15 Dec 2021
So you have a vacancy... you've bought your job credits...you have your job ad and your know who your target candidate is... how do you make sure your job advert is targeted and will appear in dream candidate's job search results?
There are some really simple ways to make sure your job adverts stand out to candidates. It sounds simple.. and most job optimisation is, just think like a candidate, and AI... what does the AI need to know your job is the right fit for a candidate?
Put yourself in the candidate's shoes:
What is important to consider is... if you were your target candidate... how would you search for your job advert on a website? What search terms would you enter on a job search or when setting up job alerts or saving a jobs via email notification.
What would they search for to find their dream job? Then add this onto your job advert (as long as it is what you are looking for).
Put yourself in the AI's shoes:
A controversial term that... AI doesn't have shoes, it is code... but after my point on thinking like a candidate, I couldn't help myself... job boards work off algorithms for matching what a candidate enters in a search and what an advertiser adds when uploading a job.
Selecting the job search criteria to match your candidate:
The AI on FE Careers and the AI on Aggregators works off two+ job criteria (eg role and competency / industry) - so make sure you select at least two. On FE Careers you can select up to 5 job search criteria per job.
So after thinking what your target candidate would search for when searching for your job... enter this. Eg you have an Engineering Lecturer job in Manchester.
So add Engineering, Lecturer to the job advert criteria... but what if your target candidate searches under Tutor / Trainer.. then your job ad wouldn't appear - so add this as well, a Tutor / Trainer can also step into a lecturers role - then your job will appear in the job search results of your candidate. Again, think like a candidate when advertising your job ad.
How to title your Job Ad:
Again think like a candidate. What would you target candidate search for and recognise? Eg keep it clear and simple - using the Engineering Lecturer example - the job title would be Engineering Lecturer - Manchester.
If you select the criteria Engineering, Lecturer and the location Manchester when uploading the AI / algorithm will 'weigh' this job ad more highly in the job search results for candidates, if they too search under Engineering, Lecturer and Manchester.
Working with AI on Job Boards - how to help the candidates 'electronic gatekeeper'
The AI and algorithm on job boards is there to give as good a match as possible for a candidate. If a candidate searches for jobs or sets up jobs via email to be Engineering, Lecturer and Manchester... if this is selected when uploading a job - it will appear in their results... but if you add these key words into the title and in the body of the text.. it will be 'weighed' by the AI to be an even closer match to the candidate's search needs.
The AI wants to give the candidate the best match possible - so help the candidate and AI know what is important in the role, particularly the keywords and add these into the title and into the job ad... and in the body of the job ad text.
Don't spam it!
Don't add loads of keywords in the title or body of the email for the sake of it, or to try and be clever... if you don't have a Health and Social Care Lecturer job... don't add these keywords into the title or in the body of the email. It will put the candidate off and you are basically wasting your time and the candidate's time. Keep it targeted and again think like a candidate - how would you feel about a future employer or recruitment brand (as you are advertising, and this is what brands do, promoting and attracting people to their brand)... then how do you give the best service possible.
So there you have it... keep it simple: Think like a candidate and think... what does the AI need to give the candidate the best results possible? Match this.. and you will have your job advert appearing in front of your target candidates in no time.
I hope this helps
Gavin O'Meara, CEO and Founder, FE Careers and FE News. Gavin has over 20 years recruitment, Executive Search, Content Marketing and Digital strategy experience. Gavin is a Fellow of the Institute of Recruitment Professionals and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing.