Looking to hire?
Whether you need a new member of staff, a contractor, or an apprentice, here’s how to create the most effective job listing that targets the right applicants in 6 simple steps.
Step 1: Choose Where To Share The Listing
The location in which you share your job listing is almost as important as the listing itself, so it’s an essential first step.
We recommend uploading the listing in three locations to begin with: on your own website, on a large, generic job site, and on a job website that’s specific to your niche.
That way, you’ll target potential applicants who are having a general browse on your website or on Google, as well as applicants who have sought out job websites to find a more tailored selection of jobs within their industry.
Research and outline your listing locations before you get started. Knowing where yo
Step 2: Clearly Define The Job Title
The listing title might only be a small piece of text, but it’s what potential applicants are looking at when they scroll through job sites. So it’s important to be accurate and engaging to encourage the right applicants to click on your job listing and learn more.
Start with the official job title, then summarize the role with a few key points, focusing on the job’s unique and appealing features.
Remember, a job listing is an advertisement to work at your company, and it should be treated as such. That means hooking potential applicants from the first word with a direct, engaging job title.
Step 3: Create A Listing Template
Before you start writing out your listing, it helps to know exactly what you need to include. An easy way to determine this is to create a listing template that you can use time and time again whenever you’re hiring.
A good job listing template should look something like this:
- Job title
- Salary/pay, location, job type (contractor, part-time, full-time, etc.), shift & schedule (e.g. 8-hour shifts, Mon-Fri)
- Overview of the job description, including main tasks, responsibilities & requirements
- Required skills & training in bullet list
- Additional requirements & preferred skills in separate bullet list
- About your company & reasons to work for you
- Job perks & benefits (holiday pay, volunteer days, etc)
- Additional unique information
- Contact & application information
Your listing template may include extra or fewer sections, depending on the type of job role you’re hiring for.
Step 4: Write Your Listing
Once you have your template, fill it out with the information that applies to the specific job listing.
Make sure your writing style appeals to your target audience. You want to speak directly to the applicants, with a personal, human approach, rather than making your job listing read like an essay or an entry in the phone book.
Be careful not to write too much. The ideal length for a job listing is between 300 and 700 words. We recommend aiming closer to 300 words, including all the most important information and selling the job with appealing language without getting too wordy.
Step 5: Edit Your Listing (And Ask A Friend!)
Your completed listing is nearly ready to go. Take at least a few minutes to focus on another project, then return to the post and read it through.
If you have a friend, colleague, or family member who can also check the listing for you, ask them now. They’ll be able to detect mistakes and inconsistencies that you might have missed.
Remember, you want to make a great impression with your listing so that you can attract as many suitable candidates as possible to your job. The best way to do this is with a well-written post that clearly defines what you’re looking for in your ideal candidate.
Step 6: Upload & Wait
If you’re hiring for a part-time or full-time job within your business, we recommend waiting at least 2-3 weeks for applicants to have the time to see and apply for your job. The last thing you want to do is miss out on the ideal applicant because you close your application window too early.
If you’re looking for an apprentice or a contractor and need to hire as quickly as possible, state this early on in the job posting, so your listing attracts the right people and you don’t have to waste time sorting through unsuitable candidates.
Job Listing Template
Don’t want to write your own template for a job listing?
Copy and paste this template and fill in your details to quickly create a listing that covers all the important information about your job.
Job title:
[Position name/title]
Main job role info:
[Salary/pay, location, job type, shift & schedule]
Job description:
[Main tasks, responsibilities & requirements]
Required skills & training:
[Bullet list of necessary qualifications, certificates,experience, etc.]
Additional requirements & preferred skills:
[Separate bullet list of any skills and requirements that are preferable but not essential]
About your company:
[One or two paragraphs about your company, including your history, values, principals, & reasons to work for you]
Job perks & benefits:
[Bullet list of all the perks and benefits of the role, including X days holiday pay, volunteer days, free or discounted memberships, etc.]
Additional unique information:
[Anything else that the applicant needs to know before applying for the job role, such as application deadline]
Contact & application information:
[Your email address, phone number, or website link for applications]
Final Word
If you’re still uncertain, our final tip is to look on marketplaces and job sites to see how your competitors are phrasing listings for similar jobs. Of course, you want your own listing to be unique to your business and your needs, but it can be helpful to get an insight into what others are doing.
There are plenty of examples of job listings on Turf Market – check out our careers listings page for inspiration.
