How to Write an Effective Job Posting

Your company’s reputation in the marketplace, brand, and image can be powerful recruitment tools – particularly in attracting skilled employees. Candidates will more likely be attracted to businesses that are respected and known in the industry for their success and professionalism. That may start with your job posting. To be effective, job postings must be developed thoughtfully and advertised strategically. This guide provides advice on how to write an effective job posting that will make a good first impression and attract qualified candidates.

Creating the Job Posting

Importance of the Title

An informative title is more effective at drawing in potential candidates than a generic one. For example, instead of just stating the exact title of the job, such as “Developer,” consider something more descriptive, such as “Senior Developer for high-growth company in New York City.” Building more information into the title makes it stand out from others and can motivate viewers to read further.

Company Image and Description

Sell your company brand—your image, market position, values, and culture—to potential employees. A company’s brand also includes its size and location, expertise within a particular industry or service area, and awards and recognition.

Job Description

The job description should include an overview of the position’s responsibilities, as well as the job’s requirements, such as skills and experience, education, or special certifications. State whether the position is full- or part-time, where it is located, and salary information. It is acceptable to use a phrase such as “salary commensurate with experience” instead of quoting actual figures.

Be aware that your job posting must comply with federal, state, and local nondiscrimination laws. For example, you can’t state that you want a person of a certain gender, age, or race. In addition, your advertisement should be realistic and honest. Do not make promises that you aren’t going to keep, as it will reflect badly on you and your company, and could create contractual obligations.

Application Instructions

Provide clear, precise directions on how to apply. Outline specific steps such as emailing a resume or submitting an application through your website’s recruitment portal. Be explicit as to what the candidate should include, such as a resume, portfolio, or a completed application form.

An applicant’s ability to follow instructions is your first screening tool; feel free to add a very specific instruction in your directions to test attention to detail. For instance, you could direct applicants to copy and paste into their application a line from the job posting, such as “Attention to detail is an important part of the job.”

Be Sure to Proofread

Proofread your job posting several times for spelling and grammar errors as well as accuracy, and have at least one other person proofread it as well. Any errors will reflect poorly on your company and may result in fewer candidates applying.

Advertising the Job Opening

You will want to place your job posting where it will attract the highest number of qualified candidates. When planning your recruitment advertising, consider the following tips:

• Identify your targeted candidates. If these are people with specialized skills, identify those skills—e.g., computer programming, video editing, or quantitative analysis.
• Research the best places to advertise based on your targeted candidates. You’ll probably want to consider major job posting sites that cover many professions, as well as specialized online posting sites that target specific industries. Other ideas to consider are local colleges and graduate schools that have their own job posting boards for students and alumni, as well as newspapers that can offer a combination of print and online advertising.
• Consider posting the job opening on your company’s intranet, or in a company-wide email. Opening up the search to your existing employee base can result in candidates who know the company and whose qualifications you are already familiar with.
• Implementing a candidate referral program at your company can also yield good results.
• Develop a timeline, allowing enough time to place the advertising, receive a response, and conduct interviews.

Looking for a way to simplify the hiring process from start to finish? isolved from GTM is the solution. Save valuable time by using job description templates and posting to multiple job boards at once. We make it easy to leverage employee referrals, customize application and interview questions, filter through candidates, and conduct interviews, getting you to the right candidates to fill your positions.

Learn more and then request a free demo today.

Source: “Developing a Job Posting” by Zywave