13 tips for writing an attractive job offer

In the competitive world of recruitment, writing a job ad that stands out is essential to attracting the best talent. The words you choose and the way you present your company are crucial to capturing candidates' attention.

In this article, we'll explore in detail 13 must-have tips for writing an attractive job ad that will make the difference and help you recruit the most qualified candidates.

What is a job offer?

A job advertisement is a document or publication that describes in detail a vacancy within an organization. Its purpose is to inform potential candidates of job opportunities available within the company.

What's it for? Why publish one?

Thejob ad fulfils several fundamental roles in the recruitment process. Firstly, it serves as a crucial link between the company and candidates, informing them of the positions available and the qualifications required. It is the starting point for the relationship between employer and future employee.

A well-written job ad enables the company to present its culture, values and working environment to potential candidates. It's an opportunity to pique talent's interest, show what makes the company unique and convince candidates to apply.

It's a strategic tool that helps companies attract, inform and seduce the best talent on the market. It is the starting point for a successful recruitment process, and its careful drafting is a crucial skill for human resources and recruitment professionals.

How to write a recruitment ad?

 1. Careful job title

The title of your job ad is the first thing candidates see, so make sure it's catchy and informative.

If you're recruiting for a permanent Chief of Staff position, prefer "Permanent Chief of Staff" to "Job offer for a permanent Chief of Staff".

Use keywords such as "recruits" and "CDI" to clearly indicate the type of position and contract on offer.

This technique will improve the visibility of your job offer on online job search sites (LinkedIn, Apec, Régionjob, Welcome To The Jungle, etc.) and make it stand out in the searches of your future applicants. This is essential to attract a large number of qualified candidates, and the search engine will add value to your offer.

Your title should be clear and engaging, whatever the type of offer you're proposing. Whether it's an internship, a temporary contract, a student job, an open-ended contract or a fixed-term contract, specify it.

If you don't want to include the type of contract in the title of the offer, remember to mention it in the offer anyway, as it is compulsory.

Here are a few examples of successful catchphrases:

"Company X invites you to take part in its acceleration on the XXX market".

"We offer you a challenging and entrepreneurial adventure".

"You demonstrate an interest in Data technologies such as..."

"What if you joined an EdTech start-up shaping tomorrow's education?"

💡 At Skillink, we highlight 3 points that characterize the job offer at the very beginning to give candidates a quick idea of the opportunity and save them time in their search.

2. Use clear, engaging language 

When you're writing a job ad, you're thinking copywriting. What is copywriting?

It's the art of selling through words. When you publish new job offers, it's important to convince candidates that this is the right offer for them.

So avoid jargon and complexity when writing it. Keep it as simple as possible, and use clear language to describe the job responsibilities and skills required.

Encourage candidates to apply by using engaging phrases and inserting call-to-actions like "Apply now" or "Join our team" or "Join us".

Don't forget to include information on the application deadline, the different stages of the recruitment process, the address of your premises, whether the position is open to teleworking or only on site, and the contact details of the recruiter in charge of the assignment.

You should also specify whether or not you are expecting a cover letter for this position. Some companies ask for a CV + cover letter when candidates apply for their vacancies, while others only require a CV.

There are no rules, it's up to each individual, which is why it's important to specify this in the job offer, so that candidates understand your expectations.

3. A few good reflexes to be aware of!

To write a truly attractive job ad, it's essential to adopt certain good practices that will make your ad shine among the multitude of positions available.

When speaking on behalf of the company, opt for the pronoun "we". This approach creates a sense of belonging, encouraging candidates to consider their place on your team.

Describe the responsibilities and skills required for the position, addressing candidates directly with the pronoun "you". This approach personalizes the candidate experience, engaging them in a virtual conversation and inviting them to imagine their future with your company. In certain contexts, "you" may also be appropriate, particularly in the Tech sector or start-ups.

