Job Ad Best Practices
The most important recruitment tool is the job ad. Once you research the position, meet with the hiring manager and create an action plan to fill this position, you want to make sure your job ad is going to get the job done. See how you can optimise your job ad setup for better exposure on Monster to attract the best talent.
How to stand out in search results? Here’s a list of what you should incorporate into every job you post:
Job Title
Even if your company gets creative with job titles (i.e. Director of First Impressions), keep it simple and use an industry standard job title that candidates would search for to give your job ad a better chance of making it into the list of results.
Also, enter only one job title – adding more than one will hurt your ranking. Keep it under 60 characters and make sure you don’t add anything extra to your job title like salary, location, call to action, abbreviations or punctuation (%, $, @, /, #, !). This can confuse the search engine and could compromise your position in the results.
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- Receptionist
- Customer Service Representative
- Certified Public Accountant
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- Director of First Impressions
- Customer Service Rep/Call Center Specialist/Service Advisor
- CPA: € 150K – Dublin – Apply Now!!
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Duplication Warning
Do not duplicate your postings with job title variations. When a candidate runs a job title search, it surfaces exact matches as well as similar and related job ad titles – making the extra effort of posting duplicates unnecessary.
Job Location
If this is an on-site job, enter the primary location where the employee will work. Provide the street address, city, region, post code, and country. “Jobs near me” is a very popular search, so it’s important to be clear about your location.
When creating a job ad for a remote position, select No fixed location in the location section and then select Work From Home. Be sure to include the word “remote” or terms such as (work from home, telecommute, flexible workplace, etc.) within your job description text to increase your presence in searches that use this filter.
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89 Harcourt Street, Dublin, Ireland
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Leinster, Ireland
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Duplication Warning
Monster’s search is designed to return job ads based on the physical location of a job ad. Falsely advertising positions in different physical locations will negatively impact relevancy. They may get flagged as fraudulent by candidates or rank lower in search results due to oversaturation. Monster strives to maintain the integrity and relevance of our services to job candidates and would ask employers to refrain from these kinds of practices.
Company Name
Candidates appreciate transparency and are more likely to apply if they can research the company. If you decide to check the box next to “Keep company name confidential” instead, your job ad may not get the exposure you are looking for.
Recommendation: Leave the location out of it.
You might be tempted to add an identifier to your location, but this will only worsen your ranking in searches.
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Claire’s Coffee Shop
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Claire’s Coffee Shop on Mayflower Street.
Industry and Job Type
The more information you provide, the better. Be clear about the industry and job type for each position so candidates will know exactly what you are looking for.
Salary Range
Salary is one of the main considerations in a job search and it can be a big driver when it comes to applies.
We advise to always add a salary where possible. This will also save you from reviewing candidates who have their sights set on a different pay scale.
Branding Elements: Logos, Videos & More
Infuse your employer brand positioning statement wherever you can and add some visuals to make your job ad more impactful:
- Including your company logo in your job ad will help it stand out in search results and make it more memorable to candidates.
- Create a Company Profile to tell candidates more about your company and opportunities. Incorporate your employer brand messaging and position your company as an employer of choice.
Quality Job Description
This is where you sell the job to your qualified candidates. To find the right opportunity, candidates can search for job titles, skills, and keywords related to their field. Make sure to do your research and sprinkle related keywords or synonyms throughout the job ad to increase your presence in search results. Plus, follow these job ad writing tips:
- Be clear and concise
Describe your company and the job, but keep any unnecessary information out of the advert. - Sell the position
What makes your company better than your competitors? Career progression opportunities? Exciting projects? Better location? An inclusive environment? - Go beyond bulleted lists
Provide a little insight into your company values and culture. Plus, a friendly and inviting tone can do wonders when it comes to response rates. - Read Effective Job Description
In this article, we take you through each section of a job description and show you how to craft a well written, organized ad that will attract candidates and encourage applies.
Note: Some people think that if they list a bunch of keywords at the end of their job ad they will somehow trick the system into thinking their job ad is more relevant than it really is. This will not help your job ad ranking and you should avoid it as it can be seen as a spam tactic.