Posting a Job Ad - A Guide
Correct and accurate wording of a job ad has always been a difficult challenge for recruiters and human resources departments. In today's competitive market, where workplaces are fighting for professional, quality and skilled manpower, a striking and effective job ad is of great importance because it should attract as many relevant candidates as possible.
In this guide you will find quite a few tools and tips, which will help you in the search and search for the most suitable employees.
The first thing you need to make sure, even before you start the recruitment process, is to be well acquainted, in general, with the job you are interested in filling. This is the only way you can be precise in characterizing the job and locating the right candidate. If necessary, we interviewed the manager looking for the same employee, in order to get an accurate description of the nature of the job: what candidate he is looking for, required education, desirable work experience, and of course character traits that will allow the new employee quick integration and long-term success.
Accurate characterization of the position makes it possible to proceed to the second stage of wording the ad, while describing the position in a clear, transparent and effective manner, which appeals to candidates at eye level. Remember, a vague description of the job will leave job seekers with questions and concerns about the job, and will burden you as recruiters with unnecessary phone interviews of irrelevant candidates.
An ad worded as follows: "Diligent and serious employees are needed, with a head on their shoulders" will bring you a large number of candidates, most of whom are irrelevant. The more general and abstract the wording of the ad, the more its subjective interpretations in the eyes of any job seeker. Therefore, avoid the question "who is the perfect employee" but "who is the most suitable candidate for this specific job, in this organization".
Ad wording and length
The wording of the ad is not always as simple as it seems. In a perfect world, all we had to write was "need a programmer", but that's not the case. In such a job ad, beyond the desire not to convey contempt for the candidate and the job, it is also important to include the description of the company in which the candidate is to be accepted, a few words about the staff, what are the responsibilities and powers of the job, location of company offices, working hours and other requirements such as knowledge, experience, etc. .
It is important to provide the ad reader with as broad and deep an understanding as possible, in such a way that only suitable candidates will submit a resume and come to the job interview.
Winning title
It is easy and simple to formulate a job ad that no one will notice. Therefore, when possible, it is important to make sure that a title is drafted that will make the reader stop and delve into the details of the job, and later also send the resume. A prominent and effective headline, one that is eye-catching, will usually produce a higher response, and as a result will also increase the number of relevant resumes received.
It is also important to remember that any ad you post will be swallowed up among a plethora of other ads, which are also competing for the candidate's attention. Therefore, make sure that the title is short and focused, one that will capture the reader's attention while he, like most of us, "scans" the rest of the texts in other ads.
The title, being a kind of showcase, must include within it the primary information. Completely avoid headlines like “Come Discover Your Next Career” or “Cannon Job Only,” which may be nice, but very vague and mostly convey unreliability and excessive marketing.
Even the use of a "leading company in its field" style does not really do the job. If you have come across, on your own, a single number of such ads, it is likely that job seekers have come across dozens, if not hundreds, of ads worded in the same way. Therefore, be as careful as possible to formulate a title that will differentiate you, incorporate personal language and avoid using worn-out phrases. If it is important for you to note the fact that you are the leading company in its field, slightly change the wording to something like "an innovative biotechnology company".
So what can you do to write a targeted and yet effective headline? Write down the job itself, and if relevant add a few words about the field of activity of the recruiting company or alternatively a threshold requirement without which the recruitment process cannot be started. For example: "Spanish-speaking accountant for working with clients in South America" This is a title that will convey the message of the nature of the job and its threshold requirement. Alternatively, a headline in the style of "An experienced accountant for a successful insurance company" will reflect the job and market the organization in the same breath.
In the body of the ad It is recommended to choose a wording at eye level, with a personal address to the job seeker, while providing details about the job, and the reasons why it is worthwhile to work for the recruiting company.
In the first part - It is recommended to tell in a few words about the recruiting company in a separate paragraph about the job.
This is your place to introduce the company, its benefits and basically all the reasons why the job seeker should send a resume specifically to you. This is also the part where you can briefly present the main activities of the company, its strengths and points of attraction - it all of course depends on how familiar the market is with its activity and its work environment. If you are a famous company like "Facebook" or "Tnuva" then it is clear that there is no need to introduce the company and you should just state the name of the company and focus on the benefits that the company's employees receive. If, on the other hand, it is a small company or a start-up, then it is worth dedicating a line to the field of the company's activity and character.
job description - This is the place to tell about the role you are recruiting for. It is recommended to list the areas of responsibility that the job includes, record the scope of the job and detail the work environment. Choose an existing and familiar job definition, should not be original. Briefly detail the working hours, location and any other relevant information that may be material to the candidate. Is the salary especially worth it? Are the hours flexible? Mention it!
