties are unstimulating and honestly off-putting to the reader. Your ad should engage and possibly even entertain the job seeker. If your job seeker is engaged there is a drastically greater chance they will apply.
# 3 - Encourage your job seekers to apply
The job ad is about expressing to the job seeker how gratifying it would be to work for your company and how significant the opportunity will be for their career. What 's more, you've got to ensure that you have answered most, if not all, of the questions that the job seeker will have before asking them to invest their precious time and energy applying. (i.e. don't post a part-time job without including the work schedule. If you won't display the pay rate, at least suggest a pay range, etc.) Lastly, provide clear instructions on how to apply and what to expect during the application process.
ELEMENTS OF A JOB AD
Introduction
The introduction should be a short paragraph (2 to 3 sentences) that is at the very top of the ad. It gives the job seeker a quick introduction to the position, but more importantly, it is generally the snippet that shows up on the job board search results page.
About the Company
What does the job seeker want to know about your company? The easiest way to get content for this section is to ask a couple of employees the following question: "How would you describe our company to a friend or family member? (Specifically: what we do, how we do it, why we do it, what our culture is, etc.)
A Day In the Life As [JOB TITLE]
Get rid of the long list of boring bullet points from your job description, and replace it with a narrative. Ask one of your employees for their perspective about what their average day looks like. This section can include more than just duties. Employees might talk about meetings, how their manager interacts with them, work environment, extracurricular office activities, etc.
Job Qualifications / What We Are Looking For
This is one part of your ad that can include some bullet points, but use them very sparingly. An easy way to build this list of requirements is to ask the people that perform this job every day. You still might experiment with leaving the bullet points out and writing this in a paragraph format as if you were explaining it to someone else.
Work Schedule
Only needed for part-time or flexible positions.
This section doesn't need to be long, but it does need to be included if your work schedule will be different than a normal 9 to 5, 40-hour per week job. Be specific and provide your ideal schedule and if some of it is flexible. Part-time candidates are typically engaged in multiple other responsibilities.
How to Apply
Explain to the job seeker what the application and hiring process will look like. Telling your job seeker what to expect will reduce some of their anxiety. Simply put, the more transparent you are with the job seeker, the more likely they are to happily complete your application process.
JOB POST PRO TIPS
Use an Applicant Tracking System (ATS)
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