How To Write A Job Description That Gets Amazing Results

Having a hard time filling positions in your company? Honey has the same problem. She’s been struggling to recruit business development people for a couple of months now. Since she’s part of an ecommerce startup, her goal is to get the best people onboard to grow the company faster.

She’s already reached out via email, LinkedIn, and job boards. But she’s noticed they aren’t getting the best  response from their job ads. People aren’t reply and those that do, aren’t the types of applicants they need.

It turns out that the ads she made don’t appeal to the candidates the company wants. The job descriptions are too complicated. Candidates are unsure if they’re suited to the job. Also, the descriptions attached to the jobs seem plain and bland. Even the process of applying looks intimidating, so candidates probably didn’t bother.

How Long Does It Take to Fill a Vacant Position?

Studies have hinted that demand for quality job candidates has surpassed the supply. The market for quality employees has become more competitive than ever.
This has left some companies struggling to hire people for the positions they need to fill. About 75% of HR managers wonder why their job positions aren’t being filled as quickly as they’d like.
Vacant job positions bring about their own disadvantages for a company. About 330 million working hours are lost every month because of unfilled job positions. So how do companies usually make up for those hours?
Normally, they pass on the work to already-busy employees. This adds on to their hours and workload, causing extra stress and even burnout. To maximize productivity, companies need to fill in vacant job positions – and fast.

The best way to do this? Making an amazing job ad that just reels candidates in.

Writing Irresistible Job Ads

Writing an amazing job ad feels like a lot of pressure. But with the right process, you won’t have much of a problem. Turn your job ads into the bait you need to attract the best employees for your company.

1. Come up with a compelling hook

Sales people and marketing practitioners use hooks to get customers to buy their products. You as an HR manager need to do the same. Having a hook is what can keep your potential candidates reading your ad.
A compelling hook differentiates your ad from other people’s ads. Answer this: what do candidates get when they join your company?
Think long and hard about the hook you want to use. Luring people with a financial hook can get only you so far. After all, money doesn’t necessarily attract quality candidates.
Can your hook be offering them a fun working environment? Is it a chance to work on projects that they choose? Will they be able to work with the best professionals in the industry? Be sure to include some context in your hook. This is so readers know exactly why you need someone like them.

2. Have a clear description of job roles

A description of roles is different from a laundry list of requirements for the job. If you must include requirements though, limit it to educational attainment and work experience.
After that, go through the four or five most important characteristics needed for the job. Be sure to outline only these in your ad. You don’t want to scare potential candidates away with a long list. Remember, while you don’t want just anybody to apply, you still want the right people to send in their application.

3. Talk about your company’s culture, vision, and mission

More often than not, candidates want to know about the company and what they stand for. Share your company’s vision so you attract candidates that want to contribute and further your goals. If they can see themselves as a good fit to your company, they’re more likely to apply.

4. Offer candidates challenges and opportunities, not rewards

Like a hook, you need to offer your candidates something that will motivate them. Many great job-seekers out there are looking for the chance to improve their skills. If all you can offer them is a fat pay check, that might intrigue them but it might not keep them for long.
The best candidates have a strong drive to succeed. Most of the time, they look for companies that can help them grow. Be sure you can present that clearly in your job ad.

5. Think like your job-seeker

Ask yourself this: if I were looking for a job, where would you go?
It may be tempting to advertise in the biggest networking sites and on popular websites. But the challenge there is making your job ad stand out from all the rest. How can you be sure that the right people will be seeing your ad? If you aren’t careful, your ad will be lost in all the noise.
So think like a specialist, one who knows the best places to find unique and interesting jobs. They usually hang out in industry-based sites, niche blogs and private communities.
For example, you can post your graphic designer job ad on a big site, even on Facebook. But if you really want to get an exceptional designer, it might be worthwhile to post an ad in a design blog instead. You can also recruit through a design-oriented Facebook Group.

Time to Write to Get the Right Candidates

Writing a job ad is a bit of a challenge. The first step to getting it done is doing the actual writing. From there, you’ll be able to point out mistakes and correct details. Don’t be afraid of putting words to paper – you can always erase, rewrite, and improve.
It’s always important to take the first step. Before you can finally have that amazing job ad, start writing.Get feedback from peers and co-workers and learn what improvements you can make.

After making the job description easier to understand, Honey added two important things to the job ad. First, she added that the job would be challenging and would involve lots of travel, talking to CEOs locally and abroad. She also shared their vision to be the top ecommerce site in Asia in the next two years.
Soon, they not only had more people applying, Honey also discovered that the new applicants were better suited to the role. All they needed was a compelling hook and a clear vision. Simplifying the application process also didn’t hurt.

How about you, what can you do to improve your job ads?