3 Tips for Writing Effective Job Advertisements

You’ve realized that’s finally time to hire that position you’ve been talking about for months. Now that you’re ready to move forward, one of the first steps an employer needs to take is to write an effective job advertisement. Typical job descriptions include attributes like job title, roles and responsibilities, skills required and recommended job experience, but a well-written job advertisement provides insight into the company and how a candidate can contribute to the organization.

Compelling job advertisements can be an employer’s most effective hiring tool. It’s often the first impression a job seeker has of your company, so it’s important to provide the information you need.

Job seekers are interviewing you just as much as you’re interviewing them, so be clear about your expectations and highlight your best qualities. Including an “about us” section can provide a glimpse into your company values, culture and growth potential. And many job sites come packed with helpful features. With ZipRecruiter, for instance, employers can reach out directly to job seekers via its Invite to Apply feature. ZipRecruiter says jobs where employers use the Invite to Apply feature receive more than 2.5 times more candidates.

Now that you’re ready to write a job advertisement, keep these three tips in mind to help attract the best talent for your role.

Related: Why a Free Job Board Can be the Best Place to Post a Job

1. Consider what job seekers find attractive.

Candidates want to know if they will be a good fit at a company, so conducting research on the job market as well as internal employee satisfaction surveys can underscore areas your job advertisement needs to focus on.

Areas like office culture, unique benefits, commitments to sustainability and philanthropy can attract talent that matches your company values. In many cases, job advertisements are written by hiring managers, but there’s also plenty of value in receiving input from the team you’re hiring for.

2. Focus on growth and development.

Career advancement and growth potential are key. Avoid simply writing out a bulleted list of roles and responsibilities.

Instead, consider including a description of how this position will contribute to your company’s goals and overall mission. Mention how much your business is growing and inspire applicants to apply their career experience to be a part of this exciting time in your company’s history.

Related: 5 Tips for Navigating Hiring Platforms for Small Business

3. Make your job title specific.

An engaging job title needs to describe what the position is accurately. You’ll receive better matches on your job advertisement if the job title provides context to how it fits into the company.

Avoid company-specific titles and opt for something more general yet descriptive—something job seekers may be searching for in job search sites. This personalization lets them know that a real human wrote the job listing, and is part of the hiring process, so their application won’t be sent to a black hole.

Writing effective job advertisements is essential for attracting quality talent, but it isn’t always easy. One handy resource is ZipRecruiter, which offers a variety of job description templates for many industries that you can personalize with ease. It’s an efficient way to get your open role out into the world while saving money.

In addition to its lineup of helpful tools for employers and hiring managers, ZipRecruiter‘s all-in-one hiring platform allows companies to post job listings for free to thousands of popular job boards.

Attracting quality talent starts with effective job advertisements, so these simple tips can optimize your job listings to find the employees that fit your company’s needs and goals.