Indisputably, marketing is a candidate’s market. The demand makes a struggle for top professionals tough and challenging. Recruiters shouldn’t treat it as a problem but as a challenge to meet. Creating enticing marketing talent roles is a way to stand out from a crowd of job offers and attract the best talents possible.
Craft a strong job ad
The job ad is often the primary candidate’s touchpoint and one of the most valuable recruiting marketing assets. The average person reads a job posting for 49.7 seconds before moving on. You’ll almost certainly lose many prospects if you don’t pique their interest within that tight timeframe.
The job ad must be short and informative. According to the study made by Passport Photo Online, a biometric startup offering visa & passport photos, more than half of surveyed professionals admitted that the most critical elements of a job posting are:
- the title (69 percent),
- location (62 percent),
- job summary (61 percent),
- the type of employment, so if it’s remote, on-site, or hybrid (58 percent),
- perks and benefits (58 percent),
- key duties (54 percent) and,
- essential skills and experiences required (53 percent).
Simultaneously, your job ad should leave no space for guessing. Be precise and concise with the phrases you use. For example, if you’re looking for a remote worker, define what “remote” means to you. Is it 100% home office or hybrid work? Do you provide basic equipment like a computer? These are important questions for each candidate.
Avoid ageist or sexist language
People tend to think through the prism of stereotypes. Ageist language in a job ad might discourage professionals from the older generation. This way, you can shoot yourself in the foot as the most successful teams include members of different generations.
Even without ill intent, words like “energetic,” “digital native,” or “younger college graduate” may put off older applicants. Similarly, phrases such as “assert” and “challenge,” which are gender-specific in nature, might deter female applicants.
Consider spiced-up job titles
Most job seekers (64 percent) feel positive or very positive about employers using terms like “rockstar”, “superstar”, or “Jedi” in their job postings. Unsurprisingly, the younger generation perceives spicing up role names the most positively (<38 years old). Overall, it is well-received by all significant age groups.
Be transparent about the salary range
Money is the number one factor people look for in a job ad. Still, only 12 percent of job postings offer wage information. The most common reason for not disclosing salary is that the company wants to leave room for negotiation.
Job seekers want to know how much they’ll be paid, not just to make a preliminary decision about whether or not to apply for a position but also to determine if an employer has long-term potential.
By not including the salary range, you reduce the number of applicants by approximately 30 percent. Moreover, being transparent about the salary range can help you screen for qualified prospects. For example, if your budget is $85,000 and you’re looking for a senior software engineer, it doesn’t make sense to interview candidates who expect $200,000 annually.
Create a simple application process
A study by CareerBuilder found that one in five candidates claimed not to complete a job application that takes them 20 minutes or more. Additionally, 76 percent of surveyed job seekers want to know how long it will take them to finish an application before it starts.
To increase your applicant-to-hire ratio, you need to make the application process as simple and straightforward as possible. The fewer steps required, the better.
You can also use an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) to automate repetitive tasks and speed up the hiring process. An ATS can help you post job ads on multiple channels, track applicants, and score candidates based on their qualifications.
Explain “the purpose”
Companies with a purpose attract and keep better people. Your “why” is the crucial component of your value proposition to job seekers (and employees) and should be reflected in every stage of the recruiting process, from the way you write job descriptions to how you interview candidates.
When writing job descriptions, avoid using corporate-speak and focus on describing the company’s purpose and how the role contributes to it. For example, rather than saying that your company is “a leading provider of XYZ software solutions,” explain how your products help customers achieve their goals.
Including information about your company’s purpose in job postings can help you attract like-minded marketing individuals who are passionate about what they do and will be more likely to stick around for the long haul. And when employees feel good about their work, they’re more productive, which benefits everyone.
Candidates who understand a company’s purpose are also more likely to be engaged and motivated, which is why it’s so important to communicate the “why” early and often.
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