Are you having trouble getting people to apply for jobs with your company? Your job post might be to blame. It could destroy your chances of hiring anyone worth hiring.
A job post is not something you can slap together quickly and expect to be a magnet for top talent in your industry. It’s a candidate’s first interaction with your brand, and your first chance to make an impression. So if you want to attract the right talent, you can’t continuously recycle the same tired job post and you most certainly can’t just post it and leave it online.
However, these are some of the many mistakes our executive search team in Toronto see with job ads. Too many companies treat it as an afterthought when they should be approaching it like a strategy document to attract candidates.
4 Things you are doing with job ads that are hurting your chances of hiring
Your job ad is one of the first things a candidate will read from your company. If it’s not written well or enticing, they could choose not to apply. Here are 4 reasons your ads may be hurting your recruitment efforts:
1. You used AI to write your job post
There is nothing wrong with using AI to assist you with your job post. Lots of companies use AI and have great success. However, you can’t post a job ad that is direct from ChatGPT or Google Gemini without customizing it. AI copy is generic and it lacks personalization. So, if you use AI to create job ads, use it as a tool to assist you with writing, not a final solution.
2. You leave the same job posting online all the time
There is a trend where companies add a job post online but they are not actually hiring. This is called a ghost job ad. Even if this is not your intention, you could get lumped into this group. Candidates could become suspicious of the job ads and choose not to apply.
3. There is too much information
This may sound odd, but you can have too much information in your job ad that it drives potential candidates away. We’ve all come to a webpage, seen a giant block of text, and clicked away. Job ads need to be well formatted and include the most important information only. Include the information the candidate needs to apply and understand the job. You can provide additional information during the interview.
4. The information you provide is vague
All information you include in a job ad needs to be specific. Avoid jargon and generalizations. Include specific job titles, duties, compensation information and the other things that candidates want to learn about a company in a job post.
A find word about writing effective job postings
Writing an effective job post is essential to attract the right candidates and avoid hurting your hiring efforts. A job ad is a strategic tool that reflects your company’s values, culture, and commitment to prospective employees. Avoid common pitfalls like generic AI-generated copy, outdated postings, and overwhelming or vague information. This will significantly improve your chances of finding top talent.
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