How to write Job Adverts that increases applications

Writing a compelling job advert can increase your relevant applications by 360% while dramatically reducing your time to hire. These 8 proven job advert tips from recruitment expert Jacco Valkenburg will help you create job advertisements that not only attract the right candidates but also showcase your company as an employer of choice.

How to write a job advert

1. Why job advert quality matters for recruitment success
2. Job title optimisation: Your first impression counts
3. Compelling taglines that stop scrolling
4. Defining your role’s purpose and impact
5. Duties and responsibilities that attract talent
6. What to expect from candidates: Setting clear requirements
7. Benefits and perks that make the difference
8. Streamlining your application process
9. Legal compliance in job adverts
10. How AI transforms job advert effectiveness
11. Measuring and improving job advert performance
12. Frequently asked questions

Why job advert quality matters for recruitment success

Do you struggle with job adverts that generate dozens of responses but no suitable candidates? Or do your carefully crafted job posts receive hardly any applications at all? You’re not alone. The quality of your job advert directly impacts both the quantity and calibre of applications you receive.

“In my training courses, I regularly visit organisations using job posts that can only be described as far too vague,” explains Jacco Valkenburg, a recruitment expert with 25 years of experience. “I always compare the search for a new colleague with purchasing a used car. You can search with broad criteria like spacious, fast, economical, reasonably priced and attractive colour. However, your results will be significantly sharper if you refine your criteria: estate car, 0-100km in under 7 seconds, diesel, maximum £12,500 and black.”

The primary challenge lies in helping organisations formulate their criteria more clearly. A sharper job advert leads to more relevant applications. Rather than processing 200 applications over eighteen months to fill one vacancy (real story!), you can receive 30 highly relevant applications and fill the position in significantly less time.

This focused approach offers several advantages:

• Reduced time to hire: Quality applicants apply faster when job requirements are clear
• Lower recruitment costs: Less time spent sifting through irrelevant applications
• Improved candidate experience: Clear expectations lead to better matches
• Enhanced employer branding: Professional job adverts reflect well on your organisation

Job title optimisation: Your first impression counts

Your job title serves as both the first impression and the primary search term candidates use to find your position. Getting this element right significantly impacts your job advert’s visibility and effectiveness.

“Holiday worker, pioneer, logistics spider in the web,” lists Jacco. “These examples regularly appear in practice, yet they represent broad, unclear, vague or overly creative terms that provide no meaningful information about the role content. More importantly, nobody searches for these terms on job boards.”

Consider the difference between these approaches:

• Weak example: “Recruitment Ninja”
• Strong example: “Senior IT Corporate Recruiter (full-time, Utrecht)”

The improved version provides six times more information: role level, specialisation, department, employment type, and location.

The job title formula for online visibility

Use this proven formula for searchable job titles:

Recognisable job title + Domain knowledge + Seniority level + Key technologies + Location + Employment scope

Examples of this formula in action:

• “Digital Marketing Manager – SaaS (Senior, London, Full-time)”
• “Software Developer – React/Node.js (Mid-level, Manchester, Remote)”
• “Registered Nurse – Dementia Care (24-32 hours, Amsterdam)”

The last example demonstrates the power of specificity. When a nursing position was changed from “Nurse PG” to “Nursing Dementia (24-32 upw, Amsterdam)”, it generated 360% more views.

Optimising job titles for search

Always verify your chosen job title using Google Trends to ensure you’re using the most commonly searched variation. Small adjustments can dramatically improve your job advert’s discoverability.

Compelling taglines that stop scrolling

Your tagline or teaser serves as the hook that determines whether candidates continue reading your job advert. In 120 characters, you need to convey what makes this opportunity irresistible.

Effective taglines share these characteristics:

• Stopping power: Makes candidates pause their scrolling
• Role clarity: Communicates the position’s nature quickly
• Information density: Provides valuable details concisely
• Recognition factor: Uses familiar industry terminology
• Pre-selection: Attracts the right candidates while filtering others
• Differentiation: Highlights what makes your opportunity unique

Creative, engaging taglines are not only acceptable but encouraged. A touch of appropriate humour can help your job advert stand out in crowded job boards while maintaining professionalism.

