Job advertising tips and tricks: Madeleine Kern on dos and don’ts, job platforms and the EU Pay Transparency Directive
Reading time: 6 min
According to a study by Softgarden (2024), 52% of respondents have already decided not to apply for a job because the job advertisement was unattractive or poorly worded. In addition, 36.3% stated that job advertisements often do not match the actual reality of the job. The consequences are manifold: unfilled positions, unsuitable applications or early resignations.
But how can this be avoided? Madeleine Kern, founder of Personalmarketing Kern, JobOptimizer and LinkedIn influencer, talks about her tips and tricks for job advertisements in an interview with our Senior Consultant HXM Transformation, Dennis Lehner. She reveals how texts are really convincing, which job platforms are particularly worthwhile, takes a close look at the EU Wage Transparency Directive and shows what role AI will play in the creation of job advertisements in the future.
What are the most important dos and don’ts in job advertisements?
The most important thing first: job advertisements should always be created in collaboration – not exclusively by recruiters, but together with the specialist department. This is the only way to ensure that all requirements and expectations are clear.
You should also invest sufficient time in preparation. You will often save this time later in the selection process. The basis for this is a careful work and requirements analysis. This should be completed before you start writing. When writing a job advertisement, the following applies: be as specific as possible and go into detail. This approach is known as a realistic job preview. A study by Earnest, Allen and Landis shows that applicants are more satisfied and stay with the company longer if they are given a realistic picture of the job. This helps to avoid early turnover.
Honesty is crucial, as are insights into the corporate culture: Who do I work with? How is the team organized? These aspects are still neglected in many advertisements.
Another Do is to formulate a genuine offer: What does the applicant side gain from working with you? This includes basic information such as salary, working hours, place of work and vacation – the content that will later be included in the contract. Building on this, additional benefits such as a company car, company pension scheme, canteen or childcare should be clearly stated. Many companies have attractive offers, but do not mention them.
My biggest do is to realize that applicants are looking for a job that takes up a large part of their lives. Eight hours a day is a lot. And the company’s investment is not to be sneezed at either. Paying such a gross salary for several years is equivalent to an investment of millions. This decision should be approached with appropriate care instead of simply accepting old advertisements.
This leads us directly to the biggest don’t: Don’t reuse old texts. Activities change. This can hardly be avoided. Similarly, companies should not copy from the competition or fill ads with outdated buzzwords. Terms such as “assertive”, “communicative” or “team player” are interchangeable, not very meaningful and are usually no longer taken seriously.
The world of work has changed dramatically in recent years. How does this affect the design of job advertisements?
I have the impression that there is an increasing focus on appreciation in many respects. It’s not just about benefits, but also about treating applicants’ time with respect. Appreciation is also reflected in clear and appealing language.
In the past, the rule was to use the shortest possible texts with a maximum of five bullet points per section, as it was assumed that nobody would read them. Transparency and authenticity are more important, especially when it comes to jobs that require explanation and are demanding, in particular insights into the team and the collaboration. Companies that provide convincing insights here create closeness and trust.
Younger generations in particular value meaningfulness and sustainability. They specifically ask about the “why” of their work. However, this basically applies to all generations, as they all want to know why their work is important and that it is valued. The younger ones simply formulate these demands more directly, for example with statements such as: “I won’t work for you if you don’t show me that you are sustainable.”
There is a rule of thumb that an ad should list more tasks than requirements. Are you in favor of this?
Yes, absolutely. And ideally, an ad should contain even more benefits than requirements. In many cases, the list of requirements is the longest section. This is usually an indication that there has not been sufficient discussion of the content or that the department has exerted too much influence.
What was the bravest thing you have ever done in a job advertisement?
I think it’s more important that the content is right than that an ad stands out because it’s crazy. For me, courage is not shown in the form, but in the honesty. Some companies use creative formats such as jobcasts or video job ads – this can work, but is not automatically courageous.
Courage is relative. For example, a small engineering firm told me that the managing director has a barbecue with the team every Friday in the summer. It was courageous for them to include this information in the ad. I find such authentic details very valuable because they convey a realistic picture of everyday working life.
My goal is not to write the boldest or most unusual ads possible, but to write good ones. I want poorly written ads to disappear and for companies to really think about what they have to offer. If it fits in with the corporate culture, an ad can also be humorous.
One current topic is the EU’s pay transparency directive. How can this be implemented in a serious and practicable way?
The first step is to create clarity internally: What salary structures are there, do salary bands or job categories exist? SMEs in particular often have some catching up to do here. It often turns out that internal adjustments are necessary.
Based on this, you can communicate salary ranges openly. Extreme statements such as “50 to 100,000 euros” are not very helpful. Whether a monthly or annual salary is stated can be clarified individually. The important thing is to provide orientation.
Which key figures help to evaluate the success of a job advertisement?
Quantity is easy to measure, quality is more difficult. A good basis is the conversion rate: How many people see the ad and actually apply? If a lot of people click but hardly anyone applies, the approach is not right. And if 100 applications come in but only one fits, the ad was too imprecise. A good ad ensures self-selection: those who don’t fit don’t apply in the first place.
Technical basics are also important, for example, how does the application button work at all? I’ve already had ads without a contact option.
In the long term, you should check: How successful are the people hired? This is the quality of hire. However, this only becomes apparent after a few months and is only possible through an exchange between Recruiting and Performance Management, which unfortunately has hardly taken place to date.
Which channels or formats are particularly suitable for placing job ads?
Your own career page is indispensable. It hardly incurs any costs, is permanently online and is recorded by search engines such as Google for Jobs or Indeed, which ensures additional reach.
Social networks are also useful. Many employees have their own LinkedIn profiles, which can be used to easily share open positions.
I also recommend the use of job advertising agencies. They know which target groups are active on which platforms, offer package prices and take care of the technical processing. This saves time and budget and, in my experience, leads to better results.
What role does artificial intelligence play in the creation of job advertisements?
AI can be a valuable support, provided you know what you want. Without clear guidelines, it generates appealing texts, but these often do not match the corporate culture.
However, if you do not provide any specific information, you will ultimately only receive superficial texts and therefore applications that do not match your profile.
What is your most important tip for really good job ads?
Take a close look at the positions you are advertising. Talk to the people who actually do these jobs. Ask: What makes a good working day? What goes wrong on a difficult day and what helps to solve it?
These discussions provide authentic insights and show which skills are actually required. It is particularly valuable to involve not only managers but also team members. They speak the language of the target group and that is exactly what makes a good ad. If you take this step seriously, you are better than any
