The task postings these days are coming from companies that are employing the services of those who are going to acquire the war for talent. In the prospective employer’s case, he or she is interested in the fact that he or she wants that job posting to stand out from all the thousands of possible job postings on the dozens of online job listing sites. Depending on whether you’re on the HR side or the recruiting side, effective posting strategies will yield just about every one of those qualified candidates that’ll mesh perfectly into your culture. In this hyper-competitive talent market that we find ourselves in, your job ad should go beyond the bland boilerplate job description. It’s your not-so-secret weapon and will be the difference between attracting talent to you or talent fleeing in the other direction. As the posting of your jobs is the entry to a very competitive market, cutting through the noise is imperative. 

Begin with an engaging yet clear introduction.

It starts with the job posting; that’s your hook. The first opportunity you have to pull potential applicants in is the title of the job description. Use industry-standard, common titles that you’re familiar with that you know candidates will search for on job posting aggregator engines.

Hook Them with an Irresistible First Line.

Your first few lines are a hook. Don’t lose the star on the bait. Consider it your investor elevator pitch. Use this section to help paint a broader picture of your organization, add details that highlight just how key this role is to your organization, and help illustrate to applicants why this role is so impactful.

Roles and Responsibilities Up Front.

Paint a clear picture of what day-to-day in the position will entail; this should guide them through what the new hire’s day-to-day should be comprised of. Wrote one hiring manager in answer to the prompt above, do I really need to say this. Create and present design concepts to stakeholders.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS & PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS.

Figure out what’s truly needed versus what would be nice to have. That creates a perverse situation that not only demoralizes stellar applicants but also scares away good candidates. Candidates that wouldn’t meet every requirement on a laundry list would never apply in the first place.

Put the Spotlight on Your Work Culture.

Tied second to after-a-paycheck, no kidding, the very first thing candidates are searching for is meaning. Use this space to be transparent about your organization’s work culture, working environment, team’s configurations, remote/hybrid arrangements offered, etc. Employee value propositions need to change along with these expectations. Authorizing workplace wellness initiatives to create real change. In large part, progress depends on making equitable investments in career development.

We are committed to a culture of learning, so in addition to providing every employee with an annual training budget, we offer flex hours and mental health days.

Salary range and other monetary compensation, like, come on.

No joke, if you want to reel in the most committed, best-suited candidates, candor and transparency are your secret sauce. Salary ranges don’t just act as a salting effect on your credibility; they fairly promptly screen out all the otherwise great candidates that would break your budget. Provide extra inducements such as health insurance, paid time off, and/or signing bonuses to sweeten the deal.

Salary-inclusive job postings get 20-30% more applicants than those that don’t include a salary range.

The impact of continuing to hold on to the status quo by requiring unnecessary, politically motivated English language proficiency testing standards is deep and severe.

In the rapid, inexpensive, nefarious creative destruction artsy, crafty, electric boogaloo, cutting-edge revolutionaries whippersnappers, revenuers, razzle-dazzlers Amazingly ginormous payoffs to exclusion and disruption.

Effective and excellent discretionary capacity, distinctive capability, control and commercial degree of verbal and written communication in English.

Make SEO Work for You on Job Posting Platforms.

Most candidates catch their breaks via generalist job posting sites such as JobsYahan, Naukri, LinkedIn, Indeed, and Monster. If you want people to be able to find your post through search, then:

Use the long-tail keyword (e.g., “regional marketing manager”) 1–2 times

Include specific keywords like “telecommute,” “business to business,” or “junior.”

List the job location as you would have it appear, including if it’s remote (for example, Remote—Bengaluru).

These practices enhance visibility not just in your own internal search but on external aggregators and general search engines (ahem, Google for Jobs, ahem).

Please do not include PDF attachments or extensive application forms.

Don’t relax your focus here! Make sure to test your job post on your phone before you publish it.

Conclusion

Writing an interesting project description that makes you more competitive is often the art and science component. Applying these big-picture job posting best practices, you can go from boring to badass with your job postings in no time flat. Third, and this is the most important point ever to make, always, always, always tailor your message with your ideal candidate in mind and publish to the appropriate job boards to reach them. Ultimately, that means more qualified, more passionate candidates who fit your company’s long-term vision better will be the result of improved job postings.

JobsYahan is an intuitive web- and mobile-based platform designed to streamline the employment process for India's workforce. Tailored specifically for skilled, semi-skilled, and unskilled workers, it offers a vernacular and location-based approach to job searching and recruitment.