How to make your job advert stand out and attract the very best
Any practice posting a job advert wants to attract the best possible candidates. Of course they do. Who wouldn’t want to snare the brightest, most talented and enthusiastic individual they possibly can?
So why then do many firms spend little time fashioning words that fail to do justice to the role and what the practice has to offer?
Job advertisements are a company’s calling card; a shop window if you like, to its work, its values and its culture. A nicely chosen turn of phrase here, or a friendly tone there, can pique the interest of jobseekers as might also a perk promoting health and well-being.
It’s common sense. Yet recruiters often make the mistake of concentrating on a shopping list of ‘must haves’ and too little on opportunities they can offer to develop new skills or benefits, such as flexible working. And while they undoubtedly may be seeking to increase the diversity of their staff, they can inadvertently fall into the trap of using language that reinforces ‘more of the same’.
So just how do employers make their vacant role stand out and persuade candidates from all backgrounds to apply?
Avoid jargon and a long list of asks
“A well-crafted job description really sets the tone for the culture of any organisation. It's critical that you get the language right,” says Carl Straw, Director of HR at RIBA. “You’ll need to include the usual things like the job’s responsibilities and talk about the necessary skills and qualifications that are needed. But at the same time, make sure the language you use is upbeat and positive and reflects the firm’s culture and values. Those are things that could really set your job description apart from those of others.”
Straw says the language used should be clear and concise. Employers should avoid job descriptions that are lists of overly prescriptive requirements and task-orientated descriptions. There’s no place either for vague requirements or cliches– an obvious example is ‘must be a team player’ – that’s taken for granted.
“If someone is being recruited to deliver on a big project, rather than list the tasks involved you might say that you want somebody to join your dynamic team to lead on X amount of projects and describe how this role will impact on the firm’s growth.” If the firm has invested heavily in new equipment, it’s worth saying so as well.
Keep an open mind about experience and qualifications
Employers should challenge themselves about what they think is essential and think about how someone’s skills may be transferrable. Specific qualifications may be absolutely critical for the role – others may not.
Similarly with experience: ideally you may want a healthcare specialist who has inside-out knowledge of ‘NHS design guidance HBNs and HTMs’, but is that something that they could quickly become familiar with? It’s not uncommon for employers to cite the number of years they expect someone to have been working in a particular field but it can be arbitrary and automatically limits applications from those who might fit the role otherwise.
“If somebody has only limited experience in the area that I'm seeking to recruit into, but more importantly, has the right aptitude and motivation, then that can be more attractive than all the right qualifications,” says Straw.
Big-up health and well-being benefits
It goes without saying that perks like enhanced pension contributions are important. But as well as flexible working, another legacy of COVID-19 is the demand from employees for health and well-being-related benefits, according to Stuart Stroud, Managing Director of Corpad Employee Benefits and an advisor to RIBA and its staff on pensions.
Offering such benefits can also be beneficial to a Practice, having a happy, healthy workforce is much more productive.
“Healthcare schemes and things like gym membership are at the forefront of benefits packages,” he says, adding that health cash plans, which allow the recipients to book appointments with private doctors, dentists, and physios, and then claim the money back, are particularly popular because of the difficulty of getting appointments on the NHS.
“These schemes can be cost-effective for employers. Entry levels start at £3 per person per month,” says Stroud. “Schemes that help staff cope with stress, and discounted cycle to work schemes are also very much in demand too.”
Reach out to underrepresented groups
Employers will often include statements about their commitment to diversity and fairness, but firms that are looking to increase underrepresented groups in the practice should go out of their way to encourage people from these groups to apply.
Employers cannot specifically limit the job to a specific gender, but they can say they are looking to widen the diversity of their workforce, explains Robbie Turner, Director of Inclusion and Diversity at RIBA. “It’s perfectly acceptable to express sentiments along the lines of – ‘We particularly welcome applicants from architects who identify as disabled. And we understand that sometimes the interview process can be difficult to access. So please do get in touch with us in advance if there is something that we can do to make reasonable adjustments to the process that enables you to do so’.”
Turner also suggests putting wording for the advert through gender-coded software (which is free online) as certain words may be associated with specific genders. It might not be possible to avoid every gender trap (manager is associated with men, for example, while team developer, suggests female); it’s more about striking an overall balance. He says it’s also good to avoid requirements that may be perceived as being biased.
Emphasize what you can offer
If you are a practice that offers continuous learning and development, or study support then say so – it’s a big draw.
Also, offering hybrid working and more flexible hours has almost become the working norm. A good work-life balance is more important these days and people jump at the chance of saving time commuting, at least on some days of the week. Others may want to juggle work with being a parent or carer to an elderly relative.
Don’t forget the basics
As well as stating working hours, and flexibility (if it’s on offer), job ads should also include the salary range and holiday entitlement. “Including the salary does help to position the role,” says Straw. “In the past, firms might have been reluctant to include figures and instead say ‘competitive salary’ but these days, if the money is not stated people wonder why, and recruiters end up getting applications from people that are either over or under-qualified.
If anything else is on offer such as bonuses, or extra holidays, mention that too. Include everything to enable applicants to consider the full package on offer
Consider your digital footprint
Finally, many applicants thinking of responding to a job advert will do their homework first. Going to the website, checking social media and what others have said about the firm has become second nature. So even a great job with a well-honed ad will not do the trick unless your online presence is aligned. Make sure your website is updated regularly, reflects the company culture and visually draws people in. It should showcase what the practice is doing in an engaging way with videos, success stories and testimonials,” suggests Straw.
