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Creating an effective job advert is a great way of attracting candidates who have the skills that you require.
However, matching a candidate to your culture can be tricky – skills and experience are easy to gauge via a CV or application form but it may not be until much further along the recruitment process to assess whether a candidate would meet your values.
So, how can you ensure that you attract candidates who are a good cultural fit for your business?
Your job advert is a good place to start. It’s important to remember that your advert is not a job specification – it’s an outlet where you can sell the opportunity, which includes the role itself and what it’s like to work for your business.
If you’re getting frustrated that you’re attracting candidates who don’t match your culture, it’s worth incorporating the following points within your job advert:
1. Talk about the environment candidates will be working in
Environment is a big indication of culture. By including information about the company’s environment, candidates will be able to self-filter themselves according to what environment they work best in.
Just by including short phrases or sentences about the atmosphere within your office, candidates should be able to picture themselves working there. For example, consider the following couple of phrases you might find in a job advert:
“Working within a fast-paced, vibrant and sociable office where two days are never the same.”
“You’ll be working in peaceful offices, mainly independently, but supported by a friendly and hardworking team.”
The top sentence implies a busy environment where there’s always something going on, whereas the second sentence suggests that the offices are quieter and you’ll be given more space to work alone.
2. Make sure that your values are clear
Each company has its own set of individual values that their employees are expected to embrace and adhere to – whether it’s transparency, innovation, passion or trust.
Whatever values and beliefs lie at the heart of your business, it’s important to communicate them clearly in your job advert and throughout the entire hiring process. This way, you can accurately assess whether candidates share your values so when your new hire starts within your business, these values will already be embedded in them.
Remember, it’s not just a case of talking about your values; make sure that you show them. For example, if your main value is passion, inject enthusiasm into your advert. If it’s innovation, talk about the cool things you’ve developed.
3. Use the language of your company
Make sure your tone is right. If you’re a quirky, fun start-up business, you probably won’t want to use overly formal language in your advert. On the other hand, if you’re advertising for a high-level role within a corporate environment, chances are that you’re going to need to make your advert a little less colloquial.
Why?
The job advert is the first impression that a jobseeker will have of your company. These people will be reading dozens of adverts every day on their job search; if your advert reads in a way that appeals to them individually, they will be more likely to apply.
It’s also important to keep the tone of your adverts consistent with your brand and your company’s voice; this ensures that all of your communications are aligned.
4. Talk about your USPs
What are the things that truly set you apart from your competitors? Your company’s USPs play a huge part of your culture and your candidate attraction strategy.
Do you offer the most amazing training and development programmes? Are staff allowed to leave early on Fridays? Do you have the most lovely and supportive team in the world?
Don’t be afraid to shout about what sets you apart and communicate how fantastic your business is!
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