Dos and Don’ts for Writing an Effective Job Posting

Writing effective job postings can be daunting for employers, as it requires a balance of clarity, specificity, and conciseness. To attract the right candidates, avoiding certain pitfalls and focusing on critical elements that will make your job posting stand out are essential.

Here are some dos and don’ts from our technical recruiter, Adam Barron, for writing effective job postings that will help you find the best candidates for your open positions:

❌ Don’t write a laundry list of requirements…

Even if you have some flexibility, a massive list of requirements may scare off potential applicants and make you seem disorganized or scattered. Also, if you are requiring all those things, why? The likelihood of finding someone who has it all is low.

✅ Make your absolute must-have requirements clear…

It can be as simple as including “this is a must” after a particular bullet point. Not only does this show potential applicants that your search is well organized, structured, and targeted, but it should help cut down the number of unqualified applicants overall.

❌ Don’t use filler…

“Communication skills, people skills, organizational skills…” Having these things in the job description doesn’t add much value since everyone either has these skills or thinks they do. Including them in your description just takes up space. Instead, try describing a specific relevant duty. For example, instead of saying must have good communication skills, say “Must be comfortable working and communicating with three cross-functional teams of six people each.”

✅ Include the salary or hourly rate…

No one wants to waste their time interviewing for a job to find out after two or three interviews that it doesn’t meet their living requirements. It leaves a bad taste in their mouth about your company and wastes your time. Also, avoid writing “competitive pay” or any similar evasive comment in lieu of actual compensation transparency. 

❌ Don’t change your job title midway through the interviewing process…

Sometimes people get picky about what their title is going to be and will remove themselves from the running if they are not happy with the new title. Keep it consistent from the start. 

✅ Have a clear and concise job title…

Like in the job description, there is no need for filler or flowery words here. Keep it simple, a job title should be a clear and concise descriptor of someone’s function at your company.

Writing an effective job posting is essential for attracting the right candidates and filling positions with top talent. By following these tips from our experts who deal with both clients and candidates on a daily basis, you can increase your chances of finding the perfect candidate for your open positions.

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