The organization of your job ad is just as crucial. Make sure your content is clearly and logically structured to make it easy to read. Avoid overloading the ad with excessive information. Go for an airy presentation, using bulleted lists or concise paragraphs to make the text more accessible.

The visual aspect of your ad should not be neglected. If possible, highlight keywords in bold to attract the reader's attention.

Adding logos or other relevant graphic elements can also make content more visually appealing, captivating the eye of potential candidates.

When it comes to verbal tense, the present tense is often preferable for most of the ad. It creates an impression of responsiveness and relevance, helping candidates to project themselves into their potential role within your company.

For sections describing the profile you're looking for and future missions, the use of the future tense is perfectly acceptable, as it allows candidates to project themselves into a possible future with your team.

By following these reflexes, you'll strengthen your offer's ability to capture candidates' attention and encourage them to explore the exciting opportunities your company has to offer. 

💡 A well-written, informative and engaging advert is the essential starting point for attracting and selecting talent that will contribute to your team's ongoing success.

4. Promote the company's advantages

Show candidates what your company has to offer to motivate them to join you. 

Present and highlight the benefits your company offers its teams. 

Here are some examples of benefits to highlight in your job offer:

• The amount of transport costs covered,
• The equipment made available to the future candidate,
• The amount of meal vouchers,
• Teleworking policy,
• Company mutual insurance,
• Description of on-boarding (setting up a referent, training time, etc.),
• Various team activities (team building, off-site, afterwork, etc.),
• Accessibility of your premises for people with disabilities.

As you can see, the most important thing is to highlight all the benefits that employees have access to once they've joined your company.

💡 We recommend that you bear in mind that candidates looking for a job are going to consult several offers, so you need to do everything you can to ensure that it's YOUR offer that catches their attention.

5. Describe the Ideal candidate profile

When candidates see your vacancy, it's important that from the very first seconds they understand the profile of your ideal candidate.

It's important to be clear about your search criteria, so that the offer is as clear as possible and shows candidates that the position to be filled has a well-defined scope.

Be transparent about the skills and qualities you're looking for. If you're looking for a Marketing Manager, for example, highlight :

• The minimum number of years of professional experience required for the position (please do not specify a maximum number of years, as this would be discriminatory),
• Soft skills: listening, good communication skills, creativity...,
• Hardskills required: video editor, Adobe suite skills, social networking skills...,
• Type of higher education (Bac+ X). 

This list is not exhaustive. Like a recipe, you need to highlight all the ingredients you need to recruit the ideal profile.

Be careful not to overwhelm candidates with a long list of useless skills.

💡 We can advise you on how to improve the relevance of your job offers. You can also use industry- or job-specific keywords. All this will help you attract candidates with specific experience or skills that match your needs.

6. Demonstrate originality and creativity

To stand out from the crowd, be creative.

To give candidates a better understanding of your company and the positions within it, you can also link detailed job descriptions to your job offers.

These job descriptions can be accompanied by testimonials from satisfied employees who share their experience of working for your company. Positive feedback from your employees can have a significant impact on your company's image and its attractiveness to candidates.

If you don't have a section on your website where you can find testimonials from your employees, highlight your Glassdoor profile when it's to your advantage.

Think team portraits too! Whether it's video portraits in which your employees talk about their jobs, moments of life in your company, off-sites, participation in conferences, all those moments that make up the life of your company.

💡 We advise you to integrate attractive visuals, to illustrate your offers that highlight your teams, your premises... This allows future candidates to be able to project themselves a little more and humanize your company. 

7. Don't forget to post your remuneration 

45% of candidates say they are less likely to apply if the salary is not displayed on job offers.

To make your job offers look attractive, it's important to display the remuneration for the position offered, for several reasons.