Defining your role’s purpose and impact

Candidates seek meaningful work that contributes to something larger than themselves. Your job advert must clearly articulate the “why” behind the position in 50-75 words.

Address these key questions in your role purpose section:

• Why has this vacancy arisen?
• What problems occur if this position remains unfilled?
• What needs to be changed, delivered, or improved?
• Which exciting projects will the successful candidate work on?
• What represent the biggest challenges and opportunities?

Example: Inspiring role purpose

Consider this compelling example for a tram driver position:

Driving a £1.3 million commercial vehicle

With passengers in your care, you’ll experience variety like no other role. On early Sunday mornings, you can count travelers on one hand. When Feyenoord wins, your tram fills with hundreds of celebrating football supporters. Regardless of passenger numbers, you transport people safely and pleasantly from A to B in the most beautiful city in the Netherlands.

This description succeeded so well that people who weren’t even considering applying sent compliments about the engaging copy.

Duties and responsibilities that attract talent

Many job adverts fail by listing generic responsibilities that can apply to almost any role. Effective job advert tips emphasise specificity and selectivity in describing what the successful candidate will do.

Best practices for listing responsibilities

Follow these proven strategies:

• Limit to top five: Avoid overwhelming candidates with exhaustive lists
• Be specific: Replace generic duties with concrete, measurable tasks
• Use bullet points: Improve readability and scannability
• Lead with impact: Put the most interesting work first
• Avoid door-opening language: Don’t suggest responsibilities expand indefinitely
• Set SMART objectives: Include specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound goals

Structure your responsibilities to show progression and growth opportunities. Candidates want to understand not what they’ll do, but how the role contributes to their career development.

What to expect from candidates: Setting clear requirements

This section determines whether qualified candidates apply or self-select out of your process. The key lies in focusing on assessable requirements rather than vague competencies.

“State a maximum of 5 essential hard requirements,” advises Jacco. “Avoid competencies or soft criteria entirely. In many cases, I delete them completely. The ultimate question for any recruiter is: How can you assess candidates? Taking that as your starting point increases readability and attracts better candidates.”

Essential vs. desirable requirements

Distinguish clearly between must-have and nice-to-have qualifications:

Essential requirements (maximum 5):

• Specific technical skills or certifications
• Required years of experience in relevant areas
• Necessary software proficiencies
• Critical industry knowledge
• Essential language abilities

Desirable qualifications:

• Additional certifications that would be beneficial
• Extra skills that can add value
• Previous experience in similar environments
• Complementary knowledge areas

The education requirement challenge

Question whether educational requirements truly matter for the role. Challenge hiring managers with this question: “Do you want an employee with a diploma, or would you prefer a capable employee?” This approach can significantly expand your talent pool without compromising quality.

When listing requirements, name all relevant technologies specifically and formulate everything using SMART criteria for maximum clarity and assessability.

Benefits and perks that make the difference

Salary, benefits and perks often determine which candidates apply and accept offers. This section should clearly communicate the value proposition beyond salary.

Types of benefits to highlight

Substantive benefits:

• Professional development opportunities
• Career progression pathways
• Meaningful project involvement
• Skills development programs
• Industry recognition opportunities

Financial and practical benefits:

• Competitive salary ranges
• Performance bonuses
• Company car or travel allowances
• Technology provisions (laptop, mobile phone)
• Flexible working arrangements
• Comprehensive health insurance
• Pension contributions

Example of compelling benefits presentation:

“Join our omnichannel transformation within the retail sector while enjoying a 40-hour working week, company car, latest technology, and comprehensive professional development budget.”

In tight labour markets, this section becomes particularly crucial for differentiating your opportunity from competitors.

Streamlining your application process

Clear application instructions and contact information can significantly impact your response rates and candidate experience. This section should remove all barriers to applying while setting appropriate expectations.

