How to write a great job posting: 7 smart tips - Insperity

A job posting serves as the official advertisement of an open position that a company is actively seeking a new-hire.  It is a means through which companies recruit new applicants for available positions.  Job postings are also called a wanted ad, a job ad, or a job advertisement.

Posting a job online, however, can be agonizing when you get drowned by wrong resumes affecting the quality of applicants that apply to your job post.  Here are simple and effective job posting tips that will help prevent the agonizing scenario.

Use a Relevant Job Title

The job title in your job postings should include the name of the position and the first three items that will make the job attractive to an applicant.  Describe the position in a clear and concise manner that is a snapshot of what your open position will entail.

Use a single, conventional title and disregard multiple variations so as not to confuse search engines.  Also, spell out single words within a job title without abbreviating them.

Less is More

Keep your job posts concise.  It will help the candidates get the information they need immediately, especially if they are using mobile phones.  Shorter descriptions are a better fit for mobile views and they produce a higher application rate as well.

Find ways to keep your statements short but interesting and exciting.  For example, in summarizing the role, consider these guidelines:

  • Talk directly to the job seeker and let them envision themselves performing the job
  • Explain briefly why the job is such a great opportunity
  • Include a short statement on how the role ultimately helps your company achieve its mission

Meaningful Job Description

At this point, applicants will just want to know what’s in it for them and they will spend a few seconds scanning through this information so make it meaningful and worthwhile.  Make it worth investing more of their time to know more about what the company offers.  Highlight the most helpful parts of the job description like:

  • How much they will make
  • What kind of work they will be doing
  • Qualifications:  Will they have a real shot at getting the job?

Telling Your Company Story

Although most applicants rate company, culture, and mission as less important, and are also rarely highlighted as helpful to them, you can provide links to your website and social media platforms where they can learn more about your company.

If you, however, choose to include information about your company in the job post, you can include numbers like:

  • How many years you’ve been in business
  • How long employees stay
  • Benefits or Perks

You may also include a highlight of your company’s mission, vision, and values to your candidates if they are culturally fit for your company.

Expected Results

Show your success criteria for the first year of your applicant on the job.  It will help them know exactly what the company expects from them and gives them an idea of what they are expected to achieve personally and for the company.  Provide realistic, concrete, and quantifiable achievements for your job post as specific metrics on how they can get the job done.

Post Early in the Week

Mondays are the most heavily-trafficked day on job search engines, and the day that prospective employers receive the most applications from potential candidates.  Hence, if you post early in the week, on a Monday, you can get a better pool of candidates.  Job hunters tend to feel fresh and ripe with potential at the beginning of the week.

Finding the Right Person for the Job

When your job post clearly communicates the job expectations to candidates, these candidates will become more engaged and interested.  It will increase the probability of getting the right person to fill in the job opening.

Follow these job posting tips to boost your job posting strategy and attract millions of candidates. Make sure you have essential information like the job title, location, description, responsibilities, and qualifications or requirements, stated in a clear and concise manner.  Let your applicants know that working with you is the best choice.