• Transparency and trust: when you include information on remuneration, you demonstrate a high level of transparency towards candidates. This builds trust between employer and candidate, showing that you're open and honest from the outset.
• Saves time: by specifying the remuneration you enable candidates to determine immediately whether the position matches their financial expectations. This avoids incompatible candidates investing time in the process, which can be time-saving for all parties.
• Attracting the right candidates: a job offer with a clear remuneration attracts candidates who are genuinely interested in the position and align themselves with the proposed salary level. This reduces the number of candidates who apply solely for financial reasons.
• Reduced salary negotiation: by specifying compensation up front, you can reduce the need for salary negotiation later on. Candidates are more likely to accept the offer if it matches their financial expectations from the outset.
• Improved corporate image : transparent communication on compensation reinforces the company's image as a candidate-friendly employer. This can help attract quality candidates and build long-term employee loyalty.

However, it is important to note that in some cases there may be legitimate reasons not to disclose remuneration in a job advertisement, for example, when remuneration is highly dependent on the candidate's experience or skills.

💡 We advise you to indicate a salary range or mention that remuneration will be discussed in detail during interviews when you can't give a fixed remuneration.

8. Don't forget candidates' new expectations

Find out about your candidates' expectations! Depending on the profile of your ideal candidate for your vacancy, expectations will vary. 

For example, telecommuting is a very popular option for tech functions and for Generation Z. 

Think about retaining your future candidates!

Highlight career opportunities, whether you offer training courses, graduate programs, hybrid careers, etc. 

You can include the on-boarding stages in your job offers, so that candidates can see themselves in the future. How long will the training last? Is there an off-boarding course, etc.? 

9. Make sure your job offer is gender-neutral

In 2023, writing a job ad must reflect the values of inclusion and non-discrimination that have become essential in our society. One of the crucial steps in achieving this is to write a job advert in a non-gendered way, i.e. in such a way that it is accessible and attractive to all candidates, regardless of their gender. Here are a few practices for writing an inclusive and respectful job advert:

• Use gender-neutral words: when describing the tasks, responsibilities and qualifications required for the job, choose words and expressions that do not imply a specific gender. Avoid gender stereotyping by using terms such as "the selected person" instead of "the chosen candidate" or "the ideal candidate".
• Favoring inclusive writing: inclusive writing is a linguistic approach that aims to make text gender-neutral. It can include the use of double flexion (e.g.: candidat-e-s) or the use of generic terms such as "les candidats" instead of "les candidats et les candidates". The aim is to make the text as inclusive as possible.
• Mention (N/F/H) in the title: a transparent method of indicating that your job offer is gender-neutral is to include the initials (N/F/H) in the title. "N" stands for neuter, "F" for feminine and "H" for masculine. This approach clearly shows your commitment to equal opportunities and respect for gender diversity.
• Use the pronoun "you ": use the pronoun "you" rather than "he" or "she" throughout the offer. For example, "You will be responsible for" rather than "He/she will be responsible for". This practice promotes inclusive communication and shows that the company is open to all candidates, whatever their gender or identity.

Inclusive job adverts are a powerful way of demonstrating your commitment to equal opportunities and creating a welcoming environment for a diverse range of candidates. By adopting these practices, you increase your company's visibility as a diversity-friendly employer and attract motivated and talented candidates, whatever their gender. This gender-neutral approach also strengthens your company's reputation as an inclusive workplace, which can have a positive impact on employee retention and corporate culture.

💡 At Skillink, we use inclusive writing in all our job offers and adapt our discourse according to the people targeted for our vacancies. 

10. Think about legal notices

Don't forget the legal aspects of your job offer! For a job offer to be legal, it must comply with very specific rules.

Here are a few common legal notices to include in a job offer:

• Company details,
• Details of the job offer with the type of contract: permanent contract, fixed-term contract, internship, sandwich course...,
• Application procedure,
• Company information,
• Confidentiality clause,
• Equal opportunities,
• Legal references,
• Application processing policy.

💡 We advise you to prepare job offer templates in advance, including legal notices, to avoid oversights during the recruitment period.

11. Target your offer distribution channels

To maximize the visibility of your ad and find the ideal candidate, it's important that your job posting is distributed on the channels where your target candidates go.