Essential application information

Always include:

• Full contact details: Name, job title, telephone number, and email address
• Application method: Email, online form, or careers portal
• Required documents: CV, cover letter, portfolio, or certifications
• Assessment processes: Mention any tests, presentations, or screening procedures
• Timeline expectations: When candidates can expect to hear back
• Equal opportunity statement: Demonstrates commitment to diversity and inclusion

Including your full contact information builds trust and shows transparency. Candidates appreciate knowing exactly who they’re contacting and what to expect from the process.

Building inclusive practices

Including an equal opportunity statement serves multiple purposes:

• Increases overall application numbers
• Improves candidate diversity
• Enhances your employer brand reputation
• Demonstrates organisational values
• Helps attract talent from underrepresented groups

Legal compliance in job adverts

Your job advert must comply with employment law to avoid discrimination and protect your organisation from legal challenges.

“Your job advert must meet legal requirements,” emphasises Jacco. “Discrimination based on origin, nationality, religion, belief, orientation, age, disability, chronic illness, and gender is prohibited. This includes pregnancy and maternity protection.”

Common discrimination issues

Research reveals that 70,000 to 100,000 job adverts published annually contain language indicating direct or indirect age discrimination.

Avoid these problematic approaches:

• Age-related language: “Young team,” “digital native,” “recent graduate”
• Gender-specific terms: Unless genuinely occupational requirements
• Cultural assumptions: Requirements that indirectly exclude certain groups
• Physical requirements: Unless absolutely necessary for role performance
• Location-based discrimination: Unnecessary residency requirements

Best practices for legal compliance

• Use inclusive language: Gender-neutral terms and descriptions
• Focus on role requirements: Only include genuinely necessary qualifications
• Regular review: Update job adverts to reflect current legal standards
• Training investment: Ensure hiring teams understand discrimination law
• Documentation: Keep records of how requirements relate to role performance

How AI transforms job advert effectiveness

Artificial intelligence is changing how we create, optimise, and manage job advertisements. Smart recruitment teams use AI to improve their hiring outcomes while reducing time-to-fill and recruitment costs.

AI-powered job advert creation

AI tools can help you craft compelling job adverts faster and more effectively than traditional methods:

Content generation and optimisation: AI analyses successful job adverts in your industry to suggest compelling language, optimal structure, and engaging content that resonates with your target candidates.

SEO optimisation: AI tools automatically incorporate relevant keywords that candidates search for, ensuring your job adverts appear prominently in search results across job boards and search engines.

Tone and style adaptation: AI can adjust your job advert’s tone to match your company culture while appealing to specific candidate demographics, from creative millennials to experienced executives.

Personalisation and targeting

AI enables unprecedented personalisation in job advertising:

Dynamic content optimisation: AI can automatically adjust job advert content based on the platform where it’s displayed, optimising for LinkedIn’s professional audience differently than Indeed’s broader job seeker base.

Candidate persona targeting: By analysing successful hires’ profiles, AI can help you identify and target similar candidates with messages that speak directly to their motivations and career goals.

Real-time performance adjustment: AI continuously monitors job advert performance, automatically suggesting improvements when application rates drop or quality candidates aren’t responding.

Predictive analytics for better hiring outcomes

AI’s predictive capabilities help you make smarter decisions throughout the job advertising process:

Success probability scoring: AI can predict which job advert variations are most likely to attract qualified candidates based on historical data and market trends.

Optimal timing and placement: AI determines the best times to post job adverts and which platforms will yield the highest quality applications for your specific roles.

Budget optimisation: For paid job listings, AI helps allocate your advertising budget across platforms and time periods for maximum return on investment.

Integrating AI with human expertise

The most effective approach combines AI capabilities with human insight and creativity:

AI handles the heavy lifting: Let AI analyse data, optimise keywords, and suggest improvements while humans focus on strategy, culture fit, and relationship building.

Human oversight ensures authenticity: While AI can suggest compelling content, human recruiters ensure the job advert represents the role and company culture accurately.

Continuous learning loop: Combine AI insights with recruiter feedback to continuously improve your job advertising strategy and outcomes.

