Finding the best candidate for your organization starts with a clear and compelling job listing. The proper structure, keywords, and details can make your posting stand out to the right job seekers.
Whether you’re hiring your first employee or refining your recruitment process, this guide can help your job posting reach and attract qualified talent.
Craft a clear, key word–rich headline
Since your job listing headline is the first thing candidates will see, it’s important to make it clear to both job seekers and search engines. Use key words people would naturally use when looking for your role, rather than “clever” or gimmicky headlines. While phrases like “Rock Star Sales Rep” might align with your brand’s overall tone, they’re harder for search engines to parse and deliver to your intended audience.
Stick to familiar, industry-standard job titles to ensure your posting reaches qualified candidates. Some examples include:
- Marketing: Digital Marketing Strategist, Content Strategist, Social Media Manager.
- Finance: Accountant, Bookkeeper, Finance Manager.
- Technology: IT Manager, Data Analyst, Software Engineer.
- Retail: Sales Associate, Assistant Store Manager, Customer Support Specialist.
You might also include one or two differentiators a job seeker might use in their search (for example, “Remote Content Writer” or “Software Engineer at Early-Stage Startup”). However, including too many details at this stage can overwhelm your reader and the search engine, so focus on the essential elements and save the rest for the description.
[Read more: A Guide to Hiring Top Talent for Your Small Business]
Open with a compelling summary of your business
The body of your job listing should begin with a summary of your business that encourages candidates to learn more. This section should describe not just what you do but why it matters and how you do it. Consider linking to your business website, such as product pages and success stories, to help candidates better understand your brand and mission.
This section is also a great opportunity to highlight company culture, or the environment and values of your workplace. Doing so helps prospects understand what it would be like to work for your organization and, ideally, showcases why they should choose your organization over your competitors.
The language you use here should be professional yet representative of your genuine company culture. A casual remote startup, for example, may use more informal language than an enterprise-level legal firm.
Detail the role’s responsibilities
The responsibilities section should give candidates a clear picture of what to expect on a day-to-day basis. Include the specific tasks, projects, and job functions the role would be responsible for or would require prior experience in, and tie these directly to key business outcomes where applicable.
Leave out responsibilities that seem obvious, such as “prioritize work to meet client deadlines” or “respond to company emails.” You also don’t want to get bogged down in listing every possible task; a maximum of six bullet points is plenty to provide a high-level understanding without overwhelming the reader or making the role appear unfocused.
List the requirements and preferred qualifications
Based on the key responsibilities you’ve previously identified, write a clear list of the required and preferred qualifications for the role. Your requirements list should only include the “must-have” skills, experience, and (if relevant) education. Any “nice-to-have” qualifications should remain on the preferred side.
Keep your qualifications as concise as possible, ideally no more than seven requirements. A laundry list of every possible attribute and skill set is likely to overwhelm candidates and may even discourage otherwise qualified professionals who don’t meet every line item.
So, how do you determine whether to mark it as a requirement or a preferred qualification? Beyond industry-standard and legally required education or certifications, consider what someone in this role must know from the start to succeed and reduce organizational risk. In many cases, employees can acquire specialized skills and experience on the job or through professional development; these can easily be “preferred” items.
Be transparent about what you are offering
While compensation isn’t the only thing candidates look for in a job listing, it is a critical factor in their decision to move forward. A posting without salary information is often a red flag; job seekers may assume low pay, a lack of transparency, or even a toxic work environment. Some states even mandate that employers disclose salary ranges and benefits in job postings. For specific requirements, check with your state’s Department of Labor.
Even if you aren’t legally required to do so, including salary and benefits information positions your business as fair and transparent. It also allows candidates to see at a glance if the overall compensation package meets their needs.
If your company offers attractive or unique perks, highlight them here as well. Flex work hours, wellness programs, professional development opportunities, team-building trips, and other “extras” all add to your overall compensation package.
[Read more: How to Write an Effective Part-Time Job Description]
Before hitting 'post,' reread the listing to ensure your word choice openly welcomes a diverse range of qualified candidates.
