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A good job ad gets your attention from the start
The job ad is typically the company’s very first contact with potential new employees, and you get candidates’ attention with the headline.
The 2020 analysis
Jobindex regularly examines what candidates think a good job ad consists of via Jobindex’s questionnaire. The figures come from the annual analysis.
Use a precise and easy-to-understand job title
You get candidates’ attention with the headline, and the headline must contain the job title. So don’t be too internal or creative with the job title. And use the first few lines of the job ad to describe the best thing about the job or your workplace, just as your name/logo, a quote about the job or images get the reader’s attention.
Get their attention from the start
Describe the job and your expectations
| Statement | Very important | Important | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| The company’s requirements and expectations for the candidate | 40 % | 54 % | 94 % |
| The content of the job is sufficiently described | 45 % | 47 % | 92 % |
| The company’s culture and social environment | 20 % | 49 % | 69 % |
| The company’s turnover and number of employees | 3 % | 20 % | 23 % |
What will I be doing and what are you like?
Give the candidate an overall picture of the job, and focus on specific tasks and areas of responsibility (especially if you are a lesser-known company). Describe the everyday life the candidate will encounter as well as whether there are perspectives in the job. Tell candidates about the department and your culture and strategies, and feel free to touch on the softer values. It may be the final, convincing factor!
Use humour in your job ad
Although a job ad is a serious form of communication, you can easily use humour to present the job. Not that the ad needs to be superficial, but it should reflect the tone of your workplace.
Tips for optimisation
Rewrite clichés ...
such as “many balls in the air” and “the opportunity for professional and personal development” and, instead, write specific descriptions of you, the job or the candidate.
Don’t put everything in bullet form!
Otherwise, candidates lose the overview. However, feel free to combine prose with bullet points in several places in the text.
Use relevant links ...
for example, to your website, annual report, press coverage, social media/LinkedIn, etc.
Make it clear
Use short sentences and short paragraphs.
Write actively
Avoid passive expressions and use “you” instead of “they” or “the right candidate”.
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