Nissen Richards Studio. Photo by Ellen Hancock

In professional correspondence, clear communication tends to be a universally desired ingredient. We've all opened the puzzling email, read the templated cover letter, and even conversed through the cryptic phone call. Especially, when it comes to reviewing the applications of prospective talent, employers want to see well presented and well written materials, absent of elementary oversights and errors. In the same way, when job seekers search through job advertisements, they too are looking for clearly communicated content, that they can follow, understand, and take action on. When crafting your job ad, clarity is key.

This is the third in our How to Craft an Effective Job Ad series. Be sure to check out all of the articles for a comprehensive look at composing the perfect Job Ad.

Semantics, spelling, and grammar

On a fundamental level, a job ad is simply a promotional announcement of a job opportunity at your firm. This is different from its purpose, which is twofold: to clearly communicate the opportunity and to attract the most qualified candidates, the latter is difficult to achieve without a good execution of the former.

Right off the bat, if there are too many spelling errors in your job posting, a high-level candidate may just move on to other opportunities. If an employer can't take the time to present a clear depiction of an open position, how will they have time to guide a new hire during the onboarding process, support them as a new member of the team, and all of the other aspects that go into a professional relationship? These are are some of the underlying concerns someone might have. Would it not be the same if the tables were turned?

Taking time to read through a post, ensuring that each point is communicated clearly makes a tremendous difference. Even things like word choice and grammar work wonders in crafting an announcement that flawlessly displays who you are and what you're offering.

Balancing the detailed and the brief

In an employee's market, where there are more job opportunities than qualified candidates, job seekers want to shop around for the best offer. Good application packages take time to compose and if a job ad is too long, has too many steps/instructions, or contains an endless list of requirements and qualifications, the chances of someone applying may diminish. 

How can you get to the core of what you're looking for in fewer words? Remember, the goal is to get quality candidates in the door for interviews. Some details can be discussed in person.

However, while brevity is great, it functions particularly well in an employee's market, specificity and detail can also reap favorable outcomes, just in the proper context. When the tables are turned and we find ourselves with an abundance of out-of-work job seekers and less available jobs, or an employer's market, filtering out the top candidates becomes an appropriate practice. This is particularly relevant for highly-popular employers, or those searching during a recession. Longer, more detailed instructions for applying allows an employer to suss out those who are serious and those who merely want an easy job.

Be format friendly

In her New Yorker article titled A List of Reasons Why Our Brains Love Lists, Maria Konnikova writes, "...there’s little that our brains crave more than effortlessly acquired data." She goes further, "...lists tap into our preferred way of receiving and organizing information at a subconscious level; from an information-processing standpoint, they often hit our attentional sweet spot," expanding on the idea that, as humans, we process information spatially.

Subheadings, bulleted lists, and numbered lists help job seekers take in what you're saying, allowing them to utilize the spatial component of the brain. We already see this in most job advertisements: there's the qualifications section, responsibilities, vacation/sick time, pay/salary, and so on. Take advantage of this; how can you set yourself apart from the majority? What headings will really catch the attention of your ideal candidate? Are your bullet points clear and concise? Practicing format friendliness will prove a valuable tool for heightening the effectiveness of your job ad.

—————

Are you searching for new team members? Archinect Jobs offers the industry's most popular job board, attracting the most in-demand firms and the top job-seeking talent. Post a job on Archinect Jobs and search our database of 40,000 active job seekers in Talent Finder. Questions? Reach out to us any time at jobs@archinect.com or (833) 327-2446. And don't forget to follow the How To Craft an Effective Job Ad tag for updates on new articles in the series.