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When hiring on digital platforms, you’re often competing with thousands of other job ads. Some opportunities may boast a more recognizable company name or more attractive pay. There are lots of free job posting sites to utilize so it's important to learn how to elevate your job ads and rise above the noise.
Designing an engaging job description is not easy, but it's an important part of any successful recruitment strategy. A hefty dose of creativity and careful messaging are necessary to make your job postings stand out on job boards and make your careers page be heavily frequented. It's not an easy task, but with a little extra effort, you can attract the right candidates and inspire them to apply to your job opportunities.
Many creative job postings have been created over the years. In this article, we take a deep dive into eight creative tips that we picked up from some of the best job postings we’ve found online.
8 job posting examples to emulate
1. Be personal
Company: Taco Bell
Why it’s great: It’s rare to find job postings that speak this directly to an applicant. This posting on Facebook shows an appreciation for each candidate and their unique characteristics. This not only leaves your prospective candidates curious but also makes the post feel more open-minded to its people. This is a great use of an online platform to reach out to qualified candidates.
Key takeaway: Speak directly to the applicant and make them feel special.
2. Proudly embrace your company culture
Company: McDonald’s
Why it’s great: This job posting on Facebook is for the job title of an Operations Associate in Nebraska. McDonald’s clearly embraces their company culture right at the start with the second paragraph of the posting:
“At McDonald’s, we see every day as a chance to create a positive impact. We lead through our values centered on inclusivity, service, integrity, community and family. From support of Ronald McDonald House Charities to our Youth Opportunity project and sustainability initiatives, our values keep us dedicated to using our scale for good: good for our customers, people, industry and planet.”
McDonald’s is making clear what the company culture and values are all about. Applicants appreciate seeing a company that is passionate about making a difference in the community and the world.
Key tkkeaway: Show off your company culture in your job advertisement and be true to your brand voice.
3. Be clear and specific
Company: Chick-fil-A
Why it’s great: This job posting on LinkedIn is for a Front of House Director for a Chik-fil-A restaurant in Ohio. The post does an excellent job of clearly explaining exactly what it will take to succeed in this open position:
“We are looking for a self-directed leader with a growth mindset and hunger to take ownership of the front of house and create a strong vision for Chick-fil-A Reynoldsburg. First, this leader will learn all aspects of Chick-fil-A, so he/she can understand each facet of the business and begin to think strategically for the front of house. This leader must have high emotional intelligence, the ability to build strong relationships, grit, energy, attention to detail, and a strong passion to see the business succeed.”
The post also gives potential candidates a clear idea of what the job will entail from day one.
Key takeaway: Candidates do not like generic job post templates. Your post should describe the specific role in detail and give the candidate a clear understanding of what to expect in the job.
4. Be unconventional
Company: Burger King
Why it’s great: Burger King made a short video they shared on Facebook and Instagram which promotes the benefits and perks of being a part of the Burger King team. With the current hiring shortages facing quick-service restaurants (QSRs), it’s more important than ever to promote the benefits you offer your workers during the recruitment process. Usually, these benefits are listed in bullet point format on a job posting. Burger King thought outside the box with this unconventional video, which they shared on social media to help attract new applicants.
Key takeaway: Find new ways to attract applicants and lean into your employer brand. Use videos on social media to spread your message.
5. Be concise
Company: Kentucky Fried Chicken
Why it’s great: The reality is most job seekers have limited attention spans. You have to make the most of a small amount of space to get your message across. Kentucky Fried Chicken recently did a great job of being concise in a job posting on Indeed. The entire posting was only five short paragraphs. However, KFC was able to get the key information about the position across in their post. This brevity increased KFC’s chances of getting a response from the posting because applicants weren’t overwhelmed by too much information.
Key takeaway: Find a balance between being concise and still including key information about the role.
6. Be visually appealing
Company: Jack in the Box
Why it’s great: The words that you use in your job postings are obviously important. However, the visual aspects of your postings are important as well. The visual aesthetics of your post help draw the reader in and build a sense of curiosity. Recently Jack in the Box posted on Facebook an image that helped capture candidates’ imaginations about their future career goals. This image not only draws candidates in but also shows them that Jack in the Box cares about their future goals. Candidates want to work with teams that will help take them to the next level in their careers.
Key takeaway: Use visual aesthetics—and words—to draw more candidates into your application process.
7. Be positive
Company: Zaxby’s
Why it’s great: It may sound obvious, but creative job postings should also be positive. Unfortunately, this is not always the case in QSR job postings. Sometimes hiring managers that are overworked and overstressed can be less than positive in job postings and make allusions to the challenges that await the candidate. This approach of course seldom works well, and when it does, it tends not to attract the ideal candidate.
The best talent is looking for a positive team environment. Zaxby’s did a great job of this recently in a Facebook job post . The post featured a local team smiling and having fun. The words of the post emphasized how fun it can be to work with people you enjoy. Zaxby’s is doing a great job in this post of promoting a positive vibe that is attractive to top talent.
Key takeaway: Above all, be positive and never negative.
8. Make compensation easy to see
Company: Culver’s
Why it’s great: Let’s face it, compensation is one of the top reasons applicants are interested in joining your team. In a recent job posting on LinkedIn , Culver’s made it very easy for candidates to understand the compensation associated with the role. This is not always the case for QSR job postings. Sometimes, the hourly pay range or annual salary is buried within the paragraphs of the post. Follow Culver’s example and make the compensation very easy for candidates to see.
Key takeaway: Make the compensation rate very easy for candidates to find in the job post.
Take the time to write creative job postings
If you're struggling with filling positions, consider taking cues from some of these fun job ad examples we’ve found. Jazz up your post with some fun and creative elements to attract some of the best job candidates you have ever seen.
We’d love to hear from you too! Have a creative job post that you would like to share? Tag us on LinkedIn , Twitter , or Facebook , and your posting might be featured in our next edition of creative job postings!
For more handy tips on job postings, hiring strategies, and how to make your hiring process more efficient, check out the Workstream blog .
