Recently we discussed how candidates can improve the way they grab the attention of recruiters through their job applications and creating the ideal CV - you can check it out here, How To Build A Perfect CV That Gets You Seen In 6 Seconds. Now it's time we flip the script. How can recruiters do a better job? In this blog post we're going to look at how you fellow recruiters should be engaging candidates through job advertisements that stand out! You need them too, afterall - and there's always room for improvement. Similar to the fact that it takes a recruiter 6 seconds to scan a CV, it takes a job seeker 49 seconds to be impacted by a job ad. So, how are you going to reel them in within under a minute? Let's understand what they're looking for from you¦

Make It Personal

Know Who You're Looking For

People are always looking for jobs, so of course your job opening will be snapped up if you sell it well enough. However, just because it's easy to make the job role sound attractive, doesn't mean you shouldn't be trying to sell the business too. It's important to explain what you have to offer your employees, not just focusing on what you want to get out of them. The key to selling a company is individuality. What makes the company different from the rest? How is it not just another cog in a corporate machine? It might be because of one or more of the following:

• An amazing work culture and ethos
• The vibrant work environment
• A commitment to diversity and inclusivity
• Remote working/work hours flexibility
• Social aspects outside of work
• Achievements

Anything that makes you special. If the ad is for a smaller business you have a bit of an advantage to showcase its character and personality, or even discuss the vision for the workplace and how you're looking for someone to be an asset in building that.

Sell The Company

People are always looking for jobs, so of course your job opening will be snapped up if you sell it well enough. However, just because it's easy to make the job role sound attractive, doesn't mean you shouldn't be trying to sell the business too. It's important to explain what you have to offer your employees, not just focusing on what you want to get out of them. The key to selling a company is individuality. What makes the company different from the rest? How is it not just another cog in a corporate machine? It might be because of one or more of the following:

• An amazing work culture and ethos
• The vibrant work environment
• A commitment to diversity and inclusivity
• Remote working/work hours flexibility
• Social aspects outside of work
• Achievements

Anything that makes you special. If the ad is for a smaller business you have a bit of an advantage to showcase its character and personality, or even discuss the vision for the workplace and how you're looking for someone to be an asset in building that.

Search Engine Optimisation

If you're unfamiliar with the concept of SEO, here's how it's defined: Search engine optimization is the process of improving the quality and quantity of website traffic to a website or a web page from search engines. One of the main ways of boosting traffic to the web page containing your job adverts is keywords. This refers to specific words or search terms that users type in when carrying out a search query. So, in the context of job ads, you need to include keywords in your titles and descriptions that your desired candidates will be typing in during their job search. This way they might find you a lot quicker. But, how do you know what keywords to be using? There are many keyword research tools such as Moz, Ahrefs and UberSuggest to name a few. Check them out for yourself!

Keep It Simple

If a job seeker is looking at job ads all day long, they want them to be as easy to read as possible. You might be the ad that stands out to them the most purely based on you keeping it concise and engaging! Their time is precious, so don't leave them reading long winded paragraphs. Keep it simple, try using bullet points - don't be too vague, however. Just ensure you're including the most important pieces of information. Further to this, avoid using too much field-specific jargon! 57% of job seekers are less likely to apply for a job with too much jargon because many of them find it annoying, confusing and intimidating.

To Sum Up¦

Every agency wants the top candidates, and it's a competitive market. But we guarantee if you follow these tips, you'll definitely be in the running. Just remember to be genuine, concise and most importantly, brag about yourself a bit! If you need more information feel free to get in touch with us. Want to hear more top tips? Looking to fill a role, or maybe you want to know more about careers at Vertex?  Subscribe to our monthly newsletter jampacked with the latest tips, news, and opportunities within FMCG and Recruitment.