How to make your job vacancies more attractive to potential candidates

In a constantly developing working environment, it can be difficult to attract the right people with the right skills to help push your company forward, and with so many different paths to the working world for potential candidates, it’s important to remember that you, as the employer, still need to put the work in to make your company applications engaging to potential candidates. In this current climate, especially post-pandemic, the younger generation is becoming more mindful about who they work for; young people want to work for the right company, who offer the right benefits and will help to propel their professional career forward.

Currently, the working world is facing a turbulent time finding the right candidates and the right role to apply for. As of 2021, 10.8% of young people aged 18-24 are not in education, employment or work-based training. There are 475,000 young people who are unemployed, 84,000 of which have been unemployed for 12+ months. However, vacancies in the UK hit an all-time high at 1.3 million available vacancies; whereas candidate numbers are at an all-time low. Even if all these vacancies were to be filled, the UK would still have candidates who are unemployed. This is causing a great issue for the working world and for those unemployed; research shows that only 10% of adults aged 20-45 in the UK hold a Level 4 or Level 5 qualification – this is a great opportunity for you as an employer to focus on finding candidates who agree with your company values and is willing to learn, to help progress their career by offering work-based training in the form of apprenticeships. However, with candidates at an all time low your company will have to do more in order to stand out from the competition to attract the right candidates for your company but how do you improve the quality of applications?

In the current working climate, there are many opportunities to find the right candidate for your company, yet in order to find these candidates and attract them to apply to your company, your applications need to stand out from the crowd and draw the attention of potential candidates. To help with this, we have put together a few tips to get you started:

Inspire your potential candidates

The typical application will usually list information such as requirements, what the job role entails and the responsibilities of the role; more often than not, these lists will put a candidate off. Instead of these extensive lists and wanted personality traits, the job description should aim to inspire the reader to work for your company. Use this body of text to paint a picture of what it will be like to work there, the values of the employees, what benefits are on offer, what a normal shift/ work day will be like, and how this role can boost their prospects and career forward to realise their ambitions. Writing your main body of description in this way is more likely to attract and motivate potential candidates to apply.

Complete every field on the vacancy ad form

According to GetMyFirstJob, just filling in every field on the vacancy ad form and adding all relevant information can improve applications my 3000%! Missing information such as a link to the company website, wage details, and full description of the job role can potentially drive away candidates that would be perfect for the role, but the application didn’t have enough information to encourage them to enquire further. Ensure to make every field unique, do not copy and paste the information from other applications – making each field entry unique will encourage potential candidates to read each field, making sure your advert is detailed and gives all information needed.

Draw in potential candidates with the job title

Using a job title that is 3 words or longer has the potential to increase applications up to 170%. For the majority, when looking through vacancies, the job title is the only information a candidate will see without clicking into the role. Therefore if the job title has more details, for example rather than simply “Adult Care Worker”, add more detail to the job title such as “Lead Adult Care Worker Level 3”. This way the candidate has more information on the type of role and what they can expect to gain in terms of qualifications, this simple change can encourage more potential candidates to click through to the job role and read the full description. Google Jobs will also optimize ads with 3 or more words in the job title, meaning your ad will be shown higher in the search results, consequently being seen by more potential candidates than other ads.

Add Employer Information

Showcasing employer information such as the company name and a high quality logo can improve applications by up to 80%. By adding this information to your applications it is likely that you will gain more trust from potential candidates and increase engagement as it shows a level of transparency with the employer. Adding a link to the company website will also improve applications as potential candidates will want to know more about the employer and company; by including a website like you are offering ease of access to the information potential candidates are looking for – this transparency is highly likely to build trust with candidates, and in turn increase the rate of applications.

Offer above the minimum wage

In an incredibly competitive market, a good wage alone can make your application stand out from the competition. Research from GetMyFirstJob explains that paying just £1 above the minimum apprenticeship wage can improve applications by 100%, however bare in mind that the higher the level and quality of candidate, the higher your wage offer should be in order to receive applications from the right candidates you’re looking for. It is also important to research your competition; see what your competition is offering for similar job roles in order to gauge what the right offer will be for that specific job role and level.

Make sure your ad is neurodiverse-friendly

When writing your description and adding details to your application, make sure to structure the content in such a way that is neurodiverse-friendly to increase your chance of potential candidates. Write your description in paragraphs rather than one big chunk of text, this will split the content into smaller sections making it easier to read and understand. Consider using bullet points to break up large pieces of information such as benefits and what the role will entail, rather than a lengthy paragraph. Ensure to use keywords to highlight points, using simple and direct language rather than using jargon or slang; this keeps your application sounding professional, while also keeping it simple and easy to read.

The working environment is incredibly competitive, especially recently; companies are looking for like-minded people to join their team, whilst potential candidates are looking for meaningful roles that will elevate their career and fulfil their ambitions, whilst being worth their time with the right wages and benefits. If you as the employer, want to attract high-quality candidates who match with your company values, it’s important to stand out from the competition and inspire potential candidates to want to work for you and choose your company to help advance their career.