This is a guest post from Maggie Barr, Director of Content Strategy & SEO at AmTrust Financial Services. Thanks, Maggie, for sharing your experience and knowledge with us!

With the economy booming and unemployment rates low, finding and attracting top talent can be difficult in the current candidate-driven job market. HR recruiting professionals may find that they need a competitive edge to get the attention of the best candidates out there. Recruiters can borrow a few tips from content marketers in order to write more effective job postings, get more eyes on the post and create better-supporting content to entice potential candidates to apply. 

Job description – keep it interesting

Starting with the job description, recruiting and HR professionals should think like content marketers. That means understanding and embracing how readers consume content on the web. They read headlines and skim. They scan for key phrases. And when they are really interested, they’ll read carefully, but first, you have to get their attention. Follow these tips below for writing a compelling job post:

• Draw in the reader with a well-crafted headline. The headline should include the job title and something extra to draw the candidate in, such as “Sales Associate in Fast-Paced, Growing Atlanta Business.”
• Use an engaging paragraph to describe the opportunity and the company in an interesting way. Be sure to really sell it. What’s in it for the candidate? Why do they want to work there and take on this role? This is your opportunity to provide an emotional hook that speaks to the candidate.
• Keep bullets concise and to the point. Resist listing too many requirements. Focus on the key attributes and requirements needed for the job.
• Have a clear Call to Action (likely Apply!) that is easy for users to find and understand the next steps. Spell out exactly how the candidate can apply and what is needed from them.
• Direct users back to a landing page for more information on things like company benefits, employee culture, training opportunities and more. This will keep your post to the point but provide an easy way to get additional details.

Amplification – spread the word

Having a great job posting won’t get you very far if no one sees it. Content marketers have mastered the art of amplification, even for niche industries. They know how to promote their content, and where, to get it in front of the right audiences.

• Post on both your owned channels & recruitment sites. Your job listing should be on your website and also posted on any of your owned channels, such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, etc. You’ll also want to post it on recruitment sites like Indeed or specific industry job search sites.
• Look for posting partners. Depending on the job and the audience, it may make sense to put the listing on an alumni newsletter, the local college, a community newsletter, a professional or industry group, etc. This gives you the opportunity to tap into their audience.   
• Put money behind it. Organic social posts don’t get much traction anymore. If you want to target specific audiences, you may need to have a promotion budget for the listing.
• Ask employees to spread the word. Don’t forget about the power of your own team. Ask them to share the listing with their networks, and to let you know if they have any referral candidates. While organic social postings for companies don’t get much traction (see above), employees posting on their own social platforms can have an impact organically. This is a great option if your budget is low or non-existent.
• Use keywords. You’ve likely done your research ahead of time and know the key trainings, certifications and skills needed for the position. You’ll want to include these not only to inform the candidate, but also to capitalize on the search potential. Plus, having these skills listed prominently in the listing will pull in the skimmers. Pro Tip! Be sure to add location to your job posting. Candidates may be willing to relocate but are often searching for jobs in a specific area. Make your title tag reflect that: Product Engineer Jobs in Chicago, Illinois. This can help you rank organically on Google.   

Supporting content – what else will candidates learn about the position and your company?

Your listing will contain details of your posting and company but many candidates may refer back to your website and other sources to learn more. Having a dedicated careers page will allow you to curate valuable content about your company and employees, including your mission and values, training and educational opportunities, benefits and more. You’ll also want to pay attention to what is being said outside of your owned channels about your brand.

• Consider using video and other formats. Video is a powerful tool for employer branding content. It allows candidates to hear from actual employees and get a sense of your culture. Photos are important too. Resist the urge to use stock photos. Real photos of actual employees in their true workspace offer a more impactful visual. Well-designed PDFs, infographics and guides are also helpful tools for potential candidates to learn more about your business.
• Keep tabs on what candidates will see about your brand. When you search for your company or brand name online, what comes up? You should monitor what is ranking and Google, Glassdoor and social media sites for your brand name. Potential candidates can be easily turned off by negative reviews and negative press. The good news? Content marketers have been combating bad press with good press for years. Consistently publishing and promoting positive employee stories will help dilute any negative experiences. Answer any negative comments on social or recruiting sites (emphasis here on professionalism). Having a company response will always look better than ignoring it, or worse deleting it (which can actually get you penalized by various sites).  
• Provide supporting, related content. What other information would potential candidates find helpful? Consider things like department/team value proposition, diversity information, work flexibility, career growth opportunities,

Take your recruitment marketing to the next step

At Stories Incorporated, we are experts in culture communication. We do two things really well  – we uncover powerful stories from your team members about their employee experience and we bring them to life through various content marketing efforts. Find out more about how we can help you by scheduling a 15-minute meeting with us.