How to write
a job offer that
attracts the right
candidates

In another article, we discuss the issues involved in hiring an employee for a small business. This time we are going a little further in the recruiting process and offering solid tips for attracting the right candidates to your business. What do you do once you have identified your needs?

For starters, you have to attract the right candidates. The first contact between your business and the job seeker is generally the text of the job offer. Therefore, you want to put some effort into it so that you make a good first impression. There may not be a single way to write an attractive job offer, but there are certainly many ways to maximize the impact.

Share your values

The job offer is the ideal context to demonstrate your company culture. Use a tone and vocabulary that clearly evoke your team’s dominant values.

A text perfectly in sync with the type of personality that you are seeking for the position can help you sort the candidates. Smart applicants adjust their presentation letter according to the perception they have of the employer. If you want to see what kind of personality your candidate has, show yours first.

Choose an easy to find job title

The position title is an essential component of the job offer, since keyword searches are the most prevalent tool used by job seekers. Here are a few ways you can improve your chances of appearing in search results:

• Avoid being too creative. If the title that you want to use to describe the position is specific to your company, choose something that is common in your industry.
• If applicable, add the career level of the position (manager, assistant, agent, clerk, etc.).
• Be concise.
• Avoid keyword stuffing in your job description at all costs; search engines are more capable of detecting this type of ploy.

Describe the position clearly and honestly

Duties

On reading the job description, the job seeker should have a good indication of their role on your team. Clearly specify if the job is full time or part time. If possible, use action verbs to outline the various duties. Describe them in such a way that the reader understands exactly what the job entails.

Qualifications

The position that you are looking to fill likely requires a multitude of skills and competencies, some of which are probably more essential than others. Separate the indispensable skills from those that are good to have, which give bonus points. This way, you don’t intimidate potential candidates by giving the impression that you’re looking for an expert in everything.

Promote your features

Other than a salary, what do you have to offer your potential employee? Why should the candidate apply for a job with you rather than someone else? If you offer good benefits, name them.

Also, emphasize everything that could give a candidate incentive or provide hints about the work environment in your business. For example, do you offer your employees free coffee? Do you have a foosball table or a glass slide 300 m above the ground? Proudly show the benefits you offer which can stimulate interest among job seekers and motivate them to want to work for you.

Efforts that pay off

Recruiting is a complicated process that can use up a lot of time and energy. To get the most out of these resources, make the necessary efforts to attract the best possible candidates in order to avoid wasting time processing unsuitable candidatures.

A well-written offer attracts good candidates by showing the corporate culture, optimizing its position in search engines and by clearly describing the position and its duties. An effective job offer catches the job seeker’s attention by featuring the benefits of working for you rather than someone else.