5 job advertising best practices

February 8, 2023

 

Alex Oliver

4 min read

In the age of widespread remote work, recruiting requires serious strategy – and a key part of this strategy is job ads. Incorporating job advertising best practices into your recruiting tactics will give your organization the edge it needs to stand out from the competition.

Eye-catching job ads serve your business well in a job market transformed by the pandemic. Remote work expanded candidates’ possibilities by shrinking the role geography plays in the job search. Location isn’t a factor for many of today’s job seekers; as long as they have a strong internet connection, anything is possible.

This change creates two challenges for recruiters. First, competition for talent has intensified. Recruiters now vie for talent alongside businesses half a world away. Second, it multiplies the number of applicants. Job seekers don’t need to be willing to move to work for a faraway company.

This means recruiters must get even smarter about how they attract and hire talent. As your company plans its strategy, here are five job advertising best practices to consider.

Read iCIMS’ Guide to Attracting Talent to learn how the four basic strategies of talent attraction can revitalize your recruiting game.

#1 Recruit beyond the job board

LinkedIn is the first and most obvious place job seekers look for a new gig. But that doesn’t mean it’s the only place.

Employers can attract candidates by placing job ads in unexpected but highly visible places. If companies operate brick and mortar locations, they can place job ads in their stores, where loyal (and talented) customers will see them. Billboards and LED screen trucks make eye-catching spots as well.  Employers can also buy ad spots on popular podcasts and post about opportunities on TikTok and Instagram.

By advertising for jobs in unusual places, employers pique candidates’ curiosity. In fact, candidates may be more interested in positions they find serendipitously.

#2 Spend smart on job advertising

It’s easy to feel like every job you post is a high priority. But you likely have to pick and choose which jobs are most important so you can maximize your advertising dollars. Choose jobs that your organization needs to fill most quickly or that have hard-to-find candidates.

Once you’ve reckoned with your budget, use tools like iCIMS’ integrated job advertising to build and execute your advertising campaigns. These tools optimize your spend by choosing job boards that have the highest potential to reach the most relevant and engaged candidates.

#3 Keep job ads simple and searchable

These days, job ads are full of titles containing terms like ninja, genius, superhero, guru and wizard. The intent behind these creative titles is understandable. After all, who would want to be a coding specialist when they could be a coding wizard?

But these titles, while whimsical, may get lost in job seekers’ searches. Because these titles stray from the common terminology, they may not surface when a candidate types “coding specialist” into Google. That’s why our third job advertising best practice is to use simple, commonly searched terms. Unless you’re seeking an actual wizard, of course – then by all means, be specific.

#4 Don’t write a job ad, tell a story

Just because we’ve stifled your creativity in job titles doesn’t mean you can’t think outside the box elsewhere in the job advertising process. The ad itself is where employers can start to separate themselves from the competition with a little creativity.

One way to do this? Use video. Candidates want to get familiar with your employer brand before they apply, and video offers an authentic look inside your workforce and culture.

There’s no need to budget for a marketing agency or fancy equipment to include video in your job ads. Employees can film on their smartphones. With the right software, video is easy to create, review, and publish.

#5 Pair alluring job ads with easy applications

A good ad is worthless if a difficult application process prohibits candidates from applying. Many employers fail to realize that it’s frustrating and tedious to apply to their companies. Only 1 in 3 employers have applied to one of their companies’ jobs. Of those, just 46% report having a “very good” experience.

Our last job advertising best practice? Make applying easy by leveraging the device that’s always at hand: The smartphone. When employers make their job ads text-friendly, they make applying quick, accessible and low-friction.

Final thoughts

As recruiters consider these job advertising best practices, it’s important to remember job ads make up only one part of the recruiting process. Job ads get candidates’ attention. But what will convince them to come on board?

Read iCIMS’ Guide to Attracting Talent to learn how the four basic strategies of talent attraction can make top candidates to your star employees.