Client advice #2 – Job adverts matter

The invention of one-click apply, slick job board UX and intelligent apps has seen the number of candidate applications skyrocket.

More candidates than ever are applying for jobs online. Who does this benefit?

Job boards – they get more people on their database and it increases their value proposition to potential customers.

Clients – they get high volume responses to their advert giving the (misguided perception) of value.

Database recruitment agencies – they can siphon more candidates into their database who they can send mass e-shots to on a daily basis.

Jobless candidates – they can apply for high volume of jobs, in a very short period of time.

Being a consultancy that works a wide range of roles, and actively tracks the level of response to each role (more to work out which adverts are best performing than for this purpose), I have observed the following things:

If the job title has the word ‘manager’ in it, the rejection rate is 90% +.

If the salary is not advertised or listed as ‘doe’, ‘competitive’ or ‘industry-leading’ there are less than 10 applications.

If the job title is mentioned 4 times in the first 200 words, there are 80% more applications (than those which do not).

The peak point for applications is the 24 hours between Monday evening and Tuesday evening.

We have all heard the ludicrous indeed adverts which claim that inserting a screening question is going to help you get the ‘perfect’ (HA!) candidate and allow you to have an extra long lunch (again HA!). What they don’t tell you is that the quality of the advert you write is going to have a major effect on how many people apply for your job.

If you choose not to use an agency/consultancy (which is absolutely recommended for a lot of roles), the efficacy of your advert (and the money you invest in the job board) is going to go a lot further if you do not just copy and paste parts of the job spec, and:

Use language which resonates with the person you are trying to attract

Concisely explain the benefits and opportunities of working for your company

Tells the reader enough about the competencies required to do the job to opt out (and enable you to reject unsuitable candidates on)

Have some form of call to action to encourage the candidate to reach out

I am no expert copywriter, but since I have employed the above we have found the quality of applications and ratio of jobs filled via adverts increase significantly.

If you want to discuss in more detail, I would love to have a chat!