If you’re not getting viable candidates to apply to your job listing, then it’s time to start thinking about different ways to optimize your post. In many ways, a job post is like a first impression – the information it contains could influence the quality and quantity of job seekers that apply.
5 Tips for Optimizing Your Job Listing
Your listing, whether on top platforms like ZipRecruiter or elsewhere, needs to be informative, descriptive, and most of all, memorable. Therefore, there are a few small tips to consider that can help boost your results and attract top-quality candidates.
1. Use a clear and concise title
You might not be attracting the right candidates if you opt for creative job titles like “rock stars” or “ninjas.” Job seekers are likely typing in certain keywords or phrases, and you might miss out on a good hire. If you’re also looking to hire a certain skill level such as Software Engineer III or Senior Marketing Analyst, make sure you add that to the title as well.
2. Optimize your listing for SEO
When you post your job listing, you’ll want as many eyes on the post as possible. That’s why it’s crucial to optimize your post to increase the amount of traffic coming to your page – whether it’s on a job board or even Google. Consider adding common keywords (ex: engineering jobs in New York) to your URL, meta description, and body. If you’re not sure which keywords to use, we recommend a keyword search with an SEO tool or keyword finder.
3. Add relevant photos and videos
Sharing videos of office tours, employee interviews, or team bonding events is an easy way to entice applicants to apply to your listing. In addition, it sheds light on company culture, giving job seekers an insightful look at what they could expect once hired. If you’re posting the listing on your own website, then you can easily embed videos or photos straight onto the page. If you’re using a third-party job board like ZipRecruiter, then we recommend adding links within the post instead.
4. Be precise with your words
Job seekers usually see dozens of postings a day, so when writing your job listing, it’s important to make every word count. Leave out non-relevant information to the hiring process. This includes detailed company history or background information.
As a rule of thumb, try to write a concise job summary in a few sentences, followed by a bulleted list of duties, desirable skills, and required experience. You can add a small section about the company, but make sure it’s focused more on values, benefits, or company culture. It’s also a good idea to add a specific location and a salary range – as these are two key factors that job seekers look for when applying for jobs. And don’t forget to add exactly what candidates should include when applying and where they can send their application.
5. Pay for sponsored posts
If you’re using a free job board to hire new employees, then you’ll likely have the option to promote your job listing for an extra fee. Not only will you increase the amount of exposure you’ll have on the listing, but you’ll also have a competitive advantage over all the other companies. Depending on the job board, this might mean your listing will show up first in search results. It could also mean getting sent directly to the applicants themselves via email or messenger.
On sites like ZipRecruiter, you can pay for a TrafficBoost. This means your listing will show up at the top of targeted email alerts sent to over 15 million job seekers. Your listing will be promoted for 30 days or until you get 100 unique visitors. This is a great deal if you’re looking to save time and energy during the hiring process!
More Recruiting Resources
These tips will help you stand out from the competition and attract higher-quality candidates to apply for your job listing. If you’re wondering what other types of information to include in your job listing, then read our article on how to post a job easily and for free.