Are You Wasting Time With Vague Job Ads?

According to the Citizens Advice Bureau, it’s time for employers and recruiters alike to pull their socks up and start creating job adverts that effectively communicate key information about vacant roles.

It was claimed that nine out of ten job ads on internet recruitment portals failed to meet requirements outlined by the Advertising Standards Agency, and failed to give basic key information about pay and hours.

So the message here is really quite clear. Businesses need to start crafting clear job adverts that share as much information as possible. Not only will this help jobseekers to assess whether a certain role could potentially be right for them, it’ll also save recruiters – that’s you and your business, a huge amount of time when it comes to handling inquiries and sifting through C.V's from applicants who aren’t suitable, or who aren’t willing or able to work within the constraints of the role in question.

Planning to take on new staff in the near future, and eager to get this right? You might find it useful to implement the following tips:

Make sure you really understand what the job’s all about

As your business grows, you’ll probably be doing everything you can to ensure that you’re still up to speed with what’s going on with the operational side of things. The reality here though is that you can’t do everything. Before attempting to write a job advert, ask yourself truthfully whether you’re really familiar with all that the role entails. If not, find out. Speak to someone who’s already doing the job, and get right back to basics.

Don’t try to hide the more negative aspects of the role

It might seem sensible to purposely not mention the less attractive parts of the job. This is counterproductive though, and will only cause you more problems in the long run. When you’re upfront and honest, you attract candidates who will be a better fit. This saves you time, money, and a great deal of hassle. You don’t want to interview candidates to find out that they won’t do these less attractive parts of the role!

Don’t cut corners with online adverts

There’s a tendency to not put as much effort into creating an online advert as you would for one that’s in print. Don’t underestimate the power of the web. Your content could be spread literally across the globe, so recognise this and make sure that you’re sending out the right messages. Remember that you still need to comply with employment legislation, and maintain the same high standards.

In summary

It’s widely recognised that recruitment can be a costly procedure, especially when you get it wrong. Take the time to ensure that you do things the right way from the very beginning, and you’re guaranteed to see much better results.

Need a little help with crafting adverts that attract the right people and paint your business in a positive light? We’d be delighted to offer you a free consultation. Get in touch with me today to avoid making these costly mistakes.

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Award Winning, Independent HR Expert.
Helping SME's to deliver great business results through their people