6 Tips to Optimize Your Job Recruitment and Reach the Best Candidates

Published on: Feb 10, 2021

Technology has become an important part of recruiting, especially job advertising optimization. A job posting that is properly optimized for search is critical as it will get in front of the right candidates in the first place! Here are six easy and effective steps you can take right away that will boost your job advertising performance.

Optimize Your Job Title

Job titles should focus on the role and the main responsibility of the position. Getting the job title just right is like the story of Goldilocks: include unique details to really target the right audience but keep it simple and use words that reflect the position. The correct balance will attract the greatest number of qualified candidates. Titles should ideally be anywhere from 35 to 60 characters long, or roughly 3 words to 5 words, max 8 words.

Job seekers will use the job title to determine if it is the type of job they are searching for. The clearer and more accurate the job title is, the better quality of applicants you will receive. It should be common enough that it will be searched for, but not so common that it does not stand out from other ads at all. Tip: Don’t use attention grabbing phrases such as “Be Your Own Boss!”. Those are better placed in the description.

Leverage Key Words that Support Your Job Title in the Job Description

Job titles should include keywords that candidates use when searching for jobs. The keywords in the description should always include the job title and location of the job, as these are the most commonly items searched for by job seekers. Other than the job title and location, the job description should also include:

• Summary of the position and company
• List of job duties
• Required qualifications
• Benefits

Try to keep bullets to 5 to 8 items. Display only the most important requirements and benefits of the position concisely. Search engines are savvy so do not keep re-using the same words to up your rank in the search engine. Search engines will penalize you for this type of keyword stuffing. Remember: most candidates are viewing your posting on a cell phone, so you want to keep scrolling to a minimum.

Optimize Your Job Description to Highlight the Position and Your Company

Information about the company should focus on what makes it unique, both in its industry and to work for, as well as be interesting and exciting. For example, why should a candidate choose your company to work for? Using phrases like “Trillion-dollar global electronics industry”, “world’s largest automotive manufacturer", or “growing facility” indicates that it is a great place to work. Perks, benefits, opportunities for advancement, company culture, and compensation should also stand out in the job description. This is your dance in the end zone – give it all you got!

In addition, a company’s Diversity & Inclusion policies are top-of-mind with all job seekers. It’s important to provide some messaging from the get-go that addresses how your company provides a culture and opportunities for diverse candidates.

Set a Realistic Budget

The type of job and the location are both factors in setting a budget. Some roles and locations are harder to recruit for because of the unique skill sets or competitive markets. First, understand what your Key Performance Indicators (KPI) are: Cost-Per-Application, Cost-Per-Hire, Time-To-Fill. Determine how many candidates you realistically need to apply and interview in order to get to a hire for the position.

Having performance data on a job board is helpful in determining whether you will (a) get the volume of applications you need; and (b) what the actual cost of that hire will be based on the job boards’ fees. Work with a recruitment media strategist who will use data to help you determine the most efficient budget for the role and location.

Choose the Most Appropriate Job Sites

Finding job boards that will attract the right talent is one of the main goals of recruitment. The job sites should be relevant to the candidates that you are seeking to attract. Aggregators and high-profile job sites get the most traffic, so you will get in front of more eyeballs by investing in them. Niche sites can often help you attract the passive job seeker, but their traffic numbers are usually much smaller, and result in a smaller amount of applications – but usually more qualified ones.

Vetting job sites can be time-consuming and involve a lot of research and data analysis. Let JobTarget’s Media Services make media planning and buying easier for you. We’ll use proprietary posting data as well as our industry expertise to find the best media solutions. JobTarget’s Marketplace has a job board search engine that can recommend the best sites based on job title, unique skill, and location.

Consider Using Easy Apply

The Easy Apply button makes it easy for busy job seekers to quickly apply to your position. This will bring in many applicants, however, they might not all be a good fit. When an applicant applies via LinkedIn, all you will see is their LinkedIn profile, and not much else. This requires follow-up on your part to research whether the candidate will be a good fit.

Utilizing technology and new applications will help find candidates who are best suited for the position you are hiring for. JobTarget makes this process even easier by using the best job boards for the job you want to fill.