Job post creation: one of the most important yet least invested-in steps of the hiring process. We’ve all experienced situations where hiring managers churn out rushed job posts (or blatantly rip off ones they find on the web). They often do so not because they don’t care, but because they don’t know how to do any better. In this post, we’ll show you, and your hiring managers, how to better position yourself to hire your desired candidates more efficiently.
Successful job ads quickly and cheaply attract sizable, diverse pools of highly qualified candidates. They set accurate expectations up front to minimize candidate drop-off from application to offer, and they enable you to consistently fill open roles fast with talented new hires. Yet fewer than half of employers think their job posts are effective.
Here at Datapeople, we’ve analyzed over 65 million job listings and millions of hiring outcomes from around the globe to understand exactly what makes the best jobs work. And in this series, Good Job!, we dissect stellar (according to hard data and proven results) excerpts from real job posts so you can learn ways to instantly improve your own jobs – and improve your overall hiring process and performance.
Powerful perks: an electrical engineer post with winning benefits
Headquartered in Massachusetts, Datapeople customer Electric Hydrogen is revolutionizing renewable energy and the fight against climate change by manufacturing the world’s most powerful electrolyzers. Their recent job listing for an electrical engineer scored highly. Datapeople’s Smart Editor combines everything hiring teams need to know about job content into a single predictive score. In our review, our experts (and platform) were particularly impressed with Electric Hydrogen’s benefits section, shown below.
Why this benefits section works
A job ad is just that: an advertisement, meant to attract as many qualified applicants as possible. And the benefits section is arguably the easiest place to sell job seekers on your company and open role – if you don’t treat writing it as a mindless box-checking exercise. Electric Hydrogen takes every advantage of this precious opportunity to woo qualified candidates and jumpstart the rest of the hiring process.
It explicitly lists individual benefits
Many of us assume that standard benefits, such as health insurance in the US, come with the territory for at least full-time roles. But with the world of work and employer/employee psychological contract rapidly evolving, savvy job seekers no longer assume anything. They want to know exactly what benefits and total rewards your company offers to determine if they can afford to work there financially, emotionally, and otherwise. By naming “medical, dental, vision” insurance and more, Electric Hydrogen leaves nothing to applicants’ imaginations.
Our research tells us this transparent show-versus-tell approach is much more effective than including an opaque statement. Yet applicants still frequently encounter, “We offer industry-leading benefits to take care of you and your family.” Some job seekers might interpret this vagueness as a sign that you don’t provide a competitive package, while others will apply with the impression that your benefits are unusually robust. These candidates may then withdraw from the hiring process upon learning your benefits don’t meet their needs. Early alignment, or setting clear expectations in your job post, is imperative to guard against expensive, inefficient candidate drop-off and ghosting in later stages.
Another, er, benefit of listing out each of your individual benefits? Popular job search engines such as LinkedIn, Glassdoor, and Google have started extracting them from job posts and adding attention-grabbing badges to search results (e.g., a tooth to represent dental insurance). Tipping off these algorithms is a great way to make your listings even more discoverable and attractive to qualified job seekers, enabling you to fill your top of funnel, and eventually your reqs, faster.
It includes perks (on top of meaningful benefits)
The salary for this senior engineer role is $173,000-$190,000 (which we know because Electric Hydrogen is in compliance with California’s pay transparency requirements – another reason this job ad is top-tier!). So the “$75/month cell phone allowance” (or extra $900/year) is unlikely to materially impact the finances of the candidate ultimately offered the position. But as Electric Hydrogen knows, it still has an important place in the job ad.
A cell phone allowance (or company vehicle, or gym membership, etcetera) is what we consider a perk: a special incentive that typically helps employees perform better. While perks don’t have a substantial impact on someone’s well-being, they can go a long way toward attracting (and retaining) qualified talent. Not just because they cut the cost of living slightly, but because they make people feel seen and supported. As the war for talent wages on, thoughtful perks can give you a leg up on the competition and convince job seekers to apply for your openings and ultimately accept your offers.
It’s worth noting, however, that perks are the icing on the cake that is your total rewards package – not the cake itself. Electric Hydrogen’s job post is so influential because it includes perks in addition to benefits, which are defined as non-wage compensation that supplement salary. Since Electric Hydrogen already has the life-changing stuff covered (e.g., health insurance, a 401(k), equity), they’ve earned the right to broadcast their perks. If you’re not providing the fundamentals, mentioning insignificant perks won’t do much to elevate the performance of your job post or recruiting efforts.
It considers the candidate perspective
Again, a job post is a marketing document. It’s intended to build a strong candidate pipeline that makes every remaining step of the recruiting process easier and more efficient. Each sentence of a job post presents a chance for you to highlight what potential candidates can expect (and look forward to!) should they join your company. When you view the writing process through that lens, as Electric Hydrogen has, both what to include and how to communicate it persuasively become much more obvious.
For example, Electric Hydrogen doesn’t simply say that they offer medical insurance. They articulate that “100%” of “premiums for employees and their families” are “fully paid” by the company. Put yourself in the shoes of a job seeker. What does this tell you? Your take-home pay will be higher. Your health is a priority. And if you’re a parent or caregiver, you’re welcome and valued. Pretty compelling, right?
Of course, funding 100% of health insurance is generous, and your company may not give benefits this attractive. That doesn’t mean your job posts can’t be attractive. It’s all about looking at what you have to offer from the candidate perspective and showcasing what matters to them – which isn’t always cash.
Insurance plans that cover domestic partners, fertility treatment, or gender-affirming care demonstrate your commitment to diversity and inclusion. Mental health care shows your concern for your staff’s physical and emotional well-being. Upskilling opportunities or an internal mobility program illustrate your investment in employees’ career growth.
Like Electric Hydrogen says, “Base salary is just one part of [the] total rewards package.” To win the talent you want, you must convince them that you’re in their best interest holistically. Meaning everything they’ll receive from your organization – from the paycheck they get biweekly to the culture they experience each day – is worth more than what another employer can provide.
Good jobs need clear, compelling benefits (and so much more)
An inclusive, effective, data-driven job post is often the difference between a successful hire and no hire at all. At Datapeople, we’re here to help your hiring teams write the next chapter in your talent acquisition journey, one successful post at a time.
Ready to achieve your desired hiring outcomes and unleash the power of scientifically optimized jobs? Click to learn more about Datapeople’s Smart Editor and see how you can unlock the world of context- and market-driven job posts that propel hiring goals forward!
