Job adverts, or job advertisements, are the most critical and criminally misunderstood aspect of hiring high-quality talent efficiently. They serve as the first touchpoint between your company and potential candidates, influencing whether they apply or not. But what exactly is a job advert, and how can you ensure yours stands out? This guide will explore the definition of a job advert, its key components, and strategies for creating one that attracts diverse, qualified candidates.
What is a job advert?
A job advert is a public announcement designed to attract job seekers to apply for an open position. Unlike a job description, which is an internal document outlining detailed responsibilities, qualifications, and leveling that is not intended to be understood by someone outside the company, a job advert is external-facing. It distills the essentials into a compelling message aimed at engaging and informing potential candidates.
As we highlight in “The Difference Between a Job Description and a Job Posting,” you may see the terms used interchangeably. Referring to a ‘job posting’ or ‘job ad’ as a ‘job description’ isn’t a big deal, but using a job description as a job ad is.
Why job adverts matter
An effective job advertisement does more than inform—it inspires action. It forms the foundation of an effective hiring process that aligns your opportunity with target talent. In addition to providing an overview of the open role, it often serves as an introduction to your company. If you work for a smaller company, this may be the first time someone learns you exist. With effective job adverts, you will:
- Attract a broad pool of qualified, diverse candidates
- Reduce time-to-fill by attracting interested, aligned, and qualified candidates
- Showcase your company culture and values, invest in your employer brand
Components of an effective job advert
A job advert is only effective if it speaks to talent and the job boards that so often serve as gatekeepers to that talent. Your job advert should provide a clear, engaging picture of what it’s like to work at your company and ensure it is findable on job boards. Critical components include:
- A Clear, Common Job Title
Use a title that accurately reflects the role and common talent market titling. Avoid overly creative terms like “Sales Ninja” that might confuse job seekers and limit exposure on job boards. Job titles matter, often more than many believe. - Employer Value Proposition (EVP)
Highlight what makes this role and your company unique to capture interest immediately. Ensure this is meaningfully consistent across all job adverts to reflect your brand to the entire talent market. - Relatable Responsibilities and Requirements
Focus on what the role entails and the qualifications that are truly required. Eliminate those that you “wish” a candidate would possess. Overqualification of jobs leads to a confidence gap that may dramatically reduce the diversity (and quality) of your applicant pool. - Benefits and Perks
Showcase your company’s offerings, from competitive salaries to professional development opportunities. Be thoughtful, and consistent, as benefits are increasingly a differentiator for talent (and a focal point for regulators).
In short, a job advert should answer candidates’ key questions while authentically reflecting your company’s identity and priorities. Datapeople’s Smart Editor makes it effortless to automate these elements of effective job adverts.
Best practices for writing job adverts
Writing an effective job advert is both an art and a science. It’s your chance to attract the right talent by showcasing your company’s values, culture, and opportunities while setting clear expectations. In this section, we’ll explore strategies to craft job adverts that engage candidates, align with best practices, and support diversity and inclusion efforts.
- Focus on Inclusive Content
Inclusive content helps you reach the largest possible applicant pool. It goes beyond merely focusing on gendered language to eliminate biases and encourages more diverse, qualified candidates to apply. - Embrace Standardization
In today’s competitive job market, standardized job posts help you win. They not only unlock efficiency, but they also ensure your process is fair and inclusive to secure target talent. Standardization can mean a lot, start smart and make an immediate impact with pre-building templates. - Be Transparent About Compensation
Including salary ranges builds trust and saves time by setting clear expectations upfront. It is also becoming increasingly important for both regulators and job boards. And if you need another reason, not including or misrepresenting is a common reason your job may fall into “job board jail.” - Leverage SEO, Location, and Tags
Incorporate keywords, be specific about location, and embrace platform-specific tags to elevate visibility. For example, #LI-Remote will help ensure you show up in remote-only searches. In this article, LinkedIn shares additional best practices for SEO. - Publish Strategically
Post on platforms where your target candidates are most likely to see your advert, such as niche job boards or LinkedIn / Indeed. While it may be enticing to optimize your job advert for your own careers website, the reality is most candidates will experience it elsewhere.
A great job advert goes beyond simply listing responsibilities; it communicates what makes your company unique, what candidates can expect, and how they’ll contribute to the team’s success. It becomes an essential building block for your efficient and effective hiring process.
Examples of high-impact job adverts
Job advert creation is a critical step in the hiring process—yet it’s often overlooked or rushed. Many hiring managers rely on outdated job descriptions or hastily written job posts, not out of apathy, but because they lack the right tools or guidance. However, investing in well-crafted job adverts can make all the difference. For inspiration, consider these creative examples we showcased in our Good Job! blog series.
- Qualifications: Conagra’s job advert lists only what is required, without additional (distracting) wish list items.
- Benefits: Electric Hydrogen’s benefits go beyond the normal to list unique benefits that would be attractive to their target talent.
- Diversity Statement: Deliveroo has some fun with this one, their statement not only lists protected identity types but also displays a bit of their personality as a company.
The best job adverts do more than just attract applicants; they resonate with the right candidates, set clear expectations, and reduce costly inefficiencies in the hiring process.
The key to attracting target talent
A job advert is more than a notification of an open position; it’s a reflection of your company’s culture and values. By focusing on clarity, inclusivity, and strategic placement, you can craft job adverts that resonate with a diverse pool of candidates and drive successful hiring outcomes.
Do you want to fast-track your company’s creation of effective job adverts? With Datapeople your hiring teams will quickly create inclusive, compliant job ads that attract qualified, diverse talent. These job adverts will be infused with your company and hiring standards and informed by insights from over 100 million hiring actions. You can learn more about our Talent Acquisition Efficiency platform by scheduling time with one of our talent attraction experts.