One of the biggest challenges facing the tech recruiting world today is how to write a job advertisement that will attract quality candidates. The recent COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting economic fall-out has resulted in vastly inflated and atypical applicant pools, especially in the IT and tech industries, where recent graduates are vying with experienced professionals for the limited positions available. At the same time, more candidates are unwilling to travel to interviews, relocate for a new position, or consider leaving a reasonably stable position for a new and untested employer. Recruiters are also working with tighter budgets, making it difficult to deploy all the bells and whistles needed to attract top candidates.
In this new tech recruitment environment, posting a tired, templated, rambling job advertisement is one of the worst things you could do. As tempting as it may be to reuse old copy, short-cuts in the job-posting process will discourage the candidates you want to attract and ultimately set your recruitment process up for failure.
Job Descriptions v. Job Advertisements
First, it is important to understand that a job advertisement is not the same as a job description. Often written by management in conjunction with the HR team, a job description is a detailed and comprehensive document that lays out every aspect of the duties and responsibilities of a role. It is amazingly useful for administrative tasks such as performance reviews and pay-scale evaluation, but simply put, it’s just not fun reading. To write a good job description, you need to think like a manager; but to write a great job advertisement, you need to think like a marketing expert.
The Importance of an Attention-Grabbing Job Ad
A well-written job ad is important because it is the first contact you will have with that potential perfect employee; you want it to catch candidates’ attention and really sell your company and job opening to them. A skillfully written job advertisement does not just attract candidates – it attracts the best candidates and makes them want to work for you. Without a good job ad, your post will not stand out from the hundreds of similar tech recruiting job ads out there, and it will not motivate candidates to apply.
Equally Important in Tech Recruiting: Job Ads and Interviews
A common misconception is the idea that the job advertisement matters less than the job interview: after all, the interview is where you really get to know the candidates and choose the best person for the job, right?
If you think about it, this argument is a bit like saying the ingredients matter less than the chef. Sure, a good chef can do magical things with humble ingredients, but there is no denying that the very best meal starts with the best high-quality ingredients. The same is true for your job search: for a great interview experience, you need to start with the best candidates possible.
The job selection process of tech recruiting is time-consuming and expensive. In addition to the investment of employee time and effort to interview a candidate, there is also the cost of candidate meal and travel expenses. You want to make sure that that investment in time and resources is spent on the best candidates possible. An engaging, compelling job ad will help you attract those candidates.
A Tech Recruiting Agency’s Expert Advice
To save you falling into the trap of settling for a boring, re-hashed job ad, here are our top five tips for writing job ad copy for tech recruiting that really reels in quality candidates.
1. Write About What’s Catching Their Attention
If you are going to coax that amazing candidate away from an already secure position, you need to offer candidates exactly what they are looking for. It, therefore, pays to know what new hires are particularly interested in today and what workplace expectations are trending.
Especially in these times of uncertainly, employees want to know that they will be happy, secure, and well-compensated in a new position. Highlighting exactly how your organization and job opening can fulfill these desires will give you a better chance of catching the attention of top-quality candidates.
2. Be Thorough, Detailed and Specific
Although you don’t want to inundate potential candidates with the minutiae that characterizes a full job description, you do need to make sure that your ad provides a thorough, detailed, and specific summary of what the job entails. In tech recruiting, just like most other sectors, candidates are unlikely to apply for a position if they are uncertain about exactly what will be involved – no one likes to start off in a position of uncertainty.
Provide a brief but specific summary of the key duties, responsibilities, and expectations that the candidate should be aware of, as well as any (genuinely) essential skills and qualifications. Avoid vague language and meaningless buzz words; instead, focus on making each responsibility sound like an exciting and fulfilling prospect.
3. Emphasize Unique Company Offerings
If you want to stand out from the crowd of potential employers all vying for the attention of the top candidates, then you need to stand out as a top employer. Your job ad is the ideal venue for shouting about the unique benefits, employee perks, company ethos, organizational culture, and corporate values that make your organization an amazing employer to work for. Tell potential candidates exactly why they will love working with you: will they have the chance to enjoy outstanding professional development opportunities, or free in-house yoga every Monday? Don’t be shy about selling your company as an awesome place to work.
4. Include Salary Specifications or Ranges
Of course, the bottom line most employees are interested in is the salary or compensation range. Even during a lockdown and impending recession, research suggests that salaries in the UK tech and IT sectors remain strong, rising by as much as 38% since last year. To attract the best talent, therefore, employers need to make sure the salaries they offer are undeniably competitive in the tech recruiting world.
5. Make Your Post Visually Appealing
Finally, like any good advertisement, a job ad that makes use of visual elements is much more likely to be effective. We live in a highly visual culture, and advertising copy that makes use of visual and graphic elements will come across as professional and in step with the times. Use video, images, colours and text effects, and really great design will help your ad stand out from the crowd.
Need Help in Tech Recruiting?
Navigating the post-pandemic recruitment environment can be challenging. To make sure your job advertising is meeting the needs of the new recruitment context, you need professional HR experts with extensive experience and in-depth knowledge of the tech industry.
To learn more about how a Redimeer recruitment specialist can help you craft an outstanding, compelling job advertisement, get in touch with us today.
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