Do you need to recruit a new employee? Do you want to attract the right candidates?
Writing a job offer is one of the first steps in your recruitment process. So how do you write an attractive job offer?
It is not a simple task, but by following a few basic steps, you will significantly increase your chances of success.
In order to make your job search easier, our international recruitement agency gives you some tips on how to write the ideal recruitment offer to attract the best candidates.
Define the offer’s title
It can be tempting to offer creative or unique headlines to try to attract candidates. However, this bias could be detrimental to the visibility of your job posting, and therefore to your chances of reaching the best candidates. So use an explicit and catchy job title. Be clear, concise and precise.
Remember that job seekers use certain keywords in their search process and if your job title does not contain them, they may not find your vacancies.
If you are looking for a “marketing manager”, make sure your job title includes these keywords.
You can also include the expected level of experience in your titles, for example “junior” or “experienced”
Write the content of the job ad with care
The content of your job posting should be complete, accurate and structured. When writing the job description, be sure to tailor each section of the job posting to a specific objective. This helps create an effective job posting that attracts top talent.
With that in mind, here are some key elements to incorporate and practical tips for writing an effective job posting.
Describe your company
Think about how you want to present your company and communicate key information about your identity and offering to your readers.
Here’s some information you might include:
- An overview of your company’s service offering
- Number of years in business and a brief history
- Company size/number of employees
- Key clients or projects
- Equipment of interest to candidates
- The values and distinctive elements of your corporate culture
Date your job offer
Determine up front whether or not you want to include an expiration date on your ad. Including a deadline allows you to immediately find other prospects in case your preferred candidate turns down your offer.
Describe the position to be filled
It is important to describe what the role entails and list some of the key responsibilities. Feel free to break down the different areas of responsibility into small paragraphs or, better yet, bulleted lists. This makes things clearer and easier for candidates to digest.
Job responsibilities are important for candidates. It is essential to be very transparent about what is expected of candidates in order to allow them to project themselves and to avoid the risk of casting errors.
Define the profile and skills required
The next step is to define the main requirements of the position. The requirements themselves depend on the qualification level of the position. It may be helpful to use bulleted lists in this section as well.
Indicate if your ideal candidate needs specific qualifications, such as certificates or a degree. Be sure to specify whether these qualifications are essential to be considered for the position or if they are simply advantageous.
You should also highlight the soft skills or general personal competencies you want the candidate to have.
If you want the candidate to have some experience in a similar position, this is an opportunity to highlight that. You can also require your candidate to have some experience in your industry.
Specify the terms of the application
Do not hesitate to offer simple and direct application procedures to avoid discouraging potential candidates.
Make sure that the procedure for responding to your job offer is explicit for applicants.
Give concise instructions and clearly explain the selection process and what it entails (selection criteria, interview steps, etc.).
Make sure that the recruitment process is a smooth and pleasant experience for the candidates. In particular, be sure to communicate with candidates in advance of each stage to maintain contact and prepare them as well as possible. These efforts at clarity and communication will allow you to give a good image of your company and to involve, throughout the recruitment process, the most interesting profiles.
Use an appropriate tone
Let’s face it, most job offers are not very exciting: neutral, anonymous, filled with banalities… In short, they all look the same.
Pay attention to the tone you use when writing your job offer. Make sure that the wording is in line with your company’s culture.
But above all, try to say how your company is different from others!
Avoid overly formal language and expressions.
Adopting a more human and relaxed tone will allow you to
- Get the information across more easily
- Better reflect the spirit and values of your company
- Allow candidates to get an idea and project themselves into their new work environment.
It is not enough to list your values, you should embody them in your ad. For example, the formula: “we put people at the heart of our approach” is not very useful if your human side does not shine through in an ad with a cold and neutral tone.
Ask yourself why the position you are offering is really nice and what is the little extra your company has to offer to attract more candidates.
In short, be friendly and authentic! And don’t hesitate to use a bit of humor, you will attract more candidates.
Define the working conditions: salary, place of work, working hours, nature of the contract
Announce a salary range
An eye-catching job offer must make people want to come and work for you!
By displaying the salary levels envisaged in the ad, you will increase the response rate to your ad by an average of 30%! Candidates will be able to project themselves better and the offer will seem more concrete. In the end, this indication will often encourage them to take the plunge and apply.
Similarly, if your company offers financial or in-kind benefits, or a pleasant work environment, highlight these elements.
Workplace
Focus on your location. Geographical distance is a barrier for many people who might be far from your premises.
If you want to attract people from other regions or countries, don’t hesitate to highlight the living environment offered in your geographical area: schools, activities, events, etc.
Don’t hesitate to also specify the possible telecommuting arrangements.
Benefits
Employee benefits can increase the effectiveness of your offer. Don’t hesitate to provide a summary of the main benefits offered by your company, such as health coverage, luncheon vouchers, bonuses, company cars, stock options, flexible working hours or telecommuting…
In a competitive job market, the benefits offered by a company can make the difference between two competing offers.
Add a call to action ( Links and contact to apply)
Complete your job posting with clear instructions on how to apply, for example: “Apply by sending a resume and cover letter to : (add your company’s full address or email address). “
How to write a job offer that stands out?
Focus on the details of the job that would be most attractive to potential candidates. If you offer a salary in the upper range of market practices, solid benefits, interesting projects or clients, great location, etc., be sure to mention that in your recruitment ads.
The most impactful job ads use specific details about the position to get candidates excited.
How do you write a job offer for a position you don’t know well?
We advise you to write a clear and precise job description before you start writing your job offer.
This job description can be attached to your employee’s future employment contract.
You can also interview employees who are familiar with the position or, if this is not possible, plan to spend some time researching the main tasks that fall to key profiles in this sector.
How to write the best job offer?
When most people think of the best job ads, they think of clever, often humorous recruitment ads. These can be effective in getting the attention of more people, but serious candidates will often respond better to concrete details that speak to their future daily work.
You’re prepared to expand your team now that you understand how to create a job letter, you’ll be needing to prepare for the next step of the process which is interviewing candidates, so here are 20 tips for conducting a job interview like a pro.
you can find more candidates quickly by posting opportunities on Beestalent for free.