How to attract the right applicants

Ground rules

First things first, it’s important to know that advertising a job isn’t a legal requirement. However, if you don’t advertise, you may inadvertently discriminate, even if you don’t mean to. Advertising a job publicly gives you access to a wide range of applicants who may have the skillsets that you need.

Before you choose to advertise or not, it’s important to check your organisation’s recruitment policy. This may include requirements for:

• whether you have to advertise
• where you should advertise
• whether you need to advertise to internal or external candidates.

Once you have established how you are going to attract candidates, it’s time to write your advert.

Writing a job advert

What you put in a job advert plays a major role in the candidates you attract. Too little information and people don’t understand what you are looking for, but too much and you can put people off or leave them scrolling past.

What to include

Writing a good job advert is about being clear and enthusiastic about what you are looking for and what you can offer candidates.

• Use a job title that’s clear. You want the right candidates to find your role, so make sure the job title is what people are likely to be searching for. We recommend using professional status titles to show both the role and level of expertise you are looking for.
• Don’t forget to include all the practical details that applicants need to know when considering if the job is right for them. Specifying the location, hours, contract type and salary ensure that you attract candidates who understand the commitment.
• Describe the job role – avoid using marketing jargon and give a genuine summary of the key responsibilities.
• It’s a good idea to describe your organisation and culture. Attracting candidates involves selling your company as a great place to work.
• State the skills and qualifications needed for the job. You can use the occupation’s professional standards and the professional status framework as a starting point for this. Make sure you’re clear about what are essential requirements and what are ‘nice-to-haves’, as unnecessary demands can put off candidates that meet your needs.
• Advertise any additional benefits of the role that will appeal to candidates. This can include a wide range of perks like staff discounts, professional development opportunities and healthcare plans.
• Don’t forget to explain how to apply – depending on the platform you use to advertise, this might change. Make sure you edit as needed and ensure that any contact details you provide are accurate.

What not to include

While it’s important to be specific in your description, it can be easy to go overboard and include content that will not only put off some candidates, but may also be illegal:

• It’s important to avoid discriminatory language when advertising a job in line with the Equality Act 2010. The best way to think of it is that you should be describing the role, not the applicant. However, some of the common pitfalls are more obvious than others:
  • Implying that you want to employ a person of a specific gender is a no. This goes beyond titles like ‘handyman’ and ‘barmaid’, though. Research shows that using certain masculine or feminine terms in job adverts can deter candidates from applying, even if they meet the requirements. Keep an eye out for gender-coded language in your writing, and use a tool like this Gender Decoder to help make sure you’re appealing to a diverse audience.
  • Avoid phrases such as ‘recent graduate’ or ‘highly experienced’, or asking for a specific number of years of experience, unless you can prove you have a good reason for this. You may be discriminating against age, so make sure you remain open to all career pathways of suitable candidates, including career switchers for junior roles or graduates with relevant work experience for more senior positions.
  • If you have any language requirements, make sure you specify the person’s skills, not their nationality. For example, ask for an “Arabic-speaking coach” instead of an “Arab coach”.
  • Avoid using lots of industry terms and abbreviations. This can make it difficult for younger candidates or those with learning disabilities to engage and can be discriminatory. Using plain English ensures that candidates understand exactly what is required, increasing the number of high-quality applications you receive.
• Don’t include too much information. An advert’s job is to capture attention, not to list the entire job specification. Keep it as short as possible while still including the essentials, then attach a job specification as a separate document for those who want to learn more.
• Don’t advertise a job with a salary below the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage (as applicable). It’s illegal to pay someone less than the rate for their age, so make sure your advert is up to date with the latest rates – especially if you are recycling an old description.

Templates

We’ve created a selection of templates to help you include everything you need in your job adverts. With prepared content and a layout ready to go, all you need to do is fill in the blanks with the information specific to the role and your organisation.