First, you need to identify your target audience. Each job may have a slightly different target audience, depending on its requirements.

For example, if you're recruiting for a software developer position, you might want to target websites and forums specializing in programming.

For a marketing manager position, social media channels and professional marketing platforms may be more appropriate.

If you're looking for people for an internship, give preference to platforms frequented by students, such as Welcome To The Jungle, Jobteaser, LinkedIn and so on.

To save time and optimize the distribution of your job offer on several platforms, opt for multicasting software.

What is multicasting?

This involves simultaneously publishing a job offer on several job boards. This strategy enables you to reach a wider audience in a single step.

Here are a few examples of multicasting platforms:

• Beehire,
• Beetween,
• Recruitee,
• Softy,
• Talents'in...

💡 We advise you to republish your ad on a weekly basis so that it can be well referenced by the algorithms and be displayed during the first search results. 

12. Make it easy to apply

Make the recruitment process as simple as possible by providing detailed information in your job advert. Describe the process in detail, including the number of stages, the people with whom candidates will be in contact, the duration of exchanges and whether or not practical cases are planned.

In addition, specify the location and format of the interviews. Does the entire process take place face-to-face, or are certain stages carried out by videoconference or telephone call? This clarification helps candidates to project themselves within your company.

💡 We advise you to clearly indicate in your job ad how candidates can apply. You can integrate a call-to-action that redirects to an application form, highlight the contact details of the recruiter in charge of the position, or provide the e-mail address to which applications should be sent. The more precise and transparent you are, the more comfortable and enthusiastic candidates will feel about joining your team.

13. Check the effectiveness of your ad

When it comes to publishing a job advert on various distribution channels, it's crucial to monitor the effectiveness of your advert to optimize your recruitment process.

Set up a tracking system, with precise KPIs that will enable you to optimize your recruitment strategy as you go along.

Here's an overview of the process on different platforms:

• Jobteaser : start by setting clear objectives, such as the number of expected applications or the conversion rate of visitors into candidates. Use the personalized tracking links provided by the platform for each ad. Regularly analyze the data to monitor the number of views, clicks and applications generated by each ad. Compare these results with your objectives to adjust your approach if necessary.
• Welcome to the Jungle: optimize your company profile by adding attractive elements such as videos, photos and employee testimonials. Then monitor the performance indicators provided by the platform, including number of views, click-through rate and number of applications. Use this data to measure the impact of your ads, and make improvements based on the results.
• Indeed: Indeed offers a dashboard that lets you track the performance of your ads in real time. You can monitor the number of views, the conversion rate into applications and the cost per application. Adjust your budgets and targeting according to the results to maximize your ROI (return on investment).
• APEC : APEC offers tracking and measurement options. Use these tools to track the number of views of your ad, the click-through rate and the number of applications received. Pay close attention to feedback from qualified candidates to assess the relevance of your offer, and make changes if necessary.

In short, on every platform, the key lies in defining objectives, using tracking links, collecting data and regularly analyzing performance to ensure that your ads are effectively reaching your target audience. 

💡 At Skillink, our Head of Talent Acquisition & People Ops organizes weekly meetings with his teams to present the KPIs of each offer and optimize their performance. 

Conclusion

Writing an attractive job offer is a crucial step in the recruitment process. 

By adopting these best practices, you'll improve the quality of your advertisements, attract more qualified candidates, reinforce your company's image as a respectful and inclusive employer, and increase your chances of recruiting the ideal candidate. Recruitment is a demanding process, but a well-written job advert is the first step towards success.

Don't forget that every job offer is an opportunity to present your company and find the ideal candidate.

So put these tips into practice to build a talented team and help your business grow.

And if, despite all this advice, your job advertisement doesn't enable you to recruit an employee matching your recruitment needs, don't hesitate to call on a recruitment agency like Skillink to help you with a direct approach recruitment approach.