Sourcing candidates

The video below has tips to consider when advertising jobs.

Writing job advertisements

‘So the question is, how can employers ensure that their job advertisements and recruitment approach don’t inadvertently discourage applications from potentially high-quality staff who don’t tick all of the boxes straightaway?’

– Claire McEwan, Department of Families, Fairness and Housing

Job ads are one of the most critical aspects of a recruitment campaign. It is often the first moment a jobseeker will consider whether the job and the organisation is right for them.

Tips for writing effective job advertisements

Ensure the body of the job ad is concise, uses active language and short sentences.¹
Refer to the motivations of jobseekers – for example, their values.
To improve accessibility, try to keep all the information on the webpage and avoid using scanned PDFs. Make sure any images, icons or graphs in your job ads have descriptive text.²

What to include in a job advertisement

- The job title should be relevant and descriptive.
- Use a searchable job title with common words – for example, ‘family violence worker’ or ‘sexual assault worker’.
- This should be a single paragraph that gives a sense of the most exciting aspects of the role and your organisation. Draw attention to key points, accolades and awards.
- Promote the organisation’s culture in the ad. Include values, opportunities for progression and commitment to diversity and inclusion.
- Highlight what sets your organisation apart and the benefits of working there.
- Pinpoint what would make the job appealing to jobseekers. Reflect those incentives in the ad.
- Detail how the job fits into the organisation’s strategic goals.
- Detail the main parts of the role without adding too much detail that might lose the reader’s interest. Examples include work hours, salary, benefits, development opportunities and anything else that would entice a candidate.
- Make sure you highlight opportunities for career progression, leadership and development. Examples include Safe and Equal’s(opens in a new window) sector-wide training programs and professional development opportunities offered by Sexual Assault Services Victoria(opens in a new window) and No To Violence(opens in a new window).
- Describe the experience, skills and attributes you are looking for in a candidate (drawing on the position description).
- Mention you are looking for diverse applicants to encourage applications.
- Include details about qualifications for the role.
- Some specialist family violence roles have mandatory minimum qualifications, although applicants don’t need to have those qualifications when they apply. Ensure you use inclusive language about being open to applicants willing to take on further study (such as a graduate certificate). Make it clear you are open to applicants who have cultural knowledge and experience and/or lived experience.
- Avoid only referencing one qualification (e.g. a Bachelor of Social Work). That can imply eligible applicants need to commit to years of study. It may cause applicants to overlook the existing skills and experience they have that, when combined with alternative, shorter options, would meet the qualifications requirements (jump to the Tips to communicate qualification requirements(opens in a new window) section of this resource for further details).
- Include details about the application process to ensure inclusivity and to help candidates prepare. If they need to supply a written application, be clear about the format. Consider including examples or templates.³
- Encourage applicants to request reasonable adjustments, if required, to help them through the recruitment process.
- Sell your organisation by including links to webpages or videos that show what it’s like to work there. You can also link to any of the videos on the Resources to support your recruitment and job ads(opens in a new window) page.
- End with a closing statement that sums up the best parts of the role and organisation. Consider including an Acknowledgement of Country.
- Ensure you include contact details to continue the conversation.⁴

References

1. G Lloyd, Three inclusive hiring tips to attract top talent(opens in a new window), HRM website, 2022, accessed 13 January 2023.

2. EL Diemar, 5 easy ways to create an accessible recruitment process(opens in a new window), HRM website, 2021, accessed 13 January 2023.

3. Department of Premier and Cabinet and Centre for Ethical Leadership, University of Melbourne, Recruit smarter: report of findings(opens in a new window), Victorian Government, 2018, p. 35, accessed 13 January 2023.

4. T O’Rourke, How to write the best possible job advert(opens in a new window), HAYS Canada website, 2021, accessed 13 January 2023.

Updated 11 July 2024

Sourcing candidates

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Writing job advertisements

Tips for writing effective job advertisements

What to include in a job advertisement

References