How to write a targeted job advert that's optimised for UK's top job boards

Photo of writing a job advert on a laptop

You have a new vacancy to join your company and have selected to utilise your internal resources instead of a recruitment agency to support the process. One of your first jobs is to create a desirable job advert that will attract your ideal candidate. You spend some time investigating job boards, trying to find some inspiration off the back of similar roles….

You then come to the realisation that trying to differentiate yourself from your competition is very difficult in the recruitment process.

Well do not fear, as you’re not alone, and that is why I’m here today to educate you on the importance of blending elements of your employer brand within your adverts, along with some general hints and tips on how to attract the best talent!

Why is the structure of your job advert important?

A job advert is one of the first pieces of content a jobseeker views, therefore, you need to make a good first impression to progress them through the decision funnel. The best way you can do this is spending some time carefully creating copy that fully reflects your offering, and by that, I mean the whole package…. Your role, culture, company perks – Ultimately your Employer Brand!

Additionally, any form of advertising needs to have a strong meaning linked to attract and engage an audience, therefore, the structure and quality of your content is extremely important when looking to convert seekers into applicants! Click here to grasp the importance of a strong meaning.

How to structure a job advert

Now you know why the desirability of an advert is important, here’s how to structure and bring a level of quality to yours….

Firstly, you need to gain an understanding of who you’re looking to target. Your writing style and content will differ from person to person – If you are looking for a junior employee, you’ll need to adapt your style of writing and key takeaways to appeal to them. For example, the younger generation are much more focused on work from anywhere policies, therefore if your company supports this, make sure to incorporate it into your perks.

As all candidates have differing desires and requirements, you need to make sure that when you are creating your advert that you have your target market in mind and can step back and view the content through their eyes.

Once you have grasped the angle of your advert, it’s time to create the main body of content. Here are key details you should think about:

Aesthetically pleasing theme: Now there’s nothing worse than landing on a page full of writing, that has no structure and has a very bland theme. It is difficult to hold someone’s attention for long, therefore you need to ensure your copy is readable and has details that will make you stand out.
Content creation: Once you’ve grasped how to position your content, you need to create it. Most adverts include the generic facts and fail to give candidates an overview of what it is like to work at a company. This is where you can differentiate yourself…. By creating meaningful copy that includes all the important details, while also giving a snippet of your company culture, you’ll significantly increase your engagement levels.
Job descriptions: Research suggests that one of the key details jobseekers want to see while reading an advert is a job description. This is due to the fact that they want a clear understanding of what the role includes and what the day to day will be prior to spending the time applying. Therefore, the best thing you can do is to include a full job description that honestly reflects the role they are applying for!
Key words: Now this factor is heavily overlooked if you have little knowledge of SEO, however, it is a vital factor to incorporate to ensure you are getting in front of the right candidates. The best way you can do this is researching the type of factors your target market look for, and then include those into your copy. You’re then giving yourself the best possible chance to ensure that they click on your ad.
Insert links: To add an extra level of exposure of your culture, one strategy you can implement is incorporating links to other areas of your website. For example, placing a link that diverts traffic to your LinkedIn careers hub will provide your applicants with an insight of your whole offering.

By incorporating the above factors, you’re boosting your candidates overall experience while also strengthening the unity and visibility of your employer brand.

Affordable recruitment

Hub by Searchability provides your organisation with an affordable, fully managed and bespoke 28-day recruitment marketing campaign, crafted to target a specific job vacancy, that aims to attract more relevant and engaged candidates by building your employer brand so that you become a future destination employer of choice.

Learn more, get in touch or call Sophie on 01244 567 967

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