​Searching for certain roles within an industry can be a minefield in itself, without having to wade through confusing jargon and irrelevant details that can put us off. Not only that, there can also be some misinformation which doesn’t give a full picture of the role itself, what the company is like and what the true offer on the table really is. Not only does it waste your time reading through the advert, it doesn’t put the company in good stead either. 

Businesses are selling themselves short when attracting top talent because of the lack of these fundamentals from the very start. A company needs to be upfront, creative and confident with what they have to offer. Whether that’s salary, legal requirements such as holiday and pension, or some of the extra benefits such as gym memberships and private health insurance. As we witness a shortage of employees in today’s current climate, and with staff demanding more due to the cost of living crisis, employers need to truly craft their job advertisements. 

We all know that when a position in a company becomes available, directors and HR departments have a rough idea of the salary they are willing to put forward. We understand that in some cases, it is necessary to not advertise salary, but in these cases, you should always have that information available to discuss with candidates directly. Candidates can easily search for the role they are looking for and find a ballpark figure for what the average company is paying. Naturally, if candidates scroll past a posting that offers less than what they are currently earning, they’ll simply move along because they appreciate their worth and where they are placed in the market. If an advert reads ‘competitive salary’, they may not be instantly put off but they are less likely to put in the time and effort to submit an application. It’s best to ensure that you include direct contact information in the advert, so that potential candidates can first call to clarify on this and discuss the role directly with the Recruiter.

Adverts should include the important information as a priority at the top of an advertisement. Our attention span is a lot shorter and there are a plethora of jobs out there looking for candidates. You want to impress them from the very start as candidates want to be rewarded - from beer and pizza Fridays to outstanding facilities and hybrid working. Just ask our team at Omega!

Perhaps you’re posting a position on your own website, on LinkedIn, through a job search engine or with a recruitment agency.Putting together a crafted advert that will entice high quality candidates takes time and much thought - regardless of what platform it’s being hosted on. You want to set the bar high and project the right expectations upfront for the skills you are looking for but also what the candidate will receive in return. The jobs market is very competitive at the moment, so you also want to stand out from the crowd to catch that future employee’s eye as they are scrolling through pages of adverts. But how do you achieve this? 

Within one industry, job titles can be pretty standard. But what if you mixed it up with an unusual job title that grabs an individual’s attention at first click. This worked wonders for Twitter when they advertised for a ‘Tweeter in Chief’. They were basically looking for someone to run their official Twitter account, but the title was certainly different to the usual ‘Social Media Manager’ introduction. They also continued with their brand tone of voice throughout the advert, playful with the odd bird reference, to keep it consistent. Blocks of text can come across as boring, so make sure to put your personality into the posting. 

Give outsiders an insight into the company with a recruitment video that shows them around the office, introduces them to the main players in the business and also highlights why it’s a great place to work. Fiverr, the website for freelance services, is a great example of this. It made fun of a traditional office and made something truly creative promoting the fact that you can work remotely from anywhere in the world by signing up to the site. Think outside of the text box and think about imaginative ways to pull in the right people. 

IBM is also another example of this as they used infographics to get to the point quickly of what skills and experience they were after, what benefits they had to offer and what the role entailed. This featured graphs, bullet points, bright colours and bold text. It was reported that previous adverts they produced for a role with unique needs could take up to 72 hours to formulate because it was so text heavy. However, after this intervention not only was it less time consuming to create, it was easier to share with downloadable PDFs, and the best part…they saw an impressive increase in the number of qualified candidates applying for the roles.

Also, think about how you’re raising awareness about how great the company is to work for away from the job advertisement itself. Become a business that people aspire to work for. Nando's have their very own careers social media channel showcasing employees progression stories, whilst Google gives a transparent view into the inner workings of their company by showcasing the fun culture of their HQ and work diaries to give a true insight into the working lives of those there. Aldi also use social media to their advantage to promote that they’ve been recognised in employment awards. 

There are many ways to attract great talent, and importantly it needs to be published in a way that is organic and true to you. Be ahead of the competition by understanding your target candidate by knowing who they are, where to find them and what they value. Make sure your advert is easy to understand and digest. And above all, highlight what the benefits are for them. By rethinking your recruitment strategy you’ll be amazed by the difference made. 

At Omega we provide a wide range of temporary, contract and permanent opportunities, in partnership with leading employers locally and nationwide. We’ll work with you to find that perfect candidate. Speak to our team on 01453 827333 to see how we can help you or visit our website today.