Top ten mistakes employers make when advertising for staff

Recruitment has become increasingly challenging in recent times with pressure coming from a reduced candidate pool due to uncontrollable factors such as Brexit, COVID and the cost-of-living crisis. So any resource you allocate to recruitment advertising needs to pay dividends and produce results. 

With 13 years experience in recruitment, KPI Director Lily James knows precisely what makes a successful job advert. Lily talks us through the top ten pitfalls employers need to avoid when posting recruitment ads.

1. Vague Job Descriptions

Problem: Many employers fail to provide specific information about the role, responsibilities, and qualifications, leaving potential candidates uncertain if they're a good fit.

Solution: Be precise about job duties, required skills, and qualifications. Use bullet points for readability, and include specific details about daily tasks, necessary experience, and unique aspects of the job.

2. Poorly Written Job Titles

Problem: Generic or misleading job titles like "Engineer" or "Manager" can confuse job seekers.

Solution: Use clear and specific job titles, such as "Software Engineer" or "Civil Engineer," to help candidates quickly understand the job nature and improve searchability.

3. Unclear or Unrealistic Requirements

Problem: Listing too many qualifications or setting unrealistic expectations can deter qualified candidates, while omitting essential requirements can lead to an influx of unqualified applicants.

Solution: Identify must-have qualifications and distinguish them from nice-to-have skills. Be realistic about the experience and education levels needed for the role.

4. Complex Application Process

Problem: A complicated application process can frustrate candidates and lead to high drop-off rates.

Solution: Simplify the application process. Clearly explain the steps, required documents, and expected timeline. Use an applicant tracking system (ATS) to streamline and manage applications efficiently.

5. Omitting Salary Information

Problem: Transparency about salary is crucial. Vague terms like "Negotiable" or "Competitive" can be immediate red flags for candidates.

Solution: Include a salary range in your job posting to set realistic expectations and attract candidates comfortable with the compensation offered.

6. Requiring Unnecessary Assessments

Problem: Early-stage assessments can discourage high-calibre candidates and reflect poorly on your recruitment process.

Solution: Reserve assessments for later stages of the hiring process. Don’t require a time investment before selling the job to the candidate.

7. Ignoring Company Branding

Problem: Failing to provide information about your company can make your job posting less attractive.

Solution: Include a brief company description, emphasizing your culture, values, and what makes your company a great place to work. Use consistent branding elements to align the job ad with your overall company image.

8. Failure to Highlight Benefits

Problem: Candidates look for more than just a salary. If you fail to mention benefits, perks, or growth opportunities, you may miss out on top talent.

Solution: Highlight benefits such as health insurance, retirement plans, flexible working hours, and professional development opportunities. Unique perks can also set your company apart.

9. Unattractive Job Listings

Problem: Visually unappealing job ads with long blocks of text and poor formatting can deter candidates from reading the entire post.

Solution: Use clear headings, bullet points, and ample white space to make your job ad easy to read. Ensure the layout is visually appealing and professional.

10. Lack of Keywords

Problem: Not using relevant keywords can significantly reduce the visibility of your job ad in search results.

Solution: Incorporate relevant keywords naturally into the job title and description. Focus on terms that candidates are likely to use when searching for similar roles to improve your job ad’s search engine optimization (SEO) and visibility on Indeed.

Avoiding these common mistakes can significantly improve the effectiveness of your job advertisements.

By providing clear and detailed job descriptions, using specific job titles, setting realistic requirements, simplifying the application process & avoiding unnecessary assessments, you can maximise the number of applications and streamline your recruitment process.

Being transparent about salary, reflecting your company brand, highlighting benefits, making your job listing visually appealing and including relevant keywords, you can attract the right candidates for the role.

Here at KPI Recruiting, we want to partner with you, ensuring that your hiring process is seamless and taking out unnecessary issues. We want you to feel comfortable knowing that your next hire is in capable hands, that we know the market, we know who fits and who doesn’t within your business and we have a clear, shared goal with what to achieve.

For more hints & tips or help with your recruitment campaigns, email LilyJ@kpir.co.uk, find Lily on LinkedIn or contact our Commercial Teams on:

• Crewe 01270 589943
• Stoke 01782 712230
• Telford 01952 797577
• Warrington 01925 637871
• Wigan 01952 597215