8 min read

Get More Applicants: How to Optimize Your Job Postings

Clear, well-structured job postings are essential in Australia’s competitive recruitment market, helping you attract qualified candidates and stand out from hundreds of other ads. By optimising titles, keywords, formatting, and posting strategy, you can improve candidate experience and achieve stronger hiring results with support from RefHub’s tools and templates.

Key Takeaways

Use clear and common job titles to help candidates find your roles.
Focus on keyword rich job descriptions to rank higher on search engines.
Make sure you improve candidate experience by being transparent about pay and hours.
Stay aware of Australian recruitment market trends like the need for work-life balance.
Use simple formatting and bullet points to make your ads easy to read.

You want to find the best people for your team. To do that, you need a high number of qualified people to apply for your roles. Many companies struggle because their job ads do not reach the right audience. If your ads are hard to find or confusing to read, you will lose great talent to your competitors.

This guide will show you exactly how to optimize your job postings to get better results. By making small changes to your titles, descriptions, and formatting, you can attract more people. You will learn how to speak directly to the needs of candidates while satisfying the rules of job boards.

Get More Applicants: How to Optimize Your Job Postings

The Importance of Your Job Ad

Your job ad is the first thing a candidate sees. It acts as a bridge between your company and a potential employee. If that bridge is broken or hidden, nobody will cross it. In a busy market, you cannot rely on luck. You must be intentional about how you present your roles.

When you optimize your job postings, you are doing two things:

You are helping search engines and job boards show your ad to the right people.
You are convincing those people that your company is the right place for them.

A good job ad does not just list tasks. It tells a story about the role and the company. It answers the question: "Why should I work here?" If you fail to answer this, even the most skilled workers will look elsewhere.

Start with a Clear Job Title

The job title is the most important part of your ad. It is the first thing people search for. If you use creative or internal titles, you will hide your ad from the people you want to hire.

For example, do not use titles like "Sales Rockstar" or "Customer Happiness Hero." People do not search for those terms. Instead, use "Sales Manager" or "Customer Service Representative."

To optimize your job postings effectively, follow these title rules:

Use standard industry terms.
Keep it under 60 characters.
Avoid symbols like exclamation marks or dollar signs in the title.
Do not include the salary in the title field: save that for the description.

When you use a clear title, you make it easy for candidates to find you. It also helps job boards categorize your ad correctly. This means your ad will show up in the "Recommended Jobs" section for relevant users.

Building Keyword Rich Job Descriptions

Search engines and job boards work like Google. They look for specific words to decide which ads are relevant. To get more views, you must create keyword rich job descriptions.

Keywords are the terms that candidates type into a search bar. These might include:

The job title.
Specific skills (e.g., "Project Management," "Forklift License").
Software names (e.g., "Excel," "Salesforce").
Location names.

To build keyword rich job descriptions, place your main keywords in the first two paragraphs. Do not just list them in a block of text. Use them naturally within your sentences. For example, instead of saying "We need someone with skills," say "The successful candidate will have five years of experience in Project Management."

Using these terms helps you rank higher on job boards. It also proves to the candidate that you know what the role requires. If you leave out important skills, qualified people might think they are not a fit.

Steps to Improve Candidate Experience

The application process is part of your brand. If it is long, slow, or confusing, people will quit halfway through. You must improve candidate experience to keep people interested.

Here is how you can make the process better for everyone:

Be clear about the salary: Candidates hate guessing what a job pays. State the range clearly.
Mention the location: Tell them if the job is in the office, remote, or a mix of both.
Explain the steps: Let them know how many interviews to expect and how long the process takes.
Make it mobile-friendly: Many people apply for jobs on their phones. If your application form does not work on a small screen, you will lose applicants.

When you improve candidate experience, you build trust. Even if a person does not get the job, they will have a positive view of your company. They might even recommend your company to a friend.

Understanding Australian Recruitment Market Trends

The market is always changing. To stay ahead, you must understand current Australian recruitment market trends. Right now, candidates in Australia are looking for more than just a paycheck.

Common trends include:

Flexibility: Many workers now expect some form of flexible hours or remote work.
Speed: The best candidates are hired quickly. If your process takes a month, you will lose them.
Values: People want to work for companies that care about the community and the environment.
Benefits: Mentioning things like extra leave or health perks can make your ad stand out.

