Why knowing your audience (and where to find them) is the secret sauce your job ads need to succeed
That’s how long it takes most candidates to decide whether to keep reading a job advertisement or move on. And that’s when they’re actively looking!
So, how do you make yourself memorable in only 14 seconds? And how do the methods vary based on where and how you advertise your job ads?
‘SEEK’, and you shall find
The benefit of sites like SEEK, Indeed and Jora is that the audience is visiting for a singular purpose - job hunting! Candidates can expect to trawl through hundreds of mostly uninspiring and generic listings in search of the right fit, so it’s important to use every weapon in your arsenal to capture their attention.
Our three best tips for achieving results -
- Clarify: Be open about things like salary, location and FTE arrangements. These functional components can make or break an opportunity. They also define job search parameters, so candidates can automatically self-select out of a job by choosing the right filters.
- Customise: Get creative in explaining your offer - your EVP is the key ingredient in this! Candidates want to know how you’ll be an asset to them before they analyse how they can be an asset to you, so make sure your EVP is front and centre in the ad. Get specific on what you can promise that competitors can’t. Do you cater a hot lunch every Friday? Or maybe you’re implementing a new software platform that they’d get to play a leading role in building. Your benefits might be what ultimately sells them on applying.
- Connect: Take a second (preferably longer!) to really think about who your ideal candidate would be. If it’s an entry-level or graduate role, they’ll likely have vastly different priorities to a seasoned professional. Connect with your target audience in your ads by tailoring your message to what matters to them. Do they value mentorship and L&D opportunities? Or maybe social issues like DEIB and sustainability?
On the topic of connection, it’s vitally important to consider where your audience is and how best to reach them. Because even if you have the most well-written and executed job ad in the world, you won’t get results if it doesn’t reach the right people.
Want to take your job ads to the next level? We’d love to help.
Explore our EBAmplify services to see how we can help you attract more fantastic, imperfect people to your organisation.
Get ‘LinkedIn’ to where your audience is
Despite primarily being a social network, LinkedIn is becoming an increasingly popular platform for job hunters. The site recently reported that a whopping 40 million people worldwide are searching for jobs each week. And they’re getting successful as well, with approximately three people getting hired every minute.
The caveat is that there are specific industries this works really well for - and others where advertising on LinkedIn is a total dead end. LinkedIn itself has done the research on this, and identified which industries hire most and least from their social networks. So, if the role you’re looking for requires highly specialised capabilities or qualifications, LinkedIn might be your best bet to find a unicorn. Whereas employees in hospitality and human services aren’t likely to network online as much as they do in person (stay tuned for advice on how to leverage this!).
Go back to the blueprint
There’s not much point in creating a beautiful LinkedIn post if the people you want to hire are looking for jobs on the community noticeboard at their local shops. So, it makes much more sense to target your audience where they are.
Get strategic about developing personas that outline who your target audience is, what they’re looking for and where you’d find them. Then, optimise your recruitment campaign to get through to them!
Looking for new graduates? Attend high school and university careers fairs. On the other end of the spectrum, don’t forget the job section of the newspaper for older, more experienced candidates. If your workforce spends a lot of time on the road, try a radio ad! Whatever your method, get input from real employees - photos, videos and sound bites on why they love working for you. They’re your best advertisement, after all.
If you’re having a hard time attracting the right people for your organisation, we can help.
Reach out to hello@employerbrandingaustralia.com and we’ll help you identify which of our services is the best fit for you.