Outline where and when work will take place
Most job posting sites will require you to put a location on any listing, whether it’s an office address, a town, or simply “remote.” However, you should also explicitly state where and when the work will take place. Omitting this information can create ambiguity about schedules and commutes, which may deter qualified candidates from taking the next step. It may also attract applicants who may not be available where or when you need them.
If your position is fully or partially remote, clearly highlight this. Not only does this broaden your talent pool, but many candidates also appreciate the flexibility and work-life balance a remote role offers, which can help move your position to the top of their list.
For hybrid and in-person positions, include your company’s address (or general town/geographic location, if confidentiality is a concern). Hybrid roles should denote exactly how often and when employees must come to the office. For remote positions, specify whether the candidate must live or work in a specific state or time zone.
Regardless of location, don’t forget to include the hours and days of work, especially if your schedule deviates from the typical Monday through Friday 9 to 5. If shifts are flexible, even general information (such as “weekday afternoons and evenings” or “weekends as needed”) can help candidates plan accordingly.
Write for inclusivity and clarity
Clarity is another crucial component of any effective job listing. You don’t want to be too cliché, long-winded, or ruthlessly specific in your requirements, but you also don’t want to be so brief or vague that your candidate is missing key context. After reviewing your listing, your candidate should understand the role's responsibilities, company culture, compensation, and location. From there, they should be able to easily self-filter—in other words, determine whether your offering aligns with their lifestyle needs.
Your language matters from an inclusion standpoint, too. While most organizations don’t intend to show bias, their job listings may inadvertently include wording that excludes entire groups of otherwise qualified individuals:
- An organization that requests a “native English speaker” might miss out on proficient non-native English speakers.
- A listing for an “assertive, ambitious, decisive leader” can read as male-coded, i.e., that a man would be the ideal candidate for the job. Similarly, a listing for an “empathetic, sensitive, collaborative professional” may read as female-coded.
- Phrases like “digital native,” “ideal for recent graduates,” and “young and energetic” could deter more experienced workers.
Before hitting “post,” reread the listing to ensure your word choice openly welcomes a diverse range of qualified candidates.
[Read more: AI for Job Applications Have Small Businesses Rethinking Hiring]
Optimize for search and readability
Even the most thoughtfully written job listing is likely to be overlooked by both candidates and search engines if it’s hard to read. Optimize your post for both search and readability with these best formatting practices:
- Break descriptive content into short paragraphs (no more than three to four sentences each), and use bullet points for lists (e.g., responsibilities and qualifications).
- Include section headers and bolded text for easy scanning, plus white space between sections to give applicants’ eyes a break.
- Leverage SEO keywords to help search engines and artificial intelligence platforms accurately “find” your listing and get it in front of the right eyes. Think of the search terms a candidate might use to find a position like yours, such as “remote jobs in New York” or “marketing lead,” and include them in your listing naturally (i.e., without “key word stuffing”).
Finally, with many job seekers reviewing listings on the go, make sure your listing is mobile-friendly. It should be easy to navigate, scan, and read your posting on a smartphone as it is on a desktop computer. Using a mobile-responsive job site or app—such as LinkedIn, Indeed, Monster, and FlexJobs—can help take some of the guesswork out of the process.
Include next steps
Your listing should close with clear next steps for the applicant. Consider the following questions to guide this section of your listing:
- Do they need to submit an application and/or supplemental materials? Where should this information be sent?
- Are there any additional application stages, such as skills tests, phone screens, or interviews? What can the candidate expect at each stage?
- Will selected candidates only hear from your organization for the next stage, or will all applicants receive a response?
- Who will be the point(s) of contact throughout the process?
- Are there deadlines for the application process (or any of its steps), or will applications be accepted on a rolling basis until the position is filled?
Detailing this information up front not only provides job seekers with a better experience with your company from the jump, but can also reduce the number of questions (and ineligible applications) you receive.
Emily Heaslip contributed to this article.
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