Is your job advertisement effective? Moreover, is it effective for your target audience specifically? While a good company always keeps a target audience in mind when creating job ads, in some cases this could be extremely difficult - especially if it’s millennials we’re talking about.
According to the research conducted by AdvisorPerspectives in November 2017, the millennials have to deal with the highest unemployment rate since the turn of the century. Since 2000, the average unemployment rate for them is 13.1%, compared to a combined average for other age groups, which is 5.0%.
This is caused by a number of reasons. Sure, some of them have to do something with the mistakes millennials make during the hiring process. However, another common reason is that they simply pick jobs more carefully than the other cohorts.
So if you want your business to benefit from hiring millennials, you need to do your best to tailor your job ads to their needs and priorities. Here’s how you can do that.
- Tell them about the impact they’ll make.
The millennials are looking for something more than just comfortable work conditions - they want their job to be meaningful. Therefore, if you can explain what impact a candidate would make when working for your company, you’ll have them hooked.
So, let’s say your brand deals with environmental conservation as a way of stopping global warming. Stating such clear goals will make them believe that they are fighting for something that could save the world!
- Impress them quickly.
The millennials grew at the time of rapid changes. They are accustomed to them and so hard to impress. Keep in mind that your job ad needs to hook them very quickly (3 seconds max) and find a way to do so. For instance, you can use the design that stands out like these companies did, you can hook them with an interesting headline or do something else that would work quickly.
- Tell them how will they grow.
According to the stats published on Access Perks blog, 42% of millennials expect to change jobs at least every 1-3 years. Often this happens because they don’t see any perspectives and perks of staying at one place for too long. That’s why it’s so important to cover it in your job ad, telling them which skills they’ll gain and what career they could build when staying with your company for a long term.
For instance, if you’re working in a law firm and need to hire skilled associates, let them know that they’ll be partners within a few years. Your ads should give them the assurance that they’ll be ‘closing’ more cases as they enjoy a successful career.
- State the responsibilities clearly.
Source: Entrepreneur.com
There are plenty of job descriptions that list a lot of skills that are required but at the same time provide little information about the responsibilities (and the perks as well). This makes the whole ad too unclear.
First of all, the potential candidate has no idea whether they do meet skill requirements or not (for example, they might know German, as stated in requirements, but won’t be able to communicate about a certain subject that requires knowledge of specific lexicon). Second, they simply don’t see such job ad as appealing: when there are too many requirements but little specifics and perks, it might look like the company expects the new employee to do literally everything.
- Tell them about the team.
Though many people appreciate the friendly working environment, for millennials, it’s often one of the key advantages of a job. They want to work not simply for a company or in a certain niche - they look for a corporate culture that relates to their own values. So you should provide some information of that and on the team they’ll be working with. Even some interesting facts would be enough.
A good example is if your company takes part in sports. It will attract those millennials who have an interest in either athletics or in any of the ball games. Therefore, in your ad, include pictures or videos of past competitions to grab their attention but most importantly, curiosity!
- Use social media to support your job ad.
Source: GrooveManagement.com
One of the best and easiest way to find more about the company and its culture is to check its social media profiles. So make sure that your company’s social media actually support the positive image you’re trying to create and represent the company’s corporate culture.
For instance, in your company’s Facebook account, you could include pictures of the projects you’ve been able to complete. You could also share team building work experiences through video clips. Remember to make it not only professional but also personal or friendly.
- Explain the perks.
Mentioning the perks is always important - but don’t do this in the way most companies do. Instead of focusing on the main benefits only, try mentioning other things that make your company a great place to work, from dress code to half-day Fridays, for example.
One of the best things to explain here is showing them you have a strong human resource team. Such will make them feel protected whenever they are in the work environment. Keep in mind that most of these people have never felt the taste of independence and may have feelings of anxiety.
- Pay attention to the tone and the style.
The easiest way to make your job advertisement stand out is to write it like no one else does. The choice of words matters to millennials a lot and affects their opinion of your company.
While you definitely won’t repeat the mistakes made in these bad ads, you still might struggle with making your ads as effective as you would want them to be. To change this, try avoiding cliches but don’t try to over impress as well. Your ads could be fun, original, and informal - but they still need to be clear and give a proper description of a job.
- Choose the right social media for posting.
If you want to hire millennials, don’t stick to job sites only - try posting on social media. Picking the platforms that are popular among your target audience is the best way to attract this audience. So don’t settle for only Twitter and Facebook - instead, explore Instagram and Snapchat to find potential candidates.
Source: Lyda.com
Instagram, for instance, is one of the most popular sites today where people share their life experiences through posting photos. Posting a picture of your attractive ad here will keep the word going and you’ll have a rich list of millennials who are eager to work!
The best way to attract the right candidates for a job is to keep their goals and values in mind. Remember that millennials are looking for the ways to grow, want to do something meaningful, and find corporate culture and working environment one of the most important perks of a job. So use this knowledge and these tips to create a compelling job ad that will attract bright candidates.
Author's Bio:
Kevin is a professional educator and a private tutor with over 8 years of experience. He is also a content writer for various blogs about higher education, entertainment, social media & blogging. Currently, Kevin works as a part-time writer for EliteEssayWriters. During his off time, Kevin enjoys traveling and cooking. Feel free to connect with him on Twitter, Linkedin & Google+.
