In order to find the right candidates among the myriad of job seekers, it is important that your job ad stands out. Get into the shoes of the perfect candidate and imagine how your text is perceived by the reader. A common thread throughout your job ad should be that it is well-written, informative and attractive to that particular candidate. Therefore, it is also important that the text is tailored to the target group and contains keywords that make it searchable for the candidates.

The most important parts of a well-written job advertisement:

• Job title
• Introduction - Presentation of your organization, the workplace and what you stand for
• A crystal clear job description
• An answer to the question Why should I work with you?
• Requirements and qualifying specifications
• Application instructions
• Feedback

Job title

For obvious reasons, it is the headline that should catch the candidate's attention. For clarity and searchability, abbreviations should be avoided. If you must necessarily include an abbreviation, also include the full explanation of the word or service. Also, do not use internal terms for the title that will be incomprehensible and confusing for a candidate.

Introduction - Presentation of the workplace and what you stand for

It is not only you as a recruiter who will choose your candidate, but the candidate must also choose your organization to work for. In other words, an employment must be a mutual choice. Therefore, describe your company, but also feel free to add a shorter text about the workplace itself that is locally rooted in the job, such as the department where the job is located. Be sure to use searchable words throughout the job ad, but especially here. Feel free to include information about the company culture and replace general words such as "employee" with keywords, e.g. the title of the position. ‍

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What do you stand for as a company that makes this particular candidate want to work for you? Different target groups have different drives and motivations, for example to represent a prestigious brand, corporate culture, attractive industry, flexible to work wherever you want? This means that you have to make sure to highlight the things you find attractive for the particular role and candidate. 

Job description

To be able to reach as many potential candidates as possible, feel free to put extra gunpowder on this part of the job ad. Describe the tasks in both body text and in bullet point form, in order to attract extra attention from readers through repetition and relevant keywords. Avoid phrases such as "many balls in the air" or other vague descriptions. It is important that the applicants understand what the position entails and what they have for daily tasks. Therefore, do not forget to list these.

Why work with you?

An element in the job advertisement to gain perspective on the role and make it more alive for the candidate is to quote employees and / or managers. This is a golden opportunity to mention all the benefits of choosing your particular workplace as a candidate. Many talented candidates often receive most job offers, so it is important to be able to specify the benefits of working with you. This is of course individual for each employer, but some examples can be various development opportunities within the company, further education, pension provisions, bonus systems, working hours and wellness allowance.

Requirements and qualifying specifications

As in the section on job description, it is important to describe the text here in both body text and bullet point form. This makes it easy for the candidate to determine whether they possess the characteristics and requirements desired for the position. Also remember not to be too strict in your requirements specifications. In order not to risk losing suitable and qualified candidates, it may be wise to divide what is necessary among those who apply and what is only meritorious. For example, degree, language skills?

Application instructions

In many cases, the recruitment process has progressed even before the last application date has passed. It is also not uncommon for positions to even be filled before the last application date. Therefore, it is important to encourage the potential candidate to apply in the near future. Be careful not to forget where to send the application.

Feedback

Keep in mind that clear and concise feedback to candidates is also an important part of how you are perceived as an organization, regardless of whether the person in question gets a job or not.