Recruitment advertising, like most forms of advertising, is an expensive game. It’s therefore vital that you get the best out of your investment, ensuring you create a job advert that is appropriate, informative, clear, interesting and engaging. 

You might otherwise risk wasting money or losing good job candidates to another firm who just happens to be better at preparing job adverts.  And in the current climate of recruitment buoyancy - where there appears to be more jobs available than candidates - it is now more than ever important to get it right.

An effective recruitment advert will generate candidates’ awareness and fuel their interest and there are some simple principles to follow to optimise your chances of success.

The most important thing to remember is to Keep It Simple!  The advert should be written clearly and concisely.  Avoid complex language or jargon that will simply serve to confuse readers or lose their interest. Make sure you use a basic font such as Times or Arial. Avoid small font sizes, the use of italics or words in capital letters.  They can clutter the page and make for difficult reading. The same applies to the layout and design of the advert.  Too many adverts are crowded with logos, strap lines, colours and images that so often get in the way of the clarity of the message.  You only have a short period of time to attract and retain the reader’s attention so nothing should get in the way or distract their reading.  Include your logo, but don’t overdo it on the branding front.

Of course it’s fundamental that you include all the information necessary for a reader to take action:

• Job title
• Job location
• Company overview
• Job role, purpose and level of responsibility
• Ideal candidate experience and qualifications
• Salary
• Application instructions and contact details

 Other considerations include: 

• Use a simple and eye-catching heading – often the title of the job itself is the best heading
• Use short sentences and only include key information
• Use bullet points and short paragraphs, maximising the white space within the ad
• Pay attention to legal requirements – you mustn’t discriminate in terms of age, sex, race or marital status
• Remember you’re selling the role so try to include something different, exciting or challenging – something that will make your job stand out

When it comes to placing your advert, wherever possible go for the top right hand corner of the magazine, newspaper or publication. A quarter page advert should generally be sufficient.  A well placed quarter page advert that is designed appropriately, simply and clearly, is likely to be much more effective than a half or full page ad without this attention to detail.

And finally, on completion of your advert – get someone else to read it to check for grammatical errors, typing or spelling mistakes and any other general perceptions. 

For further information contact Cliff Sewell, Managing Director of Sewell Moorhouse – an independent and specialised accounting and administrative recruitment consultancy in Leeds, Sheffield and Doncaster.   

Sewell Moorhouse
St Andrew House
119 – 121 The Headrow
Leeds
LS1 5JW

T: 0113 242 1200
E: cliff.sewell@sewellm.co.uk

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