Want to make a strong first impression on a potential candidate? Composing a clean, well-written job posting can help you do just that.

For HR and talent acquisition professionals, understanding what to include—and what not to include—in job postings can enhance overall talent attraction efforts. Here are seven tips and strategies on how to write a job posting to more effectively appeal to your targeted audience of candidates.

Steps on How to Improve Your Hiring Reputation

Choose your job title wisely

Selecting a proper job title for the position you are posting can greatly influence your recruiting success. Before publishing your open role on a job board, do some searches to see the types of positions that are most popular. Rather than choosing a title that has little name recognition among job seekers, be sure to select one that is clear, industry-relevant, and universally accepted.

Sell the opportunity—and your company

Not only will you have the opportunity to sell prospective job seekers on the job opportunity at hand, but you can also pitch them on the advantages of working for your company. Describe elements of the position that you think would be appealing for a job seeker. In addition, provide information about what your organization does and what separates it from its competitors.

Don’t go overboard with responsibilities

When crafting your job posting, include only the responsibilities that are directly associated with the position. No job seeker wants to read a laundry list of tasks that they’ll be responsible for unless they are things that are directly tied to the role. While detail is strongly encouraged in this section of the job posting, it should be noted that brevity is the most important element for success.

Be selective with requirements

When formulating a job posting, HR managers need to strike a balance in the number of requirements listed within the job description. Include too many prerequisites, and you might dissuade quality candidates from applying. But include too few requirements, and you could face an onslaught of job seekers who aren’t exactly qualified for the role. Find the “sweet spot” with the requirements that are listed on your job description to maximize the high-quality applicants you receive. Ultimately, required skills and qualifications should always be measurable, so include the minimum number of years’ experience expected of the candidate. For example, “Minimum of two years scrum master experience in the financial services industry.”

Describe the application process

Providing specific instructions on how a candidate can apply for your open role is critically important when looking to receive their application. Can job seekers directly apply for the position through job boards like LinkedIn and Indeed? Or do they need to fill out forms on your company’s internal job board? Although these specific instructions are often overlooked, they can be the difference between collecting dozens of resumes and getting limited interest in the position.

Get in touch with self-applied candidates

In such a candidate-driven market, job seekers can acquire several job offers in a matter of days. That’s why it’s important to contact candidates that self-applied for your open position immediately after receiving their application. This is an effective way to separate your organization from the rest of the pack and better appeal to these prospective employees. Individuals that apply for jobs on their own accord are more likely to seriously consider the opportunity when presented with the chance to interview. Engaging with these job seekers early and often is the easiest way to maintain their attention throughout their job search.

Utilize online tools

Looking to boost the success of your job posting? Emsi’s Job Posting Optimizer has you covered. The tool will provide tips and tricks you can weave into your job posting to enhance its attractiveness in the eyes of job seekers. Learn more about how the Job Posting Optimizer can work to your advantage here.

Looking for a list of questions that you should not be asking candidates during a job interview? Check out this blog to learn about questions that are off-limits when conversing with a prospective employee.

To discover more talent acquisition insights from our Acara team, check out the Recruiting section of our blog.