Why your job ad isn't standing out
How can you encourage the best candidates to hit the ‘apply’ button on your next job ads? SEEK’s Laws of Attraction portal will help you stand out from the competition.
The insights available in SEEK’s Laws of Attraction portal provides a valuable window into the minds of New Zealand candidates. Easy to use, it features local candidate data that’s refreshed regularly and can be filtered to give a deeper understanding of what candidates are really looking for in a job now – and how their motivations differ across industries and demographics.
“The data in the portal is incredibly powerful,” says Aimee Hutton, Head of Customer Insights and Strategy at SEEK. “It’s based on over 3000 local candidate responses and provides a deep level of detail and granularity into what attracts New Zealanders to apply for a role that you really can’t capture anywhere else in the market.
It enables hirers to improve and maximise their attraction and retention strategy.”
With access to this valuable data, you can tailor your job ads and speak directly to candidates’ wants and needs.
“Your job ads are both a call to action and an opportunity to represent your brand. You need to do this in the best way possible and at every touch point in a candidate's attraction and engagement journey, starting with your job ads,” says Hutton.
How can SEEK’s Laws of Attraction portal help you to optimise your next job ad? Here are five ways to help you stand out.
1. Talk to candidates’ top drivers of attraction
When writing effective job ads, ensure your bullet points and summary speak to the top three drivers that candidates in that industry are wanting. SEEKs most recent Laws of Attraction data shows that work-life balance continues to be the most important considerations for New Zealander’s looking to change jobs in the next two years, so highlighting this up front could be useful.
“Your job ad is your first opportunity to influence a candidate’s decision,” says Hutton. “If they can see their priorities reflected clearly in your ad, they are much more likely to click on it, read more and then apply.”
2. Drill into the drivers of attraction
Now that you know what your ideal candidates want, use your job ad to explain how you can deliver it. For example, if flexible working arrangements are a key driver for candidates in your industry, specify how this is supported at your organisation.
“This is an opportunity to demonstrate empathy and understanding of what candidates really want,” says Hutton. “It’s like showing candidates in your industry that you speak their language – you know what’s important to them and here’s how you can make it happen.”
3. Be targeted and strategic
There are many ways to slice the Laws of Attraction data, you can gain insights into the drivers for specific demographics, so you can be even more targeted in your job ads. For instance, Laws of Attraction data tells us that the top drivers for retail workers are work-life balance and salary - something to keep that in mind if you’re looking to recruit in this space.
Within each industry you can further filter and refine based on information like seniority, location and work type to tailor your talent attraction strategy based on the specific role you are hiring for and what these candidates are looking for.
4. Emphasise your EVP
What’s the true value in working for your organisation? How do you bring your workplace promises to life? These questions are on the minds of your candidates, so focus on your Employee Value Proposition (EVP) in the “About us” section of your job ad. SEEK data shows this frustration can impact what ads they apply for, as job ads with a visible salary on average receive up to 47% more applications than ads that don’t.
“Your EVP is your value promise and the data in the Laws of Attraction portal allows you to demonstrate your understanding of what’s important to candidates and articulate it in your EVP,” says Hutton.
5. Be straight about salary
Salary is a key driver of attraction for candidates – and they value transparency. In fact, 60% of candidates find it frustrating when salary is not included in the job ad.*
If salary/compensation is a key driver for the candidates you’re seeking to attract, use the salary field in your job ads to highlight what you can offer. If you can’t disclose the actual salary, use the space to highlight other attractive benefits or financial perks, such as bonuses.
SEEK’s Laws of Attraction portal provides easy access to unique market data that helps you understand much more about your candidates. These insights will be key to your successful recruitment strategy.
What’s driving the employment choices of candidates today? Visit SEEK’s Laws of Attraction portal for the latest insights.
*Source: Independent research conducted by Nature on behalf of SEEK interviewing 4000 Kiwis annually. Published June 2023. ** Source: SEEK’s Laws of Attraction survey, an ongoing monthly survey conducted by SEEK. Published July 2023.