What does a good recruitment advert look like?
Posted by Mitch on 14th October 2015
I recently posted something on LinkedIn where I dissected a job advert from a sales recruitment agency. To the agency’s credit, they didn’t take offence.
Some people, publicly and privately, asked me for examples of what a good recruitment ad should look like and so below are three job ads that I’ve previously published and that worked.
All of them attempt to stand out by addressing the needs of the reader and by reflecting some of the personality and culture of the hiring company.
The best job ads (in terms of response rate) are those that reveal who the hiring company is and, I’m told by people who work in the job board sector, that these types of ads will get up to a 400% better response rate.
But, if you need to run an ad for a client that needs or wants anonymity, it can still be a lot more innovative than the “My client, a dynamic market leader…” rubbish you see peppered on job boards. You just need to be working from a very good brief and have it written by a very good copywriter who understands that brief.
This first example was for a very specific type of salesperson. So specific that I was preparing the research to start doing some direct sourcing. But it pulled, saving both me and the client a lot of time.
SENIOR BUSINESS DEVELOPER – STATIONERY – £50-60K BASE, OTE £100K
Here’s proof you’re not earning what you’re worth.
Ask yourself this…
Are you ready to earn what you’re really worth? Including a high guaranteed basic salary that reflects your value to our business? And a commission scheme that keeps on paying, however successful you become? And would you like to run your own sales programme your way – without constant interference and endless red tape?
Then we think we might be the right company for you.
About us
There are many companies out there that can supply stationery. There are also some companies that can supply re-manufactured toner cartridges or service/repair desktop printers. There are a few that can offer a digital multi-function print solution, print services and furniture. But there is only one company that can supply all of these products. That company is Vitesse, along with our printer maintenance business; LaserLife.
Our stationery revenues are already buoyant, but they could be spectacular with the right sales focus; the focus, that is, of a heavy-hitting stationery sales specialist like you.
The job
This is a Business Development role pure and simple, selling to existing corporate customers who are not currently buying stationery from us, as well as servicing qualified leads generated by our Telemarketing team. You will not be expected to do any cold-calling.
Working alongside our account managers, you’ll engage with customers to assess their current purchasing arrangements, develop streamlined alternatives and sign mutually profitable contracts.
With day-to-day account management taken care of, you’ll be free to go from one deal to the next, building up your commission interest whilst taking the business steadily forward.
You
Along with a strong track record in B2B stationery sales, you’ll need to be a skilled presenter, negotiator and planner, who can build productive working relationships with our account managers and customers.
Needless to say you regard hitting target as a way of life – and you’ll relish the opportunity to run your own sales programme your way, without interference.
In return
The high basic salary underlines how serious we are about attracting the right person, as does the uncapped commission scheme. We can also offer you some serious benefits and great surroundings at our City of London offices.
To apply
Send your CV to me, Mitch Sullivan at mitch.sullivan@xxxxxxxxxxxxx or call me on 07725 xxxxxx for a confidential chat.
This ad was for one of those ‘needle in a haystack’ candidates. A specific type of media salesperson, in a specific location and only looking for part-time work. The kind of job ad that really needed to work as hard as possible. And it delivered.
MEDIA SALES – RICKMANSWORTH
Wedding Venues & Services
Part-time flexible hours
Up to £25,000 pro rata + commission (depending on experience and hours worked)
“Will you give me all of your energy for at least 16 hours per week over three days?”
“I will.”
“Will you bring your knowledge and love of fashion and weddings?”
“I will.”
“Will you be happy spending your day on the phone, answering emails and making appointments to go and see clients at least once a month?”
“I will.”
“Will you trawl a huge database and approach new customers, using our contact management system to book adverts and chase copy?”
“I will.”
“Will you be able to work from a small private office, but also have the use of a car – and come with me to wedding shows and exhibitions?”
“I will.”
“Will you be able to bring some solid media sales knowledge?”
“I will.”
“Will you have the courage to call me on 01923 xxxxxxxx or email me at xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx to discuss it further?”
This final example is for another quirky role with a small entrepreneurial business.
A HUGE INVESTMENT IN YOUR CAREER
Sales & Marketing Associate
£25 OTE £30-35k | London NW4
What The Investment Fitness Club don’t know about investment probably isn’t worth knowing. Their owner, Saul Djanogly, is a leading authority and international speaker on wealth management and business ethics. He’s also a trained Rabbi and has just written a book sharing what he’s learned in a thirty-year career, first on the London Stock Exchange and, latterly, as an investment manager.
Now, they’re ready to invest in you.
You’ll become the company’s fourth employee, the first in sales, taking some of this responsibility away from the owner. Initially, there’s a marketing plan to follow – you’ll be researching and generating leads from a new audience: solicitors who manage investments on behalf of their clients.
You’ll need to be a persuasive and professional communicator; both in person and in writing, and you’ll need to know your way around social media – especially LinkedIn.
You’ll start by making phone appointments for Saul and from there, there’s huge scope for you to grow the role, gradually taking on greater responsibility for the entire sales operation. From the start, you’ll enjoy invaluable coaching and one-to-one mentoring both from Saul and an external business consultant – if you’re keen to learn this could really accelerate your career.
Naturally, as you progress, your earnings will increase. The starting salary is £25k with an OTE of £30-35k. With an entrepreneurial attitude, there’s no reason why you couldn’t triple that by year 3.
To find out more about the owner, the business and the role, send your CV to…
The bottom line is that all of these job advertisements worked. They worked because they sold the role truthfully and with a level of personality that made them more believable than the majority of job ads out there.
If you want to produce candidate attraction materials that stand out from the crowd, hire a recruiter who knows what they’re doing. They’re very easy to research – just look at their previous job ads.
Finally, here’s some more generic advice on how to produce job adverts that will have a far greater chance of attracting the attention of the right types of candidates.