Writing a Job Ad – What you Need to Know

Advertising for a job within your company can be scary and exciting all at once. It means you need more resources, which is an exciting opportunity to bring some brilliant people into your business, but it is also never going to be easy to find people who are a perfect fit. Writing a job advert to attract the right people is a great starting point.

These are some of the things you should include as part of a good job ad:

  • Salary. People will need to know the salary range if they are going to apply. Otherwise, you might be getting applicants who are overqualified or who don’t have enough experience.
  • Main duties. Give potential candidates a succinct summary of what their main duties will be so they can decide if they’d like the job.
  • Information about your company. Make sure candidates can find out a bit more about you and your company -and make sure it sounds attractive!

Finding the Most Appropriate Job Ads

Looking for a job is a tiring, and often lengthy, process, made much easier if you can easily identify the kinds of jobs that are right for you. Identifying the ads that will most closely match your needs will save you lots of time during your search, making it easier to find yourself a job that will meet your needs.

If you want to find the right kind of job for you, follow these steps:

  • Set filters. Set the parameters for your job search so you only get ads that contain certain keywords and have the right specifications.
  • Look on relevant job websites. Different websites target different kinds of jobs, so look for the ones that are relevant to your particular industry.
  • Sign up with recruitment agencies. Discuss your requirements with your recruitment professional and they will then be able to send you the job ads that are relevant to you.

Getting a Job Through a Referral

Sometimes companies will work by asking people for referrals for their job opportunities. This means they might ask existing members of staff if they know anyone who might be able to fill vacancies, and then these people can be put forward for the role. It can be a very successful way to recruit, as the people who are invited to interview will have come highly recommended.

Recruitment agencies may also operate in this way, asking other job seekers and people they may already have placed in a role whether they can recommend people for their current positions. They may also offer financial incentives, giving people a reason to put those in their network forward. Look out for incentives like this with your recruitment agency, as it could be your chance to help your friends find a good job, and to get a reward for yourself. Recruitment agencies have many good strategies for placing people in the right jobs.

Hiring Staff Based on Ability

When conducting a job interview, there will be multiple things you are looking out for. One of them is likely to be how good a fit the person is for your business. Another will be their ability. Whilst it might be easy to associated ability with the experience that someone has of the exact job you are hiring for, this isn’t always the most productive way to hire people. Someone can have a natural ability to do a job, without having the exact experience.

This can be harder for you to asses in an interview, but it’s possible if you ask the right questions. You could ask how someone would approach the kinds of situations you need them to deal with, and ask them to solve problems similar to real life ones. This will show you how they handle situations and give you an insight into their levels of intelligence. Don’t assume that a lack of experience means a lack of ability.

What is the Right Kind of Hire for your Business?

Hiring new staff always comes with challenges, both logistical and monetary. When you have a concrete idea of what you are looking for in a newly hired member of staff, you challenges will be significantly minimised. Here are some of the things to think about when hiring new members of staff:

  • Do you want to hire graduates? Many businesses aim for the graduate market, but it all has to depend on the role. If you don’t need graduates, don’t hire them. They’re more likely to leave and look for a new challenge.
  • Communicate the job accurately. One of the main reasons for staff members leaving is because they find a role isn’t as described. Make sure candidates receive a full job description that has been approved by you.
  • What key skills will someone need? It’s not always necessary for someone to have done the exact same job before. Work out what skills they will need and look for these in potential candidates.