You’ve got to put together a brilliant job advert if you want to attract staff to your business, but it’s not just enough to list the position’s responsibilities alongside your company benefits and culture.
If you want to get the best staff to send an application, you’ve got to go above and beyond. For some companies that involves adding humor – for others, they rely on positive testimonials from existing employees. Other companies swap traditional job ads for infographics, while some boast about their benefits.
We’ve delved into the job boards to discover the job adverts that really stand out and explained exactly what makes them so great – so you can take inspiration for your next vacancy.
If you need some more help for your next job listing, we’ve got you covered there too: here are our top ten strategies for getting more applications, and head here for our top recruitment platforms. And, finally, take a look at our pick of the best US job sites.
1. Gusto
The last couple of years have seen a huge emphasis placed on diversity, inclusion, and equity in the workplace – and rightly so. More candidates now prioritize representation and diversity during their job search, and they want to see actions rather than just statements.
Payroll and benefits company Gusto does an excellent job in this department. The firm’s job adverts all include a detailed, straightforward statement about the firm’s equality and diversity initiatives and values, and invites candidates to contact the company if they have any concerns. The company frequently blogs about its diversity to provide data and evidence that supports its stance, and its careers page also includes loads of clear information about the company’s culture.
2. Pinterest
Pinterest is one of the most creative sites on the web, so it’s no surprise that its excellent job posts follow suit. Its conventional job titles have more exciting alternatives – “Engineering Manager” becomes “Keeper of the Code” – and each job listing has straightforward information about the role alongside testimonials from employees.
Pinterest’s job pages also feature FAQs about working at the company alongside evidence of people’s career progression. And, because it’s Pinterest, the job pages look vibrant and appealing.
The firm’s career hub also impresses, with creative and colorful design alongside straightforward navigation and clear information about the company’s culture and people.
3. Verizon
When Verizon wanted to find some new software developers, this huge company didn’t just throw a conventional job advert online – it headed to social media.
Verizon used an Instagram post to turn the job application process into a game by uploading a picture-based riddle – and challenging people who “code all day” to “crack this one.”
It’s a smart move. It provides the sort of challenge that will appeal to people who would be good at a development job, and it’s far more engaging than a conventional job advert. Turning a job opening into a game is a great choice if you need more attention on your open vacancies, and Verizon nailed it here.
4. Hootsuite
Social media company Hootsuite doesn’t tend to publish extravagant or unusual job posts, but its job listings are consistently superb examples of how to put together a traditional job post.
The firm’s listings are packed with all the information you’ll need before you decide to apply. The explanation of each role’s responsibilities is thorough, and Hootsuite is similarly comprehensive when it comes to explaining what it needs from each candidate.
Hootsuite places solid emphasis on candidates’ personality traits and not just their qualifications, which opens job postings to a wider range of applicants. The company also lists its guiding principles so potential applicants can get a taste of the corporate culture, and its language throughout is impressively clear and free of jargon and buzzwords.
5. IBM
IBM wanted to move away from a traditional approach with job listings, and so the firm decided to create infographics instead. It’s a great move that makes important job information far easier to display and read for candidates – and far faster to digest. They’re quicker to produce than conventional job listings, too, so everyone saves time.
IBM found that infographics are more efficient, but that’s not all. They’re more eye-catching, so they prove more attractive to potential candidates, and IBM found that its recruitment improved, with more applications from more relevant candidates after the switch.
6. Atlassian
You’ve probably not heard of Atlassian, but the software company has an impressive approach to job listings. The firm’s forward-thinking job listings place more emphasis on personality, work-life balance, and culture than qualifications and experience.
This approach is bolstered with careers pages that show off the hobbies, interests and talents of existing employees, and Atlassian’s job posts and careers pages include clear information about the company’s benefits and how they can improve your life outside of the workplace.
Individual job posts list the skills you should have on your first day alongside those that are desirable but not essential, which is a welcome touch that helps these posts stand out from rivals.
Atlassian understands that employee wellbeing is vital, and that a happy and diverse workforce is the best recipe for business success. That’s reflected in Atlassian’s job posting and careers hub, and many companies could take lessons from this software business.
7. Squarespace
This popular web-hosting company takes a modern and clean approach to its job posts. On each job listing you’ll find a comprehensive list of responsibilities alongside the skills and talents that applicants will need.
The firm’s job posts are a study in linguistic minimalism: there’s absolutely no jargon and no complicated wording here. Instead, straightforward language is used throughout, and that makes these job posts easy to read and digest. Each job post also has clear information about company benefits, the company itself and the product you’ll be working on if you get the job.
Squarespace’s postings are impressively pared back, and it makes the job-seeking process as easy as possible. When it can already be stressful enough, that’s always welcome. The company careers hub is good, too, with clear information available about every aspect of the business.
8. Lyst
Fashion firm Lyst takes a similar approach to Squarespace – but with some interesting additions. Load up a job listing and you’ll be greeted by straightforward, clear language, but that’s not all.
The largest section on each job post covers the benefits on offer, and it’s the only section that expands on its bullet points. When more people than ever are demanding more rewards from work, that’s a smart way to attract talent.
Elsewhere, Lyst provides clear information about each job, and the firm highlights preferred personality traits alongside its more conventional requirements. The careers hub is good, too, with a link to the firm’s Glassdoor profile, an introductory video and information about public transport options nearby.
9. ADT
A security company like ADT will have unique job requirements, and the firm does a great job of providing straightforward information in a new and engaging way.
Each job advert opens with a “success profile”, which is a graphic that illustrates the mix of personality traits that the company reckons will enable people to work well in that particular position. It’s more engaging than a list of written personality traits, and it’s accompanied by testimonial quotes from existing staff members.
The rest of each job listing is more conventional, but no less impressive. The copy takes a conversational tone that’s immediately engaging, and AFT is up-front about financial incentives and other benefits. It’s attractive and transparent, and that’s always welcome in a job post.
10. HubSpot
HubSpot is one of the best CRM software providers, and the firm has won awards thanks to its impressive culture and employee happiness. The company isn’t shy about it, either, with posts on Instagram that show off its award wins alongside other positive stories from its employees.
Those award posts also function as job listings – because they feature links to the company’s current openings. That’s a brilliant tactic, because posts that show off your company’s successes will undoubtedly prove attractive to potential applicants.
Ultimately, if you can make your company look good then more people will want to apply. That’s a key role of a corporate social media page, and that’s why they should be an important part of your job posting strategy.
We've also highlighted the best free job boards, best recruitment platforms and best resume builders
