6 Job Posting Tips To Attract the Right Candidates (Guest blog)

Finding the right candidates is essential if your business has a job opening that needs to be filled. Unfortunately, you may be competing with other companies in your niche that are also looking for new employees. 

When you want to secure the best talent and have them respond to your advertisement, the following tips can be helpful.

Use Social Media Recruiting When Hiring New Employees

Social media has become an important area where you can recruit for jobs. Sites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn offer fantastic potential to discover the right candidates for your open position. Using the tools provided by these platforms, you can tailor each job post and target specific talent pools. Using social media recruiting makes it easier to focus on the candidates who are best suited to your job and can give you a glimpse into their personality. 

A version of this idea was used by the recruiter from the Prime Video movie Get a Job to get more information about the candidate Will Davis (unfortunately, to his disadvantage).

Focus on Creating a Good Headline

You can choose between a couple of methods when creating a job title:  using a simple, catchy headline or one that's creative and inclusive. 

If you use a simple headline, ensure that it's concise and straightforward. Be sure to include SEO-friendly keywords.

Using a creative headline goes beyond a generic or standard label for your open position. When your headline is more descriptive or humorous, it can showcase your company values and culture, differentiating your business from competitors. 

Using a creative job title (such as Happiness Officer for HR, Money Maestro for Accounts Manager, etc.) can show that your company is unconventional, innovative or fun. This option can also make your headline stand out from other companies looking for similar candidates. The key is not to sound gimmicky or unprofessional.

Incorporate Employer Branding in Your Job Post

Using employer branding is essential when marketing your company to a desired job applicant. Showcase the elements in your company's culture that make you different can help position yourself as a desirable place to work. When done well, employer branding can spark a buzz around your business and attract motivated job candidates.

Write a Compelling Job Description To Increase Engagement

Whether your candidate is passive or active, grabbing and keeping their attention is crucial. At the top of your job posting, include a brief statement about your company culture, employee benefits and perks. Keep sentences simple and use headers to separate sections. 

Using bullets can be a great way to improve readability. Describing a "day in the life" that paints a vivid picture of the candidate's role can help set expectations.

Address Your Candidate Directly

Some job descriptions refer to the candidate as "they." For example, if you're recruiting for a copywriter, it may say, "They will collaborate with the marketing division." 

Switching up your pronouns and being more personal can help them visualize working with you. A better phrase might be, "You will collaborate with our marketing division." It addresses the candidate directly, which is more engaging.

Things To Avoid When Writing Your Job Advertisement

Focusing on writing a job advertisement that highlights your organization and the role in a straightforward manner is best. Avoid excessive technical language and details, extravagant graphics and dull job descriptions. By clearly outlining what you want from an applicant, they'll know what to expect from your company, enhancing the quality of candidates applying for the position you're offering.

Summary

When attempting to get the right person for the job you offer, it's essential to do everything you can to attract the appropriate target audience. Writing in a manner that grabs a candidate's attention and encourages suitable professionals to apply can lessen the time for you to fill the role with the most qualified candidate.