How to Write Job Posts That Attract the Best Job Seekers

On your mark, get set, go!

You feel like Usain Bolt running the 100-meter relay in Rio. The two-weeks-notice baton has been passed to you, and you’re off on the search for a new hire. The job post is out, but it’s not yielding the top talent you were hoping for.

Maybe the problem is that your posts don’t appeal to the prospects you’re hoping to attract in the job market.

Here are four ways to make sure your job posts catch the eyes of your next gold-medal employee:

1. Emphasize the Important Information

Prospective employees scour job boards and social media sites for the perfect jobs. This doesn’t leave a lot of time for reading through tons of useless information. They want to know right away what your job can offer them.

It’s also important to remember that many people looking for new jobs are happy with their current employers. That means your job post not only needs to motivate people to apply, but also needs to convince them to leave their current positions.

So, what draws job seekers in? Money, company culture, career advancement, and work-life balance are all important.

Whatever is most appealing about your position – whether that be a high salary, relationships with managers and coworkers, the ability to advance quickly, or a flexible work-life balance – should be immediately obvious in your post. These are the details that grab job seekers’ attention and convince them to spend more time considering your position.

2. Make the Application Process Easy

Imagine you have a crystal ball and are able to see everyone who clicks on your job post. A very talented, successful candidate pulls up your post, sees it will take hours to complete your application, and moves on.

Searching for a new job is stressful enough without having to deal with needlessly complicated applications. Some job seekers apply for new positions while on the clock at their current jobs, meaning they don’t have a lot of time to spare. Furthermore, job seekers have lives outside of work. They don’t want to spend hours applying for a job they may not even get.

Some application links redirect job seekers to registration pages. This frustrates those who simply want to apply for a job. People don’t want to feel like they have to jump through hoops just to hand in their resumes. In 2014, a CareerBuilder survey  found that 60 percent of job seekers have abandoned applications due to their length and complexity.

It’s best to provide job seekers with direct link to the application within the job post. If you make them hop from link to link, you only create more chances for them to get distracted and ultimately quit the application process. LinkedIn’s one-click application feature is a great example to follow when it comes to making the application process easy for job seekers.

3. Give Candidates a Sneak Peek of Your Company

Draw top talent in by showing them your company is worth their time. LinkedIn’s 2015 Talent Trends report  found that more professionals in the U.S. and Canada are exploring new job opportunities, but only 30 percent of employed talent feel unhappy in their current roles. This means your job post has to make a strong case for why it’s worth a candidate’s time and effort to make a major change and join your company.

What sets you apart from your competitors? Is it work-life balance, flexibility, your culture, your mission and values, or your management style? The best way to find out is by talking to your current employees.

Survey employees to get a firsthand look into what makes your company great. Give applicants a sneak peak into your company by sharing quotes from current employees and results from the survey in the job post. If your team raves about the amazing work-life balance you provide for them, you need to let job seekers hear it for themselves.

4. Don’t Leave Job Seekers Guessing

Company culture is on every job seeker’s mind these days. Once you’ve ensured that your job post includes everything that makes your company great, your next task is to help job seekers figure out whether or not they are good cultural fits. When candidates click the “apply” button, they want to know that they’re applying for a job that aligns with their values, management preferences, and career goals.

Start by outlining your company’s mission statement in the post, and then take it a step further by showcasing how employees make a difference by applying the mission statement to their work lives. Include pictures and direct quotes from employees to show job seekers your company can line up with their values and help them make an impact on the world.

How do you attract the best talent to your job posts? Let us know!

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Val Matta is the vice president of business development at CareerShift. Connect with Val and CareerShift on LinkedIn.