It’s time to fill an essential role in your company, but responses to your job postings have been lackluster. You’ve done all the right things with the job ad itself — you’ve included information about the job duties, advancement possibilities, company culture, and every other piece of information a job hunter needs. However, the most perfectly crafted job ad is completely useless if the job seeker either can’t find the ad, or the title isn’t interesting enough for him/her to click on it. Take a close look at your job ad title and put your marketer glasses on in order to make it shine.
The reality of a job hunter’s world is that there’s not a lot getting through the noise of major job boards. If you want your ad to stand out, you have to do more than stuff the title full of keywords and hope for the best. You want to attract high-quality talent, and a job ad that blends in with the crowd isn’t going to attract the best and brightest. Here are some ideas for creating a job ad that stands out and attracts top talent.
1. Deviate From Your Company Job Title
Here’s a secret for you: You don’t have to keep the exact company job title for your ad. You especially don’t want to keep the job title intact if it’s a tad obscure, as your ideal candidates might never see the job on in their searches. Adjust the position title to accurately reflect what a potential candidate is looking for.
2. Show Personality
You can wax poetic about your company culture in the job description, but you have to get a potential candidate to the expanded information first. Don’t provide a dry job title — speak to the candidate in a language he/she will understand and respond to. Make the job title a call to action, or use colloquial terms common to your candidate’s demographic. The more you can do to speak to potential candidates on a personal level and let some of your company culture come through, the better.
3. Keep the Keywords Around
While you want to show personality, you also don’t want to throw keywords out the window entirely. Job seekers use a variety of tools to sort through the thousands of job listings in their field, as well as avoid miscategorized spam and scammy opportunities. If you don’t have the keywords that they’re looking for, you’re never going to have a chance at getting your ad in front of them. Begin your search for appropriate keywords on job listings sites and by searching through the terms similar postings use. Take a look at Google search results and the Bureau of Labor Statistics to discover other commonly used terms that describe the job you’re hiring for.
4. Mind the Length
A longer job title may be more descriptive and lets you fit in plenty of keywords, but brevity is important. Job seekers peruse listings quickly, and they won’t pay attention to something that’s too wordy. In addition, many job listings sites have character restrictions, so it’s important to craft a title that works with your chosen posting platforms, while still conveying the information you need.
It’s too easy to be lazy with your job ad titles. Swap your management hat for a marketing hat, and you’ll pull in the best candidates for your role.
Author
Jenn Steele
Jen Steele is a dynamic, results-driven leader with over two decades of experience in the technology and marketing industries. As the CEO of KissMetrics, Jen is responsible for driving the company's strategic direction, growth, and overall success.
