The Recruitment Ad, Part 2

The Execution—Writing Elements and Mechanics

The objectives of a recruitment ad are no different from any other type of marketing ad. You want to increase awareness; decrease resistance; improve your image; convey your identity; and substantiate your assets or benefits in order to secure the best possible candidate for the job.

Print Ads

There are two purposes to every ad—to attract the right candidate to you, and to attract you to the right candidate. Whether your print recruitment ad is a full-page or a fractional, the key is to grab attention and demand a response.

Here are Some Tips for Success:

• Hook. Find a hook. There may be a number of things about the job that the candidate might find attractive. Pick one that’s the standout. Something as seemingly innocuous as a “brand new office space” can be enticing to a certain kind of prospect. You may want to tailor your hooks to specific target audiences.
• Headline. Use a strong, provocative headline and words that entice. Some eye-catching words and phrases include: “New!” “Act Now!” “Look!” “Don’t Miss This Opportunity!” etc. “Salesperson” is not going to garner the same response as an ad that begins, “Are You Good with People?”
• Brevity. Get to the point quickly, and make every word count.
• Position Title. If you are limited to just the Position Title, pick a title that anyone can understand, not one that reflects a classification specific to your organization. If you are looking for an industry-specific candidate, say a government contractor, state that up front.
• Benefits. Offer a clear statement of benefits. If you make certain claims, support them (give prospects a “reason to believe”). In longer ads testimonials can be excellent claims “reinforcers.”
• Credibility. Be honest. Communicate who you are in a way that is genuine and believable. Don’t present your work environment as informal and casual if that’s not true. Your ad shouldn’t just get a good response, it should be a credible portrait of who you are.
• Consistency. Convey your personality (by tone and manner) in a way that is consistent.
• Appeal. Instead of focusing on qualifications and responsibilities, tell people what they’ll gain from the job and how they’ll grow. “Will manage a national corporate branding campaign” is a much more appealing statement than “Must have 10 years of marketing experience.”
• Simplicity. Don’t overwhelm job seekers with details or too many choices that may cause them to postpone making a decision. Many prospects will sidestep an ad if they think they don’t have all the credentials or qualifications.
• Contact Information. Make contact information obvious and eye-catching.
• Repetition. Run the ad several times. You may have to run an ad as many as nine times before a person will respond.

The Essential Elements

Here is a checklist of key ingredients that should appear in every print ad:

• The job title or department
• A provocative, attention-getting headline. If space is limited, imbed your key benefit or value in the headline
• A sub-head that provides a little more clarification or insight into the position
• Body copy that includes: opportunities, qualifications, and compensation. Keep it benefit oriented, and include important details such as location, travel requirements, education, etc.
• A brief description of your company and what’s unique about it
• Company name and logo
• Disclaimers—Affirmative Action statements or messages such as “No phone calls please.”
• A Call to Action—directives on how to get more information or how to apply. The best ads offer a number of response options, not just one

Web Ads

With a Web recruitment ad, the logistics of how you can submit your ad may limit your ability to customize. Some sites require that you enter information directly into an online form and/or you will be restricted to specific site categories. Other sites give you more latitude, but because you will be competing against many comparable ads, it’s imperative that you communicate the most compelling benefits you have to offer early on. Remember, you are advertising to Internet-savvy individuals who don’t have a lot of time to linger.

It may be a better strategy to sell the company first in a web ad, as opposed to the job. The web typically reaches people who are currently employed, but who may be “shopping around.” You are marketing opportunity, as opposed to position . . . so you need to give a job seeker good reasons to consider something else.

“More” also tends to be better with a web recruitment ad. Unlike a print ad, where space and format are often limited, the web can offer a more open-ended forum where you have unlimited space and the luxury of elaborating, particularly if you are running an ad off your corporate site. However, bear in mind that most web surfers do not read the entire ad. They need to access and absorb information quickly. That’s why you should use keywords and phrases that will attract their attention and offer an immediate answer to their anxieties.

Tips for Writing Effective Web Ads:

• Brevity. You have about three seconds to grab their attention, so you need to get your point across in the headline and opening paragraph
• Subheads. Use strong, provocative subheads that convey clear benefits and advantages
• Contact Options. Offer more than one contact option (email, fax or snail mail)
• Keywords. Make sure you use a lot of keywords in your ad that would make it easily “searchable.”
• Links. Provide text links within the ad—drive them to your corporate site for more information
• Repetiton. Post the same ad more than once, with different styles, headlines, keywords, and messages. Track which ads get the best response

Standing Out in a Crowd

With both print and web advertising, it is important to meet your prospects where they are. Salary and benefits usually aren’t enough to satisfy today’s job seekers, many of whom place a high value on more subjective “quality of life” issues, such as family-friendliness, a casual work environment, flexible scheduling, professional development opportunities, etc. If you offer these types of perks, they should be conspicuously highlighted in your ad.

A targeted, thoughtfully written recruitment ad ensures that you will attract the very best applicants. They will have the skills you’re looking for, and they will have a clear idea of who you are, what you expect, and what makes you an attractive employer. As you begin to collect responses, typically in the form of resumes, you’ll be ready to move on to the next critical step in the hiring process—The Resume Review.