Three Things Every Job Ad Needs to Contain

You'll only attract the most talented applicants if you write a job ad which really captures their attention. Candidates with the skills and experience know the world is their oyster, and they're not going to waste their time applying for roles which don't appeal to them. Here are three things you need to include in your job ad if you want to attract the talent.

The salary. So many companies deliberately shy away from listing the actual salary, opting instead for the classic 'dependent on experience' auto-fill. That's a coward's way out of answering the biggest question applicants have. Job ads which are up-front about the remuneration tend to attract 30% more applicants. People need to pay their bills and there's no point dodging the question, because 70% of people who quit their jobs cite salary as the main reason.

Secondly, location. Many recruiters think that giving a vague location will attract more candidates. In fact, you'll attract fewer. If, for example, you say your company is based in Greater London, that's a very big area to cover and may require long commuting hours. People generally only want to commute for half an hour either way, and you may deter some interesting candidates when they discover where exactly you're based. It's always best to be as specific as possible, so that you only attract those with a genuine interest in the job.

Finally, required and nice-to-have skills. Many candidates are turned off if these lists are too long, either because they get bored of reading the same old thing or because they don't feel they're able to tick so many boxes. Even the best, brightest and most talented applicants can be deterred when you bombard them with too many demands. Be reasonable about what you're asking for and try to restrict the number of bullet points you include to around five or six.

Job ads need to be succinct and straightforward if you want to attract a diverse range of applicants. Remember that people's attention spans can be short when they're scanning the jobs boards and they often have a wide range of other ads to read. Pen something short and sweet then have someone else read it over to check for errors. You need to be up front and direct with people, without over-promising or demanding too much from them.