Three Common Mistakes When Writing Job Ads

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As a dental practice looking to grow your team or replace a key team member, chances are you will post a vacant position on a job board at some point in your career, here are a few common mistakes that practices make when posting a job ad that hinder their recruitment process. 

  1. The ad is the wrong length. 

There is a sweet spot between being too short and merely listing five key points about the role and including a full and comprehensive job description within the job ad. Many practices mistakenly believing that the more info they provide potential candidates, the better. The purpose of the job ad should be to get the candidate interested in learning more about the role and encouraging them to apply for more details. It is a fine line between being too succinct and losing the candidates interest and having a job ad be too long and boring to capture a job seeker’s interest. 

Writing a concise job ad between a half and one page and incorporating four or five bullet points highlighting the position’s main responsibilities and required qualifications will be far more effective in drawing in candidates who will only spend a few seconds on each ad before moving on to the next. It can also be a good idea to break the ad up into subsections with headings to assist the candidates in scanning your ad for critical information prior to applying. 

  1. The ad pushes the wrong boundaries. 

It doesn’t happen often, but every now and then, an employer will try to think a little too far outside the box by including sarcasm or off-colour humour in their job ads. Often, it’s because they relish the thought of driving away the timid or easily offended, in hopes of hiring a thick-skinned employee with a sense of humour. 

While most job boards will pull any ad they deem offensive, what offends one may not offend all, and the poster may have already sent the wrong message to their candidate pool. A better option is to protect your investment (your advertising budget and your practice’s reputation), play it safe and save the edgy content for another time. Testing a candidate for cultural fit is best done throughout the interview process to avoid alienising potentially amazing candidates. 

  1. The ad doesn’t “sell” the role. 

Some practices feel that since they’re offering candidates the job and paying them a salary, they only need to list what they expect from an ideal candidate in a job ad, and the burden then falls on job seekers to show how they’re qualified. While this may work for a few high-profile employers filling in-demand roles, the rest will find this strategy highly ineffective in the dental industry as there is a significant shortage in great candidates. 

Top talent has many practices to choose from and they will want to know how the practice and role will benefit them: 

  • How will their work make an impact? Are they integral to the team? How? 
  • How will they fit into the practice’s culture? 
  • Are there opportunities for advancement? 
  • What kind of salary, training, mentoring and/or benefits are being offered? 

Why does this matter? Employers that fail to appeal to candidates’ interests in job ads will see a response rate that pales in comparison to those that do. As the recruiting landscape is constantly shifting, it’s important that practices remain flexible in their methods of attracting candidates. 

If you’d like assistance in writing your next job Prime Practice HR would love to help! 

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