Technology and a candidate-driven market have changed the way you create job postings – at least if you expect to draw the best-qualified candidates. You can’t just “put it out there,” you have to think strategically. And you have to remember that hiring is a two-way street. Your posting has to sell your company as a desirable place to work, not just a place with a job opening. The best candidates expect you to be among the best, too.
How can a simple job posting accomplish all that?
Top Ideas to Keep in Mind When Creating a Modern Job Post
Start With the Past
Who responded to similar postings in the past? Were they qualified? If not, your ad may not have been specific enough. Or alluring enough. What words are your most-desired candidates using to search? Beyond your headline, the body of your posting should include a few of these keywords to ensure your ad shows up in front of the right people. Which leads to our next point...
Use Accurate and Relevant Keywords
Since you’ll be posting online, you have to appeal to search engines as well as humans. Using highly relevant keywords throughout the title and body of the job posting is essential in getting heard. In fact, the more detailed your job posting is, the better off it will be considered highly relevant and thus considered for a top slot in a Google search. In addition to the main duties of the job, you should discuss the requirements, the city and state in which it is located, and any other miscellaneous information job seekers might consider when searching for open positions. There are a variety of tools out there that show you the most popular keywords to incorporate into your job posting so as to remain relevant and thus shoot to the top of search results.
As always, you should be sure to use the top keywords strategically, rather than tossing them into the copy without concern for their frequency. This is a big no-no for search engines and could cost you a quality position in searches. Instead, try variations on a term. For example, instead of writing “jobs in San Francisco,” write “jobs in the Bay Area.” This will help expand your search potential while still honing in on the commonly searched keywords.
Choose the Right Title
While job boards and social media have made it easier for potential employees to find your company and available position, the importance of optimizing your individual job postings to appear at the top of a Google search can’t be understated. Since the job title serves as our headline, put that first, then you can add other words such as location, “great job,” etc. if you want. It’s a good idea to stick close to standard industry job titles to avoid confusion. Look at the industry standard and start from there to boost visibility.
Don’t Forget Meta Titles and URLs
The same can be said for the meta title, the bit of text used by search engines and seen by users in search results. Highly relevant, keyword-optimized meta titles will increase your job posting’s chances of being seen, and will entice job searchers to click on the link. In addition to the name of the position, you should include the city and state in which it’s listed. Treat URLs the same way. Rather than allowing your website content management system to auto-populate it, include a keyword-optimized URL that combines the job title with the city and state. This will provide added benefit in searches, and when used in conjunction with meta titles and keyword-optimized job details, they will further increase your job posting’s chances of reaching the top of search results.
Make Your Ad Easy to Read
With so many people using smartphones and tablets for everyday searches, mobile-friendly presentation is a must. Use your brand-specific colors and include your logo. Keep paragraphs short, with a blank space between. Use short sentences and a bulleted list or two to make your key points. Try to keep lists to no more than five bullets, rather than a laundry list. (After all, you’re going to invite them to “click here” to read the detailed job description.)
Tell Them a Little About Yourself
Bypass the boilerplate “about us” paragraph. Candidates probably don’t care that you’ve been in business since 1956, but they do care about what it’s like to work at your company. If you have great or unusual benefits, say so. If the work atmosphere is casual, flexible, fun or otherwise enticing, say so. If you offer superior work/personal development opportunities, say so. What differentiates your company, making you the preferred employer?
Promote Shareability
Posting the job on social media websites like Facebook and Twitter will not only increase your audience size, but also help improve its chances of being deemed more relevant by Google. The same can be said for job boards like Indeed and CareerBuilder. Posting your job on these and other websites but including a link back to the job posting itself will help deem it more relevant, and thus gain more clout in searches.
Referrals are one of the most common methods of hiring the best people, so optimizing your job posting to allow for potential recruits to share it with others is essential. Including the ability to automatically share the job posting on social media sites and blogs is a great way to create additional backlinks to help with your job posting’s SEO.
Call Them to Action
You want them to apply, so invite them to do that. Make it easy to apply online, to download the form and detailed job description. Include your company’s contact information. No, you don’t want to be inundated with calls, but including contact information adds greater credibility to your posting.
Proof Before You Post
Just as a mistake-ridden resume or cover letter is off-putting to you, the same holds true for prospective candidates. If you wrote it, have someone else proofread it.
Follow Up, With Everyone
Use an auto-responder to acknowledge every application, giving people some idea about your decision-making timeframe. When you’ve made your final decision, notify every applicant. Too many employers don’t take this simple step, but a company with bad manners soon gets a reputation as an undesirable employer.
Putting these tips to use when you craft your next job posting will help you attract top talent and show them you’re a top-choice employer, too. That’s the kind of match that leads to a working relationship everyone can appreciate.
