22 Creative Ways To Advertise Job Openings

So, how do you advertise a job in a way that results in the best applicant pool?

In today’s tight labour market, the rise of social media, the use of Google as the primary search engine, and the continued growth of job advertising have become more important than ever.

Job ads are a great way to attract new applicants for your openings and save time vetting applications from unqualified candidates.

Unfortunately, not all job ads are created equal. Some can be expensive and harder to track than others. 

Here are some helpful tips on advertising your job so you can get the best applicants possible.

1. Make Sure You Understand The Role

Before you advertise a job, you need to understand the role fully. You should know what experience is required for the position, how many hours a week will be needed, and what responsibilities the employee will have.

This will help you to know what kind of interview questions you will draft for potential candidates.

Once you have all this information, it will be easier to advertise your job because you won’t need to fill in any gaps during the ad copy.

2. Avoid Using Jargon

When advertising a job, it’s important to use understandable language to the general public.

Job seekers are not always familiar with the jargon used by your company, which can vary between industries. Hence, using speciality terms can be confusing.

Instead of using acronyms or technical phrases, write the full words or shorten them. This will make them more easily understood by those who may not be in your specific field but are otherwise qualified for your advertising role.

3. Include Information About The Company Culture

When creating a job ad, it’s important to include information about the company culture. What is it like, and what benefits do you offer?

This will help attract applicants looking for a long-term position with a company where they feel comfortable.

Telling people your company’s ethics, values and benefits let them know if you are the kind of place where they would want to work.

4. Include A Salary

One of the most important aspects to mention in your job ad is salary.

You may get the temptation to leave this off to see who’s interested. However, remember that it could deter some good candidates who would otherwise be happy with the position.

Minimum, include the salary range or salary band depending on how you advertise the position.

6. Create engaging advertisements for certain prospects

You can identify the type of individual you want to hire and retain as an employer. Hence, it would help to customise your advertisement with that person in mind.

A well-written job advertisement can hasten the hiring process and make it easier to identify suitable candidates. Furthermore, it can cut the need for staffing and recruiting services, resulting in cost savings. The goal is to tailor your adverts to the perfect prospect.

Do you require an engineer? Make a job advertisement that features a technical drawing.

Do you require a chef? Why not make a job advertisement that appears like a menu?

Consider this example;      

“Throughout the 2000s, Google put cryptic billboards in Silicon Valley and Cambridge, Massachusetts. All you had to do was figure out the first 10-digit prime number discovered in consecutive digits, go to the accompanying URL, and you’d passed the first phase of the test to become an employee at Google.

The smart people at Google undoubtedly recognised that the typical person wouldn’t be able to tackle the challenge. So they weeded out the unfit prospects before they even applied.” Did you get the gist?

7.  Organize competitions or contests

This is prominent in creative industries such as painting, literature, music, videography, photography, etc.

Looking at applications first is like going backwards if you work in the creative industry, where outstanding talent often outweighs significant experience.

To go straight to the point, leverage your website and social media channels to solicit job-related entries.

8. Mutual Partnerships

Working with related service providers in your area is another creative strategy to publicise your job opportunity or locate a pool of potential candidates. This is why you should build successful partnerships.

For example, if you own a photography studio, you could explore collaborating with a nearby print business. You may provide a little discount to whoever is in the authority of the studio in exchange for them displaying your “now hiring” posters.

Mutual relationships like these have the potential to grow over time, allowing both businesses to access more customers and eligible job applications!

A related alternative is to pay a small fee to support a local community event that you believe would benefit you. You can post job openings and promote your brand at these events. It’s a win/win scenario!

9. Capitalize on influencers and blogs

Bloggers and social media influencers each have their audience. Find and engage social media influencers or bloggers who work well with your company’s culture.

Let’s say a web developer has thousands of followers on TikTok. Such a person would be ideal for promoting job openings for firms in need of software engineers.

10.  Include fresh job ads in the package box

Does your company offer delivery service? Then include a few job posting fliers or booklets in your package! There’s always a place for a flyer in a box, a bag, or an envelope. It’s all about packaging.

You may add an incentive to make it more appealing. For example, a headline like “75% off your next purchase” will undoubtedly make people look twice, providing you with a captive audience for any additional content you place on the flyer, such as a secondary lead announcing your open positions.

Read the case study below;

“IKEA wanted to hire competent staff quickly when it rapidly grew into Australia. So they wrote out instructions on how to “build their careers,” as it were, and stuffed them into their product boxes.

Customers unloading their furniture came upon these “hidden” job advertisements, and IKEA was overwhelmed with applications.

As a result, 4,285 applications were received, with 280 of them being hired, while the project incurred no costs. In addition to the new hires, it gave IKEA and their agency a lot of free exposure.”

11. Make use of online job boards and career websites

Using job boards or career websites is another creative way to advertise your job openings. Job boards and career sites enable you, as a recruiter, to access a large and diverse pool of potential candidates.

Due to the large number of jobs available on online job boards, most job seekers use Linkedin to begin their job search. A simple Google search will show up pages that provide free job advertisements.

Ensure you include the keywords you want people to search for in your job posting. Job seekers, for example, search for jobs using terms such as “remote” or “working from home.”

Try job sites that target specific industries and professions and general job sites such as Monster, Indeed, CareerBuilder, ZipRecruiter, and LinkedIn.

12. Make the most of the human resources available to you

Another creative and efficient way to advertise your job opening is to leverage your network (employees, personal friends, spouses, family members, etc.). Your current employees most likely already have excellent industry connections.

Please make use of their connections by inviting them to participate in an office referral program. You can simplify the process for your present employees to refer candidates by providing them with a “now hiring” flyer to share.

