So you’re writing a job advert and you’re not sure what to include? Look no further - I have 367 job adverts saved on my computer (and it’s growing by the hour), so I’m going to give you my opinion on what you should and shouldn’t include when trying to hire your dream candidates!

What should you disclose?

When it comes to what to include in a job advert, obviously everything is up to you, but there are a few basic things that should definitely be mentioned:

• Job title
• Salary
• Location

When writing your advert, put yourself into the candidate’s shoes.  If you wanted a new job, you’d want to know what you were doing, how much you were going to get paid, and where the position was based.  When it comes to the location and salary, it doesn’t have to be exact if you decide you don’t want these things disclosed, but a range for the salary (e.g. £20,000 - £25,000), and at least a town/city is helpful for the candidate, and makes candidates more likely to apply.

Not only is the candidate more likely to apply if these things are given in the advert, but you will also have a lower dropout rate of candidates later on, as the candidates who do not want to work in that place or for that salary will have already been filtered out pre-application.

Things you can mention:

Benefits are a great thing when it comes to what to include in a job advert, and they can include:

• A commission structure and/or bonus scheme
• Holiday entitlement
• A pension scheme
• A healthcare scheme
• Even things like “dress down Friday”

Benefits are a great idea when writing an advert, and really help to bring in candidates.  If we’re being honest, candidates will want to know everything positive they can get from your job, and the more things you can offer, the more they will consider the position.

As well as this, try to include a section near the beginning of your advert all about your company, telling the candidate what you do and what you believe in.  This will give candidates an idea of who they will be working for and if they’d fit in at the company.  Again, this will give you a lower dropout rate later on in the recruitment process, as the candidates who do not feel that they would fit the company will have already been filtered out.

What not to do:

When writing a job advert you want to keep it relatively short.  I would say 1 ½ A4 pages maximum when typed up is an appropriate length, and including a section about the company, the role, the candidate and the benefits.  This is because while you want to give the candidate a good idea of the position, but if the advert is too long the candidate won’t read all of it, and your dropout rate may rise later on in the process if they decide that the role isn’t right for them.

So, now you know most of my tips and tricks when it comes to writing job adverts, and hopefully you’ve managed to write your advert and attract your dream candidates.  You can also find a handy guide to writing job adverts here: http://info.crunchposter.co.uk/download-how-to-write-a-successful-j...