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Creative Job Posting: Capturing the right talent

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How much time do you spend looking at a candidate’s CV? I know when I was a recruiter I usually didn’t spend more than ten seconds scanning through and less if I wasn’t totally engaged. A job seeker probably takes the same amount of time to read your latest job listing. So are you capturing their attention? I’ve put together a couple of practices that helped me to attract the right candidates through my job postings.

The Job Title

I often see many design jobs listed as merely “Designer” or “Creative” which I find indistinct and can sometimes seem as though the writer didn’t quite grasp or understand the role they’re listing.

Job seekers usually scan through titles for speed, and you don’t want to lose a potential applicant because they didn’t connect with your job title. Be clear and simple. Shy away from using gimmicky clichés like “Design superstar needed”. If the job requires a specific level of experience ensure you clarify this within the job title, for example “Junior Digital Designer” or “Senior Copywriter”. Always use clear spelling and don’t abbreviate (example, Sr Mgr, Senior Manager) save that for the job description. Remember the job title is your introduction so it must be clear, simple and be “exactly what it says on the tin”.

If you are unsure of what titles to use for some jobs why not ask your applicants about their previous job roles and also what job titles they searched for. I often researched comparable job titles on competitor’s websites to get a better handle job titles.

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The Job Description

So you now know the job seeker can do the job because of your clear job title attracting the kind of job seeker required. It’s time to look beyond the job seekers ability to do the job. You will need to use your description to filter through your readers to ensure you get the right job seeker to apply for your role.

Try to break your description down into sections so you know you’ve covered all bases. For example: The company, Job role and Benefits.

The company - Always provide a clear resume of your client’s company as a place of work. A realistic evaluation of a company’s culture and values is essential (especially for Senior roles) for the job seekers thought process as to whether this organisation aligns with their values and working life.

Job role - Communicate within your description specifically which skills are required, which skills are preferred and what systems the job seeker will be using within their job role. Remove any information about admin duties. Keep it simple and focus on the specifics of the role.

Benefits – Every organisation has its own set of benefits, but remember this section is here to engage and excite job seekers to want to pursue the next steps of how to apply for your role. Be informative, be appealing and be motivating.

And finally – Always end with a positive call to action similar to “Apply today”! It sounds basic but you will be surprised how well it turns a job seeker into an applicant.

Final Thoughts

Don’t redirect the applicant to another web page. You should always make the application process as simple and straight forward as possible. Don’t put your effort into a great job title, brilliant description, and then lose your applicants attention by sending them to another page.

Keep it simple, keep it concise, and keep them engaged.

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