With UK vacancies continuing to rise and the skills gap growing at a concerning rate, global recruitment software provider, JobAdder, has highlighted the need for more effective job ads.

According to JobAdder, with competition for top talent rife, employers could be falling at the first hurdle by failing to include details that are paramount for the modern-day worker. JobAdder has highlighted three key steps employers need to implement to help fill vacancies in the current skills-short climate:

1. Company culture: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a dramatic impact on the workforce, changing what people want from both a job and employer. An increasing number of job seekers are prioritising culture when choosing a company to work for. To stay on top of these demands, it’s important for a job ad to highlight a firm’s ethics, mission and values.
2. Salary and perks: Despite COVID-19 changing the priorities of the workforce, salary remains a dealbreaker for candidates. Job adverts that don’t indicate at least a salary range will go ignored by a significant number of candidates. Showcasing the right perks is also going to be critical, but these need to be aligned with the wants of today’s workforce.
3. Transparency: With an abundance of roles available, job ads need to be direct and informative, shedding complete clarity on the position. At a base level, this must include location specifics, start dates and what skills/experience if required. If these are flexible, then job adverts should highlight this.

Rob Brodie, Head of Corporate Sales at JobAdder comments: “As we navigate the new year, skills shortages are still a great concern for recruiters and hiring teams across the UK. The pandemic has certainly altered what candidates want when searching for a new job and it’s important that this is reflected in job ads if businesses hope to bypass the competition and secure top talent.”

“Now more than ever, highlighting a salary range in your job ad is incredibly important for attracting your ideal candidate, yet there are still a significant number of ads failing to include this. Applicants need to know they aren’t wasting their time and excluding this critical information from a job ad will limit the success of a hiring campaign. The same goes for other crucial details that many job ads are still failing to include, such as the location and start date.”

“While the skills crisis we’re facing won’t be solved easily, addressing the basics can’t be forgotten, including the impact of powerful job ads.”