With the advent of the Internet, recruiting qualified employees is easier than ever. No more placing ads in different newspapers and magazines for three consecutive weeks. Nowadays, posting jobs online is a one-time activity that can reach millions of prospective employees globally. The downside of this immense exposure is the possibility of being swallowed and buried in thousands of similar job postings.

There is therefore, a need for a job ad to stand out in the crowd and tell the prospective applicant: this is THE JOB for me.

In order to attract the right candidates, employers and recruiters should keep following things in mind when posting jobs online:

The Job Description

The description should be catchy, challenging, and appealing to the job seeker. The phrase “we are looking for an engineer” will not spark as much interest as “we need a talented and dynamic engineer.”

At the same time, the description should provide ample information so the jobseeker can easily gauge whether he or she is right for the job. Details like job location, working hours (part tem or full time), as well as specific requirements for the job must be mentioned.

It is also a good idea to say something about the company and the company culture. Here are some examples: “a young and growing company”, “a well-established firm”, “a medium-sized, family enterprise.”

The Compensation

Money matters. A lot. However, it may not be smart to give too many details about compensation in a job advert. When posting jobs online, the best way to go is to make the compensation attractive without giving too much away. One way is giving a range (e.g. 50 to 60 K a year) or at least a minimum. Adding the phrase “plus other benefits” is always a good idea. Other buzzwords to use are “attractive compensation package”, “fringe benefits”, and “opportunities for career development.”

The Political Correctness

Be careful as to how you phrase your job posting. In most countries, but most especially in the US, political correctness is a must. Words and phrases with sexist and racist slurs should be avoided. The phrase “we are an equal opportunities employer” is basically the rule of thumb in the US. If you are searching for candidates from a specific region or country, you should customise your ad to the cultural setting.

The Right Site

Posting jobs online is not just about dumping a job ad in any website. Professionals tend to search for positions in sites related to their profession. Those looking for jobs in the sales and marketing industries would browse through a job site like SalesCareersOnline.com while Accountantjobs.com would certainly be a first site that a job-seeking accounting major would look at. Our site, Post jobs Online gives an excellent overview of and links to job sites by industry.

The keywords

Internet search engines work with keywords and many jobseekers would simply “google” certain words to see what comes out. A job advert, therefore, should contain the right keywords with the right density which a search engine can easily find. A job ad for a paediatric nurse in Boston, for example, should also include keywords like “health care”, “children’s hospital”, and “Massachusetts.”