How to Write a Good Job Posting
Finding a new hire can be difficult. This is especially true now as businesses across the country in all different industries are struggling to find workers. The best way to make it through this is to put together the best job posting possible.
By putting together an effective job posting, you are putting yourself in a position to get the right applicants quickly and make the interview process easier. That’s why we put together this comprehensive guide detailing tips on how to write a good job posting.
Tips for Writing a Job Posting Effectively
The internet makes putting up a job posting much easier. That’s great in that you will be able to easily advertise your open position. However, that also means that you will have a ton of competition.
Essentially, job post writing has become a form of advertising and you have to put together your job posting in a way that sticks out and grabs a potential applicant’s attention.
Aim for the 300-700 Word Range
Looking at research from Textio, we can see that the most effective length for a job posting is between 300 and 700 words. They found that the best length is 610 words. Of course, hitting the exact word count isn’t nearly as important as getting the correct information across, so focus on what you’re righting first and aim for a more general range such as 300-700.
Use Clear and Specific Job Titles
Job titles are key. The two things that job seekers will look at when going through a job board are the job title and the company, and maybe a short description depending on the job board.
Stay away from too broad of titles. Something like “Engineer” or “Mechanic” doesn’t mean too much to the person applying. People want to tell just how good of a fit they would be for a job just by looking at the job title. By being clear, you’ll avoid having to sift through unqualified or uninterested applicants.
Describe and Sell the Job and Company
In the job posting, you will most likely have a box where you can put a description. With such an open-ended prompt, it can be difficult to know exactly what to put here.
Here is our suggestion for what to include:
- Describe the job – Give the exact details of what the job entails.
- Sell the job – Include all of the perks, from benefits to the opportunity to grow in a specific area.
- Describe the company – Let the applicant know who they’re applying to.
- Sell the company – End your posting with why working for your company is great.
Remember to be concise and keep your posting in that target word count range of 300-700.
Be Open About the Application Process
Clarity is king. You have most likely decided internally what the steps are for applicants. This should be clearly laid out in your job posting. It is especially important to highlight the next step in the process.
If possible, put in how long the process should take.
Compare Your Job Posting to Your Competitors
Before you put your ad out there, be sure to take a look at what your competitors are doing.
If there’s some sort of common theme between their postings, you may want to consider including it in your job posting. Now, just because everyone is doing it doesn’t mean it’s inherently the right thing to do. If everyone is making a mistake, it could be your chance to capitalize by avoiding it. You will have to use your best judgment to decide how to approach something that all of your competitors are doing.
Mobile vs Desktop
In terms of optimizing your job posting for mobile or desktop, we’re at a point where you’ll have to ensure that your posting works correctly on both mediums.
Glassdoor did an in-depth study on the topic and found that, depending on the age group, 36%-52% of those seeking a job search on their mobile phone. That sits with 65+ being the age group with 36% and ages 35-44 being the highest group with 52% using mobile to look for jobs.
With this roughly 50/50 split, you will have to keep in mind that job seekers will be finding your posting on desktop, mobile, and even tablets. Be sure to get your job posting formatted correctly for all of these options.
How to Post Your Job Ads
There are a ton of job board websites out there. You most likely have heard of some of the big ones like LinkedIn and Indeed, but the list goes on and on, including many that are industry or job-specific.
Ideally, you would post on every job board website that you can, as long as it’s applicable to the position. However, if you’re doing manual posting, this will be incredibly difficult. You should post on the biggest general job boards and a couple of industry-specific job boards.
If you want to extend your reach, you can use HR software that allows you to easily spread your job postings through various job sites. With this software you can ensure that you aren’t missing out on the next great employee by appearing on every job board you want.