If you ignore these Australian recruitment market trends, your ads will feel outdated. You should update your job descriptions every few months to reflect what workers are looking for right now. Use your ad to show that you are a modern employer who understands the local market.

How to Write Better Job Ads

Writing is a skill, but you do not need to be a professional author to write better job ads. You just need to be clear and direct. Avoid using "corporate speak" or jargon that nobody outside your office understands.

Follow these tips to write better job ads:

Talk to the candidate: Use "You" instead of "The Candidate." This makes the ad feel personal.
Focus on the "Why": Why does this job matter? How does it help the company?
Use a "Hook": Start with an exciting sentence about the team or a big project.
Keep it brief: No one wants to read a 10-page document. Keep your ad between 400 and 700 words.

When you write better job ads, you make the role sound exciting. You show the candidate that there is a real person behind the ad. This connection is what makes someone click the "Apply" button.

Formatting for Mobile and Web Readers

Most people scan job ads before they read them in detail. If your ad is a giant block of text, they will skip it. You must use formatting to guide their eyes to the most important parts.

Use these formatting tools:

Bullet Points: Use these for lists of duties and requirements.
Bold Text: Use bolding for section headers or very important facts.
Short Paragraphs: Keep paragraphs to three or four sentences.
White Space: Leave gaps between sections so the page does not look cluttered.

Good formatting helps you optimize your job postings for mobile users. It makes the information easy to digest while they are on the go. If they can see the requirements and benefits at a glance, they are more likely to apply immediately.

The Role of Technology in Hiring

You do not have to do everything by hand. Technology can help you manage your ads and your applicants. For example, using the right recruitment software, software for recruiting can help you track who is applying and where they are coming from.

Technology helps you:

Post to multiple job boards at once.
Store resumes in one safe place.
Communicate with candidates faster.
Analyze which ads are getting the most clicks.

When you use tools to help you optimize your job postings, you save time. This allows you to focus on the most important part of hiring: meeting and interviewing the people who will help your business grow.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Even experienced recruiters make mistakes. These errors can hurt your ranking on job boards and turn off great talent.

Avoid these common pitfalls:

Too many requirements: If you ask for 20 different skills, you will scare people away. Focus on the five most important ones.
Vague language: Do not say "Competitive Salary." Tell them the actual number or range.
Grammar errors: Typos make your company look unprofessional. Always double-check your spelling.
Missing contact info: Make sure candidates know who to talk to if they have a question.
Old links: Check that your "Apply" button actually works before you post the ad.

By avoiding these mistakes, you make sure your ad is professional and effective. You also make it easier for the right people to say "Yes" to your role.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should a job posting be?‍

A good job posting is usually between 400 and 700 words. This is long enough to give all the details but short enough to keep the reader's attention.

Should I always list the salary?

‍Yes. Listing the salary is one of the best ways to improve candidate experience. It saves time for you and the applicant. It also helps your ad rank better on many job sites.

How often should I update my job ads?

‍If a role has been open for more than two weeks without a hire, you should review the ad. You might need to change the title or add more keywords to optimize your job postings for new searches.

What are the most important keywords to use?

‍The most important keywords are the job title, the location, and the top three technical skills required for the role.

Why am I getting applicants who do not fit the role?

‍This usually happens because your requirements are too vague. Be very specific about the "must-have" skills versus the "nice-to-have" skills.

Winning the Talent Race

Finding the right people is a competition. Every other company in your field is looking for the same talent. To win, you must make sure your job ads are the best they can be.

When you optimize your job postings, you are giving your company a massive advantage. You are making sure that when a great candidate looks for work, your ad is the one they find. You are making sure that when they read your ad, they feel excited about the future.

Start by looking at your current ads. Are the titles clear? Are the descriptions full of the right keywords? Is the application process easy? If the answer is no, use the steps in this guide to make a change today. Better applicants are out there: you just need to make it easy for them to find you.

Refhub is here to help you through every step of the hiring journey. By focusing on the candidate and using the right tools, you can build a team that takes your business to the next level. Success in hiring starts with a single, well-written ad. Take the time to do it right, and you will see the results in the quality of your new hires.

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