5 Easy Ways to Boost Job ad Response Rate Today

A quick scan of job adverts on job boards and careers sites shows that many employers are missing a trick (well, several tricks) when writing their job descriptions. These job descriptions are not that well optimized to attract talent and/or attract the qualified talent. I have no doubt that some of the issues come from ignorance but many of the issues stem from time-pressurized employers just wanting to “get the advert up.” The trouble is that studies show that the main reason for bad hires is rushing, according to this CareerBuilder survey, and one thing which suffers during a rushed hire is the initial job description quality – which can put you on the back foot from the beginning.

But, even if you are rushed, time pressurized, or not that skilled in job description writing, there are several simple modifications you can make to your job advert to make it more effective.

1. Maximum 250 words.

This study from TheLadders  shows that the average job seeker spends about a minute deciding on whether he/she is going to apply for a role. By my own estimates, you can read about 250 words of content in a minute. So, if you want to ensure that the reader doesn’t tune out before reading all the pertinent parts of the job description, save your energy and keep it to 250 words.

2. Inverted Pyramid.

If you need to write 250 word plus job adverts, at least try and follow the inverted pyramid  format for content presentation, used in the advertising and journalism world. Start your job description with a lead of the most critical info which might be around 30 words and could include some kind of hook or provocative question. In the next 200 words or so, known as the body, you include crucial information which will be expanding on the role, including the most pertinent job information, key benefits, key differentiators, etc. And the tail of the job description can follow this and this can include some additional content and background info, which expands more on the role, the company, benefits, etc.

3. Avoid Cheesy Jargon

Cheesy jargon does not make your company seem cool and hip; a study from Monster has shown  that 57 percent of job seekers are put off for applying for a role that includes jargon, and 40 percent say they see job titles that they don’t understand. So, be careful if you decide to funk up the job title, using terms like “ninja”, as you may be obscuring the real job.

4. Include some personality in the job description

Job seekers are increasingly being drawn to companies due to the culture, so write in a tone and style that reflects the culture and personality of your business – and you will attract people more likely to fit that culture.

5. Include video

Now, not all job boards will enable you to embed or link to an employer branding video, but if you can then do so as a CareerBuilder study shows that you will get 12 percent more applicants as a result.