Caution: Generic jobs
A job ad looking for a “project manager” or “brand manager” or “manager” does not necessarily indicate what position it is. 'Identical' job names exist in different industries - it is necessary to make a distinction between recruiting a "project manager" who is responsible for marketing in the company and a "project manager" who is responsible for the company's website or a "project manager" in development. Each job requires a different job description that should be defined at the ad drafting stage.
Job requirements
It is recommended to refer to the desired education, the degree of experience in the field and also to mention in other points points that if the candidate is proficient in them, may constitute an advantage in his acceptance to the job. It is advisable to formulate the job requirements as broadly as possible, so that as many candidates as possible will contact you following the job advertisement, but at the same time not too broad because there is no reason to waste your time and time on candidates who do not clearly fit the job requirements.
In this section, it is also advisable to specify special requirements that every candidate must meet, such as knowledge of high-level languages or willingness to travel frequently abroad and the like.
But remember not to overdo the amount of requirements so as not to reduce too much the pool of candidates who will contact you at all.
Mandatory and advantage requirements Defining requirements is probably the most challenging step, because it forces us to think about what we are looking for in the candidate, what is important to us in terms of education and experience. Mandatory requirements are a threshold condition that you will not be able to compromise, while requirements that are defined as an advantage - are data that will be welcomed and may increase the chance of matching the candidate, but will not disqualify him due to their absence. Defining a critical requirement as "mandatory" will prevent a flood of unnecessary inquiries. You will be spared filtering work and candidates will have unnecessary disappointments.
Place, wages, hours
Place, salary, hours - refer to the basic details of the job: Sometimes, recruiters are so eager to "market" the job and the company, that they do not give enough space to the equally important data: the geographical location of the job, scope and conditions. It is true that many candidates are looking for job benefits and promotion options, but let’s remember: First and foremost, job seekers are interested in making a living. Therefore, if the job does not fit into their lives in terms of distance from home, working hours and salary level, it will not be relevant for them.
Each job in a separate ad
It is not advisable to post multiple jobs in the same job ad. This conveys a lack of seriousness towards the various candidates and a lack of individuality and personal face. Each job is characterized by different requirements and a different target audience, so it is worthwhile to advertise each job in a separate job ad.
Remember, each group in the population has different needs that should be emphasized in the ad. How do you do this in practice? Focus on the target audience, language, needs and the world of concepts they are familiar with. Here are some examples:
Veterans - Mostly interested in saving for a trip after the army and working with friends, in front of them stressed the salary and benefits from the state if any.
Students - When addressing students, it is worth emphasizing advantages such as great flexibility in working hours, a number of weekly shifts and consideration during exam periods.
Parents of children - Refer to data regarding the scope of the job, working hours and benefits for parents.
Senior officials - Indicate the areas of responsibility of the position and the accompanying conditions, as well as the scope of activity of the company and the number of employees.
High-tech workers - Detail the stage at which the company is. It is worth talking, in addition to salary and promotion options, also about the stability of the company and emphasizing it. A startup is sometimes perceived as a slightly temporary workplace that may close at any moment.
Ad visibility
It is very important not to stand out badly - so be sure to go through each ad before it is published and make sure it has no spelling errors, clear wording, and no internal contradictions. In addition, it is worth trying to give the ad a personal tone, this is not a 'sleazy' appeal to the job seeker, but professional language and the use of unwritten expressions from the content worlds of the job.
Discreet position
Discreet job? If there are no real "political" problems that prevent this, it is always better to include the name of the recruiting company and add a few words about the company. This way you will win not only the candidates who want the job, but also those who are interested in working for your company. It is worth remembering that about 50% of job seekers are already working - this means they are afraid to send a resume to their current employer, so they refrain from applying for discreet jobs, and rightly so.
Without discrimination
The law in Israel explicitly prohibits the publication of a discriminatory job advertisement, that is, an ad worded in a way that actually sets threshold requirements that make an illegitimate distinction between job seekers. Therefore pay attention to the legality of the ad wording. Check again that it does not contain any discrimination that is prohibited by law, such as: sex, sexual orientation, personal status, pregnancy, fertility treatments, IVF treatments, being a parent, age, race, religion, nationality, country of origin, place of residence, Worldview, political way and reserve service.
However, section 2 (c) of the Law provides for an exception to this rule, according to which when it comes to discrimination that is required by the nature or essence of the position or position, it is not considered discrimination under section 2 of the law.
The Hebrew language poses another challenge for us - the language of the ad must be worded in a way that does not discriminate against women, using the plural, (both male and female), or using neutral and non-gendered language.
Summary
The job ad you will post will usually also be your candidate's initial encounter with the company, making the impression the reader of the ad will get critical. Therefore, it is highly recommended to adhere to an ad that will generate immediate attraction and great interest, when it comes to the job itself, the company and the admission process to it. Remember that it is important to present things in a clear and well-worded manner, so that the candidates you want to interview will take the job with the proper seriousness, from the very first moment.
