The job market continues to stay highly competitive, and companies are fighting for the most qualified job applicants. The faithful job posting - the first contact job seekers have with potential employers - is often the deciding factor in whether they apply or not. Crafting job postings that accurately reflect your company's culture and job requirements can help you attract the right talent.
The research points to the value of a well-built job posting. Nearly 21% of companies surveyed by Indeed said they had to revise job postings due to a lack of interest or applicants not understanding the role.
To narrow down the job pool to the best possible candidates, learning how to craft job postings that stand out is vital. By understanding best practices and looking at a job posting examples from some of the top job sites and free job posting sites, companies can ensure their job postings successfully attract job seekers’ attention.
We live in a social media world - so your job posting must stand out and grab eyes if you want job seekers to consider applying. The best job postings draw job seekers’ attention and provide them with an insider view of what it would be like to work at your company.
Here are some of the key elements of the best job posts:
1. A Clear and Creative Job Title
Quality job postings put the heavy lifting on the job title. So you'll want to make sure that the title accurately describes the job's responsibilities and makes job seekers want to learn more. Try to be creative with your job titles, too!
How you title the job will speak volumes about the culture of your team. If you are looking for a skilled developer, you could choose " Senior Developer " or " Creative and Experienced Software Engineer."
But if you want to spice up the job listing a bit and draw job seekers in, you could go with "Software Jedi" or "Coding Wizard."
Strike a balance between job posting accuracy and job title creativity - job seekers will be more likely to click through if your job posting stands out.
2. A Detailed Job Description
Writing a detailed job description is key for job postings that stand out. You should explain the scope of the job, the expected responsibilities, and any qualifications or experience required for the job. Make job seekers want to join your team by listing all the benefits and perks of working at your company.
What goes into a description? Beyond just job requirements, job postings should use words that job seekers are looking for and include the right keywords. Job posters should also provide job seekers with an inside view of what it is like to work on the team and any company culture details that could help job seekers make an informed decision.
3. Transparent Details About The Open Position
The devil is in the details - and if your job posting doesn't give job seekers the full picture, they might be less likely to apply. Be as transparent as possible when providing job details - job seekers should know not only what you're looking for in the job but also how much it pays and what the job environment is like.
Recent surveys have found that 79% of job searchers want postings to offer clear pay and benefits data. Of those, a growing number (32%) want the posting to feature the exact salary range that applicants can expect. However, only 17% of companies are offering job postings that provide this salary data upfront.
4. Links to Your Company Website
Whether job seekers see your job posting on a job board or during their job search, include links to your website and other online resources.
By providing job seekers with easy access to information about the company, job searchers can get a better idea of what it's like to work at your organization - which might influence them to apply.
If job seekers don't have easy access to information about the company, they may decide that it's not worth spending the time and effort to apply for a job at your organization.
5. Easy Next Steps
What do you need from job seekers? Make sure job postings are clear on the expectations for job applications. Are you asking job seekers to submit a resume, fill out an application form, or complete other tasks as part of the job application process?
Also, make sure job postings provide job seekers with easy next steps after their initial contact. For example, if your job posting asked jobseekers to submit their resumes, job postings should explain the next steps in the job application process - such as a phone interview or an in-person meeting.
Want to boost your chances of finding quality candidates? Utilize an automated CV or job application system that pulls in candidate data from LinkedIn and job boards. That way, job seekers can have a streamlined job application experience to ensure all your job postings reach the right candidates.
By utilizing job postings that address job seeker needs and leveraging job search platforms, employers can attract the right job seekers and find the perfect candidate for their open job positions.
To give you an idea of a potentially successful job posting, let's look at a couple of examples that encapsulate job seeker's needs and interests.
1. Software Developer for Mid-Level Position:
Software Engineer - Product Team (Full-Time)
Are you looking to expand your software engineering experience? We are seeking an experienced Software Engineer to join our fun and fast-paced product development team. We are looking for someone who has a passion for problem-solving, enjoys working with a creative and diverse group of people, and can take initiative to research and develop innovative solutions!
Please send your resume, cover letter, and two job-related writing samples to superfunsoftwarejobs@example.com. Our team will respond within two weeks.
This job posting offers clean job responsibilities and qualifications, so job seekers know exactly what's expected of them. Additionally, the job posting provides an overall picture of working at the company - from salary and benefits to job perks like collaborating with a creative team and having growth opportunities.
All these factors make this job posting attractive to job seekers who are looking for an inspiring work environment where they can grow and develop their skills.
Marketing Specialist - Brand Team (Full-Time)
Do you love creative problem-solving and have a passion for the digital marketing space? If you’re looking to join an innovative brand team, we want to hear from you! We’re seeking an enthusiastic and motivated Marketing Specialist to help us create engaging campaigns that will drive results.
Send your resume, cover letter, and two job-related writing samples to fabulousbrandjobs@example.com. Our team will review applications on a rolling basis.
Marketing jobs are filled with buzzwords - so standing out from the crowd isn't easy! This job posting uses creative language to highlight the job's unique benefits and qualifications. It also gives job seekers a clear understanding of what they will be doing, who they will work with, and how successful campaigns are measured.
The job posting also emphasizes company culture by mentioning the unlimited vacation days - something that job seekers appreciate when looking for job opportunities. Overall, this job posting stands out by being creative, informative, and fun!
3. Barista at Local Coffe Shop:
Barista - Local Coffee Shop (Part-Time)
Does coffee run through your veins? We’re looking for an enthusiastic and passionate barista to join our team and serve up some of the best coffee around! If you have a knack for customer service and can make amazing lattes, cappuccinos, and more, we want to hear from you.
Who said you can't get creative with job postings for barista positions? This job posting stands out with its focus on personality and enthusiasm rather than previous experience. It also emphasizes the perks of working at the coffee shop - such as free coffee and snacks - a detail that an ideal candidate will appreciate.
Overall, this job posting is fun and informative, demonstrating to job seekers that it's a great workplace! (Just make sure the culture reflects the job description!) If your employer brand is fun and engaging, then bring that into the job posting as well!
If you want your job posting or job announcement to really stand out, there are a few key tips to keep in mind.
1. Float The Talent's Interests To The Top
You'll likely want to talk about your company, but what is the job seeker most interested in? Keep the most important information upfront, and ensure job seekers know what they'll do on the job.
2. Showcase The Benefits & Perks
People want to work for a company where they’ll feel appreciated - so showcase any benefits or perks that come with the position. This could include on-the-job training, flexible hours, excellent pay and benefits, job security, or other incentives.
3. Utilize Keywords In The Job Title & Description
We live in a digital age - so make sure you utilize keywords to optimize your job postings for search engines like Google and job boards like LinkedIn. This helps job seekers find a job more easily.
4. Keep It Simple & Concise
Nobody likes job postings that are long-winded and full of jargon. Keep your job description concise and easy to understand. If job seekers can't quickly determine what the job entails, they're likely to skip it altogether!
The best job postings are the ones that will land the job seekers you want. So make sure you focus on showcasing your company's culture, and highlight the benefits of working with your team.
By investing time into creating a clear and concise job posting, you will have much better luck finding the right candidate for your position. And the easier the process is, the more likely job candidates will pass along other roles to their network, resulting in even more high-quality applications.