Measuring and improving job advert performance

Successful job advertising requires ongoing measurement and optimisation. Track these key metrics to continuously improve your results:

Essential job advert metrics

Quantity metrics:

• Total applications received
• Applications per day/week
• View-to-application conversion rate
• Source of applications (which job boards perform best)

Quality metrics:

• Percentage of qualified applications
• Interview-to-application ratio
• Offer-to-interview ratio
• Acceptance rate of offers made

Efficiency metrics:

• Time from posting to first qualified application
• Time to fill position
• Cost per qualified candidate
• Recruiter time spent screening applications

A/B testing your job adverts

Systematic testing helps you identify what works best for your specific roles and company:

Elements to test:

• Job titles and variations
• Taglines and opening statements
• Benefits presentation order
• Call-to-action wording
• Salary disclosure vs. non-disclosure

Testing methodology:

• Change only one element at a time
• Run tests for sufficient duration (at least 1-2 weeks)
• Ensure statistical significance before drawing conclusions
• Document results for future reference

Continuous improvement strategies

Implement these practices to steadily improve your job advertising effectiveness:

Regular review cycles: Schedule monthly reviews of job advert performance data to identify trends and opportunities.

Candidate feedback collection: Ask successful hires what attracted them to your job advert and what nearly deterred them.

Market intelligence gathering: Monitor competitors’ job adverts to identify emerging trends and best practices.

Skills and training updates: Ensure your hiring team stays current with job advertising best practices and legal requirements.

Frequently asked questions

How long should a job advert be?

The optimal job advert length is 300-800 words. Shorter adverts (under 100 words) can receive 72% more applications, but may lack essential details. Focus on clarity and include all necessary information without unnecessary padding. Use bullet points and clear headings to improve readability.

Should I include salary information in job adverts?

Yes, including salary information typically increases applications by 27% and improves candidate quality. If you cannot specify exact figures, provide a realistic salary range. Salary transparency helps candidates self-select appropriately and demonstrates your organisation’s openness.

How can AI improve my job advert performance?

AI can optimise job titles for search visibility, personalise content for different platforms, predict candidate response rates, and continuously test different approaches. AI tools also help identify bias in language and suggest improvements based on successful job adverts in your industry.

What job title format works best for online visibility?

Use this formula: “Recognisable job title + Domain knowledge + Seniority + Location + Employment type.” For example: “Senior Software Developer – React/Node.js (London, Full-time).” This provides clear information while optimising for search engines and job board algorithms.

How do I avoid discrimination in job adverts?

Focus on role-essential requirements only, use gender-neutral language, avoid age-related terms, and include diversity statements. Regular training on employment law and using AI bias-detection tools can help ensure compliance. Review adverts before publication to eliminate problematic language.

Which job boards deliver the best results?

The best job boards vary by industry and role level. LinkedIn excels for professional roles, Indeed offers broad reach, while specialist industry boards often provide higher-quality candidates. Test multiple platforms and track metrics to determine which deliver the best ROI for your specific needs.

How often should I update job adverts?

Review job adverts monthly and update immediately if they’re not performing well. Major updates should occur quarterly to reflect market changes, salary adjustments, and evolving role requirements. Regular testing and optimisation based on performance data ensures continued effectiveness.

What’s the difference between a job advert and job description?

A job advert is an external marketing tool designed to attract candidates, focusing on benefits and opportunities. A job description is an internal document detailing specific duties and requirements. Job adverts should be engaging and benefit-focused, while job descriptions are comprehensive and procedural.

How can I measure job advert success?

Track both quantity (total applications, conversion rates) and quality metrics (qualified applications, interview ratios). Monitor time-to-fill, cost-per-hire, and candidate feedback. Use A/B testing to optimise elements systematically. AI analytics can provide deeper insights into performance patterns and improvement opportunities.

Should I use creative job titles to stand out?

Avoid overly creative titles that candidates won’t search for. “Marketing Ninja” seems fun, but “Digital Marketing Manager” will be found by more qualified candidates. Creativity should come through compelling content and benefits rather than confusing job titles that hurt discoverability.

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Want to master these job advert tips and learn advanced recruitment strategies? Consider enrolling in Jacco Valkenburg’s Compelling Job Adverts Writing Masterclass to develop expertise in selective recruitment and candidate attraction strategies that deliver measurable results.