Create Compelling Job Ads to Generate a Wider Recruiting Funnel

Recruitment is the lifeblood of any organization, as it’s crucial to attracting, hiring, and retaining the best people that will help your company grow and thrive. However, it can be challenging to generate a wider recruiting funnel and attract the best candidates. To successfully hire the right people, companies need to focus on creating more compelling job ads that stand out from the competition.

In this blog, we’ll explore best practices and trends in job ads, such as focusing on specific job requirements, highlighting strong employer branding, and using video to captivate potential candidates. We’ll also look at optimizing technology solutions to automate the recruitment process and enhance the overall hiring experience even further.

What is the Recruitment Funnel?

The recruitment funnel is a process used by recruiters to attract, engage, and ultimately hire top talent. Composed of a series of steps—each designed to move prospects through the hiring process and towards the final goal of making a job offer—the funnel is a strategic tool that helps organizations build a strong talent pool and ensure that they’re hiring the best candidates for their open positions.

The purpose and benefits of the recruitment funnel are numerous. One of the primary advantages is that it allows recruiters to create a consistent and structured hiring process. By defining each step of the funnel and ensuring that each candidate goes through the same procedure, recruiters can guarantee that they’re making fair and objective hiring decisions. In addition, the recruitment funnel can help organizations build their employer brand and attract the best people to their establishment. When candidates have a positive experience throughout the recruitment journey, they’re more likely to view the organization as a desirable employer and recommend it to others.

Hiring During Economic Uncertainty

Economic uncertainty can lead to a challenging hiring process, but it’s also an opportunity to attract top talent that may not have been available in more stable times. According to the Department of Labor, job loss during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic was comparable to the Great Depression, and in 2021, only 60% of jobs lost had recovered.

One key difference in the recruitment funnel during periods of economic tension is the increase in passive candidates. This term refers to candidates who are not actively seeking new job opportunities but may be open to considering them. Randstad reports that passive candidates make up 75% of the workforce. This statistic means that companies need to focus on recruitment marketing to attract these candidates, rather than relying solely on job postings and active job seekers.

To successfully get the right person at each step of the recruitment funnel, businesses need to focus on several key areas. Firstly, hiring managers need to identify where to look for candidates. This may involve leveraging their existing networks, using job boards and social media, or partnering with recruitment agencies. Company leaders should also focus on employer branding, highlighting the company culture, mission, and values to attract candidates who align with these aspects.

Additionally, businesses need to adapt recruitment processes to be more efficient and streamlined. Doing so may involve using technology to automate certain aspects of the funnel, such as resume screening, interview scheduling, and sending follow-up emails. It’s also important to provide a positive candidate experience, communicating transparently and promptly throughout every stage.

Don’t forget to focus on developing your current employees and upskilling them to meet the changing needs of the business. This can help to reduce the need for external hiring and ensure that the company has a strong internal talent pool.

Creating More Compelling Job Ads

In a competitive job market, employers need to create job ads that stand out. To widen the recruiting funnel and generate more interest from potential candidates, there are several best practices and trends that hiring managers should follow to improve the effectiveness of their job ads.

Be specific about the job requirements and qualifications

Job postings with clear and concise language on qualifications and job responsibilities receive more applications than those without. This demonstrates the importance of being transparent about what the job entails and what qualifications are required. Using vague terms like “team player” and “self-starter” may unintentionally alienate qualified candidates who don’t feel compelled by generic descriptors. Studies have found that a significant portion of job postings contain confusing jargon, which can deter applicants.

Focus on strong employer branding

A strong employer brand can attract candidates who are passionate about the company’s mission and values. Today’s applicants are less likely to consider working for a brand with a bad reputation, even if the pay is high. Potential candidates are more likely to apply if they’re attracted to the company’s culture and values. Include information about in-house culture and perks, relevant press, and helpful details to capture the attention of qualified prospects.

Don’t underestimate social media

Social media has become the go-to platform for companies looking to find top-quality candidates. A significant percentage of job applicants use social media to actively find employment. It’s also a feasible way to find talented individuals who may not realize they’re qualified for certain positions. Social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook have millions of active users, making them ideal for employers to advertise job vacancies and connect with potential candidates. With the ability to target specific audiences and demographics, social media recruitment allows companies to reach a wider pool of contenders and find the perfect fit for their team.

Video can be a powerful tool

Videos in job ads are extremely effective for captivating and recruiting job seekers, providing them with a better understanding of the company’s culture and working environment. Job postings with videos receive significantly more applications than those without. Make sure your videos are under 90 seconds long and explain job duties, qualifications, and benefits in an engaging way.

Stay on top of new trends

Using new trends in job ads, such as emojis, interactive content, and virtual reality, can help job ads stand out in a crowded job market. Attracting potential candidates, especially younger generations, means offering something different. Some emojis have distinct meanings to job seekers; for example, the purple unicorn emoji often indicates a search for a candidate with unique abilities and skills.

Optimizing Technology to Enhance Recruitment

In today’s competitive job market, companies need to lean on technology to attract and retain top talent. Many job applications are completed on mobile devices daily, making it more important than ever for companies to have a mobile-friendly recruitment process. Additionally, companies that use recruitment technology have seen significant improvements in their hiring process and can combat the high percentage of applications that are abandoned before completion.

One key technology solution for enhancing recruitment is an Applicant Tracking System (ATS). An ATS can streamline the recruitment process by automating tasks like job posting, resume screening, and candidate communication. This not only saves time but also ensures that no qualified candidates are overlooked.

Another important method for enhancing recruitment is a candidate relationship management platform (CRM). A CRM can help companies build and maintain relationships with candidates, even those who are not currently looking for a job. This allows organizations to build a talent pool of qualified prospects that they can reach out to when a position becomes available.

One example of a recruitment technology solution that incorporates both ATS and CRM functionality is ApplicantStack. ApplicantStack is a cloud-based platform that helps companies streamline recruitment funnels from start to finish. You can use it to create and publish job ads, screen resumes, communicate with candidates by text or email, and start the onboarding process, all from a single centralized location.

Read more from the ApplicantStack blog to continue enhancing your recruitment process and start your free trial today. You can also view a demo to experience these features.