The Art of Writing Effective Job Order Ads

Today’s guest blogger is Liz Carey, network coordinator for NBN. NPAworldwide and NBN merged in September 2014, and our two networks are working toward a full integration effective January 1, 2016. We’re happy to have Liz on our blogging team.

TheLadders conducted a study, using eye-tracking technology, on how job seekers read ads. They found that participants spent only 49 seconds looking at a job posting before dismissing a job that they didn’t believe was a fit, and just 76.7 seconds on jobs that did match what they were looking for.

What Grabs a Job-Seeker’s Attention

• The job’s title was naturally the first thing read.
• After that, participants read details about the company, salary and information about the recruiter.
• Participants then spent about 25 seconds skimming the job description.
• Less than 15 seconds was spent reading job requirements.

The best job ads aren’t just chunks of information. They’re clear, direct, and crafted to grab and hold the reader’s attention. When faced with job titles that are more “clever” than informative, large blocks of text that look like one giant sentence, or conspicuously missing details, it’s likely the jobseeker will skim and move on instead of giving an ad the attention you hope for.

4 Steps to Effective Job Order Ads:

1.  A Good Job Title

The most important part! It’s the first thing seen.

• Avoid abbreviations
  • “Chief Financial Officer” is better than “CFO”
  • “Senior Financial Reporting Analyst” is better than “Sr. Financial Reporting Analyst”
• Avoid general titles, use industry specific keywords
  • “Senior Accountant – Healthcare” is better than “Senior Accountant”
  • “Controller Manufacturing” is better than “Controller”
• Avoid the general field, use specific title (put industry at end)
  • “Commercial Lender” is better than “Commercial Loan”
  • “IT Auditor” is better than “IT Audit”
• List city in your title as well as state abbreviation (if you can’t list the city, list the state abbreviation at least)
• Add some “sizzle” in the title – A brief teaser can differentiate your job from others!  Use emotion—compel the candidate to click on your job!

2. A Good Job Description

• Restate title with city, state, and sizzle
• Make it brief (3-5 sentences), but compelling
• Help candidates visualize themselves in the role – Make it more personal by using You and I (not “the candidate” or “the incumbent”)
• Re-write with some “sizzle”– don’t just copy & paste from HR given job description

3. Candidate Qualifications

• Add must haves under mandatory minimum requirements
• Add areas where the fit can be/could be “flexed”
• Seek flexibility and encourage candidates to apply

4. Compensation & Benefits

• Flex the range, as long as you can get there. Always mention, DOE.
• Share what’s in it for the candidate: Bonus opportunities, above average benefits, relocation assistance, room for growth, great career trajectory, etc.

These tips will help you write more effective job order ads. Most importantly, make posting your job orders a consistent part of your routine!