Recruitment Ads – a letter to the person you want to hire

Writing effective recruitment ads is not difficult, but it does take a little thought. Too often institutions use an internal job description, or the sketchy information that resides in an applicant tracking database as an ad — with woeful results. The thing to remember above all is that you’re not just writing for people who are actively job hunting (and therefore won’t be put off by jargon or a de-humanizing experience), but for terrific hires who are NOT looking. Your ad needs to grab attention with a strong statement about why a great hire should be interested. And it should be written from the candidate’s perspective.

Here are some quick tips and examples to help you write your next letter to the person you really want to hire.

DON’T

• Mistake your database entries for ads – use real language not internal jargon
• Start with the “screening” stuff (responsibilities and qualifications)
• Send people to a generic Web site and expect them to track down the ad

Example:

Marketing and Outreach Coordinator (940710)

Position Type: Part-Time Professional Non-Instructional/Adm Task
Position ID: 854152
Grade: HI

FLSA: Exempt — Not Eligible for Overtime Compensation
The Marketing and Outreach Coordinator assists the Executive Director of the Center for the Literary Arts with the promotion and marketing of activities

Minimum Requirements:

Bachelor’s degree with two (2) years experience or an Associate’s degree with four (4) years of experience in a related field
Excellent organizational and communication skills (both oral and written)

To apply, please visit www.jobwebsite.edu

EA/EO Employer

DO

• Start by selling the job
  - a compelling title
  - why your great hire wants the job
• Use candidate-focused language:
  - “To succeed in this role, you’ll need…” not “Qualifications:”
  - “You’ll have the opportunity to…” not “Responsibilities:”
  - “If this sounds like the job for you…” not “Application Procedures:”
• Show a little personality – your model should be online dating, not online tax filing

Example:

Join a creative marketing team supporting a growing arts organization

The Center for Literary Arts at Our University is a terrific place to work. As our new Marketing and Communication Coordinator you’ll work with talented people to create exciting marketing campaigns to support the meaningful work of the Center. All in a lively small city with a burgeoning arts scene.

To succeed, you’ll need a solid liberal arts foundation (a B.A. degree is one way to demonstrate that) and a bit of experience in marketing.

If this opportunity sounds inspiring, visit www.thisjob.ouruniversity.edu for more details and instructions on how to apply.

For more tips on effective recruiting, check out How to Recruit Passive Candidates and Dos and Don’ts of Effective Jobs Web Sites. And take a look at our Recruiting Hall of Shame for some examples of effective (and not so effective) job postings — you don’t want to land on next year’s list!

Go up one level for Recruiting with Inside Higher Ed