Are your job adverts putting off applicants?

You only have one opportunity to make a good first impression. When it comes to hiring, a potential candidate will form an opinion of what it would be like to work at your organisation before they even set foot in your office for an interview – it’ll happen when they’re reading your job advert and deciding whether to apply for the role. What you include – or choose to leave out – in a job advert can make or break the quality of applications you receive, ultimately resulting in either a smooth-sailing or challenging hiring process.

Our latest What Workers Want: When Applying for Jobs 2024 Report, in which we examine the thoughts and feelings of almost 11,900 professionals, gives valuable insight into what jobseekers deem important to be included in a job advert – and what would put them off applying entirely.

Most jobseekers won’t apply without salary information

There are a variety of valid reasons why some organisations decide not to advertise the salary range within their job adverts. It may cause discontentment with current employees if their salary doesn’t match up to a newly advertised role, for example, or it can mean some applicants express unrealistic salary expectations as they try their luck at obtaining the upper end, despite their experience being more suited to the lower end.

However, ‘competitive salary’ and ‘dependant on experience’ simply don’t cut it for most jobseekers. In fact, according to our research, the overwhelming majority (85%) wouldn’t even consider applying to an organisation that didn’t state the salary within the job description, so it seems the potential risks of being transparent about compensation do not outweigh the reward. In a skills-short market where competition for top for top talent is rife, it could mean extreme struggles attracting suitable candidates if your pool is limited to a mere 15%.

Clear career prospects are paramount to most candidates

When considering job opportunities, personal and professional development are at the forefront of many jobseekers’ minds. It’s imperative that your job advert showcases the growth potential of the role, otherwise you could risk losing out on top talent. In fact, without a clear indication of the career path of a potential job opportunity, only just over one-tenth (11%) of professionals would consider applying to a role; a further 16% remain unsure if they would or not while almost three-quarters (73%) wouldn’t even consider it. 

Some organisations wait to discuss career plans and progression until the interview process is underway, rather than mention it in their job advert – though evidently most candidates won’t stick around long enough to find out if that’s the case. While interviews are a great time to go into more detail about job prospects, it’s still important to include a summary of the role’s trajectory in your job advert to maximise your applications. 

For example, how quickly can a potential employee expect to see a promotion if they’re performing well? Would there be any future plans for further responsibilities?

Include information that applicants will seek on your website

Aside from the job itself, compensation and potential for growth, an applicant also wants to know what kind of organisation they would be working for – beyond just the industry it falls into. Many candidates care about working for an organisation that ‘does the right thing.’ 

It’s likely that your company website already showcases your organisations’ positive contributions to the environment and community, but it may be worth mentioning these in your job advert and linking to any relevant webpages on your website. Why? According to our findings, 62% of professionals wouldn’t consider applying to an organisation that didn’t have a public commitment to corporate social responsibility (CSR).

Having a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) is also important to most candidates, with almost three-quarters (72%) of professionals saying they wouldn’t consider applying to a company that failed to show this. Including this information on your job advert can help to immediately present your organisation as one that cares about DE&I, rather than applicants having to search through your website for information.

The right job advert can attract the right candidates 

A job advert is your first opportunity to tempt high-calibre candidates to apply for your role. As the job market battles skills shortages and fierce competition for top talent, a simple description of the job responsibilities just won’t cut it for the majority of jobseekers. Salary information, career prospects, and a public commitment to CSR and DE&I are among the most important for applicants. 

Want to discover more about what would deter candidates from applying to your role? Our What Workers Want: When Applying for Jobs 2024 Report provides you with all the latest insights to help you with your candidate attraction strategy. Request your copy of the report today.