7 Key Tips to Optimize a Job Advertisement

Writing a strong job advertisement is critical to attracting the ideal candidate. Many employers mistakenly copy and paste the job description for their open position into job boards. Attractive job ads will differ significantly from a job description. Job postings are tailored to appeal to job seekers, while a job description is created for legal reasons and performance reviews. MP’s recruiting experts share seven key tips to writing a job advertisement that will attract more top talent from the job boards, even amid 2022’s epic labor shortages.

7 Key Tips to Writing Attractive Job Postings

1. Reframe the responsibilities of the job.

Potential candidates want to know about job requirements, but these bullet points don’t have to be tedious or exhaustive. Employers should focus on the most exciting and interesting duties in job openings when writing a job posting. Depending on the specific industry of the role, employers may even consider the kinds of projects that their targeted audience is likely to be interested in. For example, job candidates in Marketing are likely to be interested in responsibilities that allow them to be creative, rather than mundane work like updating spreadsheets. Employers should give a realistic view of the role, but it will help immensely to highlight the most appealing tasks in the job description rather than an exhaustive list of every task. Another key tip is to include measures of success. Help candidates understand the role better by sharing the qualities and achievements that previous star employees have demonstrated. Candidates will be able to picture themselves achieving these goals—or not (and thus choose not to apply).

2. Create a more universally appealing job title.

Employers will be more successful attracting candidates on job sites when their titles are exciting and feel accessible to many different people. The job title should name the positions and, if possible, some of the benefits of holding this position. For example, a Content Writer gets to be paid to write. This is a crucial benefit of the role. The name should not include language that feels gendered, even if it’s trendy. The word Nina, for example, is masculine. A Content Writing Ninja won’t necessarily attract many female-identifying candidates because the role sounds more masculine. It also feels carries associations with misogynist “Bro-grammer” culture. Rockstar has similar issues.

3. Tailor information about the company to appeal to candidates’ interest.

Employers should never drop their “about us” boilerplate into their job advertisements. Their recruiting (or HR) team should develop a very brief company description that focuses on why employees like working for them. Instead of a long, chronological story about the company’s history, an effective job advertisement will quickly cover why the company culture is enjoyable, supportive, or a suitable environment for professional growth. Employers should share the information about the company that will impact an employee’s day-to-day life, such as how big or small it is, how old the company is, or where it’s headquartered. Leave out esoteric company history. For candidates who want to learn more, employers should include links to the company website, Glassdoor page, LinkedIn page, or other helpful web pages.

4. Share remote work options and job flexibility.

Especially in 2022, candidates prioritize autonomy and remote work options—sometimes even over the salary range. If a job offers the opportunity to work on a remote or hybrid basis, this should be listed as early as possible in the posting. Flexibility and autonomy have always been valuable to candidates, so it’s also vital to mention this in a posting. Even if a position cannot offer remote work, employers will still appeal to candidates if their jobs provide some degree of flexibility: regarding scheduling, how they manage their workload, etc.

5. Reconsider job requirements.

Especially in 2022, employers should reconsider their job requirements. Sometimes years of experience are enough to make up for lack of a degree. Employers will reach a more diverse talent pool if they don’t require a degree or specific certifications. Hiring managers may qualify candidates in many methods beyond the traditional ones.

6. Create a dedicated, bulleted section for employee benefits and compensation information.

In an attractive job advertisement, it’s easy for candidates to jump to the basic information about compensation and benefits quickly. Especially in a competitive job market, candidates choose whether they’ll spend much (or any) time applying for a job based on salary and benefits. Set the section aside with headings and bullet out the most essential and appealing offerings, so it’s easy to read at a glance.

7. Set the right tone with language.

Employers will attract more talent by using a few strategies. Firstly, they should write shorter job posts. Longer job advertisements are likely to lose candidates’ attention, especially when there are a myriad of other job posts to compete with. Shorter job posts are also more compatible with mobile devices, which people use more frequently now for job searches. In addition, employers should use bullets and headlines to break up the text of their job description and make it faster to read. Another important tactic is to use language that is neither too formal or too casual. Employers will get a larger pool of applicants if their language doesn’t feel too trendy or hip, thus intimidating some demographics. They should also avoid language that feels so stiff and corporate that it gives candidates the impression the company culture will also be rigid and out of touch.

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