The simpler you make things for your staff, the more likely they are to comply. You might spice the arrangement by providing an incentive (a monetary bonus, a services discount, or a non-monetary item) for each successful hire they recommend.

Remember that your network can also be a valuable resource. Involve your friends, spouse, and family members in spreading the news about your job opening. You can make the process easier for them by providing simple handbills with information about the job position and instructions on how to apply.

13. Advertise your job openings on freelance websites

Freelance platforms are internet marketplaces that assist employers in finding the best talents for a project. This is perfect if you need an expert for a short period or a specific job.

These platforms efficiently match employers’ requirements with the freelancer’s profile and skill set.

Content marketing is so important, and there are freelancers for any task, including internet research, design, and content writing. Other notable freelance sites include Fiverr, Upwork, Upstack, and Kimp. Try them!

14. Partner with local higher education institutions

Are you seeking fresh and quality talents?  Then local colleges and universities are excellent places to obtain them!

Universities and colleges are always eager to collaborate with companies to expose their students to potential internships or career possibilities. You may have access to top talents as they begin their careers.

Plan career fairs within schools once you’ve successfully partnered with these institutions. Contests, games, and freebies can also be used to develop a fun culture.

Keep in mind that other companies are also looking. The goal is to keep your offer appealing to potential employees. Check out how university collaborations are helping brands in attracting top talent.

15. Never forget to use social platforms

Marketing and sales have become far more cost-effective due to social media. Why not use it for advertising openings?

Using social media channels to advertise your positions can significantly boost the number of people who see your job postings and the demographic information of those potential candidates.

Advertising services are available on almost all major social media platforms, including LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and YouTube. You can use engaging ad copy for your jobs to attract candidates and enhance application traffic.

The idea is to understand your target population, what they do, and where they are, and then feed these characteristics and job information into the ad campaign so that the platforms show ads to the appropriate applicants.

The more you understand social media and how people engage, the more your open positions will be heard above the noise. Watch out for an overview of social media sites and what they offer.

16. Advertise your job positions on billboards

Billboard advertising is still an effective method. They’re show-stoppers with a huge long-term effect.

All billboard advertisements have an underlying theme but take a distinct creative approach. Just keep the messaging concise and include a compelling call to action.

Read what a CEO had to say about this;

“We found that renting billboards near busy freeway exits close to our location is a great way to let people know we were hiring. We made the imagery fun and catchy so it drew people’s attention.

We also found that it was important to keep the wording to a minimum and make the web address easy to remember so that once people are out of their cars and back at their computers, they can look up the website and see the open positions.

Our most successful billboard was one with an employee of our company posing in a company shirt with the wording ‘This is what awesome looks like…Now Hiring.”

17. Participate in social networking events

Participating in in-person networking events, which can be official or casual, career-oriented or not, but present possibilities for hiring is another creative and efficient approach to advertising your open positions.

The goal is to expand your contact network, boost your possibilities of referrals or recommendations, and even meet prospective candidates.

You can also inquire about and register for exhibitions or job fairs at institutions such as vocational schools, chamber of commerce events, charity events, community service meetings, academic conferences, trade organisations, or professional networking events.

Advice: Make sure your booth is stocked with print fliers, business cards, and hiring booklets.

18. Post job openings on bulletin boards

Bulletin boards are excellent places to post job openings, particularly for local positions. It will be beneficial to distribute job posting ads in your town. It’s a free and creative way for small businesses, traders, professional services, and local entrepreneurs to advertise.

Bulletin boards are generally placed near the entrances to public buildings. Local town halls, Gyms/Recreational Facilities, Restaurants/Bars, Churches, Laundromats, Coffee shops, Announcement boards at grocery stores, and so on are some places to locate bulletin boards in a typical town.

You can use these boards to get the most traffic and make yourself visible to potential candidates who may be waiting for a bus, sipping coffee, or grabbing a quick lunch at a corner convenience shop.

19. Engage in online forums

Job seekers use internet forums to find solutions to job-related questions such as getting into a specific industry or moving the career ladder.

Participating in such forums allows you to indirectly engage potential prospects at a low cost.

You may find job and recruitment topics in your field on prominent sites like Quora, Reddit, Nairaland, and HubSpot, and communicate with prospects directly. .

The best part is that future jobseekers can find the conversation, your company, and your job advertisements as well.

20. Go over your rejection list

Reaching candidates who were almost hired in the past can often accelerate the hiring process from the start.

On the brighter side, these rejected candidates may still be in your database. Send them a text message, phone them, or send them a newsletter to let them know about the job position.

There are numerous benefits to hiring these runner-ups as you’ve already interviewed them and familiarized them with the job description before. This greatly simplifies your task!

21. Always go out prepared!

True, the most successful marketing campaigns are well-planned and deliberate; however, luck can also play a role. From colleges to leisure clubs, promising talent can be found almost anywhere.

If you come across someone who is seeking employment and appears to be a suitable candidate for your company, ensure you’re ready!

Ensure your business cards stand out and take them with you everywhere you go. You may keep a stack of your now hiring fliers or booklets in your pocket, suitcase, or backpack.

22. Use A Job Description Template

A job description template is an invaluable tool for any company. It’s the perfect way to ensure you are reaching out to qualified candidates who can fill the position without investing a lot of time in writing or rewriting the ad.

There are many templates available on the internet, and they usually include all of the information you will need when advertising your opening, such as what qualifications are required, where to apply, how to apply, and more.

To get started with advertising your job, head over to Hiring People and check out their free job description templates.

These can offer a great template for your company to use when looking to hire new candidates.

Last words

You don’t have to be the biggest firm to find the appropriate person for the job. Try out the various methods given above and find what works best for you.

Be creative, genuine, optimistic, and true!