How to Write an Effective Help Wanted Ad to Attract the Best Candidates

Writing an effective help wanted ad is crucial to attracting the best candidates for your open positions. With the right ad you’ll get more qualified applicants make better hires, and fill your roles faster.

Follow these steps to write a compelling help wanted ad:

Grab the Reader’s Attention with a Strong Headline

Your headline is the first thing job seekers will see, so make it count! Have a clear, descriptive headline that communicates the essence of the role

Good headlines:

• Senior Accountant
• Social Media Manager – Growing Agency Seeks Creative Marketer
• Entry Level Software Engineer

Bad headlines:

• Great Job Opening
• Opportunity in Marketing
• Open Position

Use power words like “senior,” “lead,” and “manager” to convey level. Terms like “rockstar,” “ninja,” and “guru” are attention-grabbing too.

Describe the Role and Responsibilities

After your headline, get into the nitty gritty of what the day-to-day work entails. Use concise bullet points to explain:

• Main duties and responsibilities
• Daily/weekly tasks
• Projects and objectives
• Skills utilized
• Software, systems, and tools used

Be detailed so applicants understand what they’ll be doing. But don’t get overly wordy. Keep it short and scannable with bullet points.

List Minimum Job Requirements and Qualifications

This section is key for filtering applicants for basic eligibility. List must-have qualifications like:

• Education level
• Years of experience
• Specific skills and abilities
• Knowledge of particular methodologies
• Certifications required
• Computer skills

Only include absolute essentials here – “nice to haves” can go further down. State requirements clearly using minimums like “3-5 years experience required.”

Highlight Compensation and Benefits

Don’t make applicants hunt for pay info! List compensation upfront, including:

• Salary range or hourly rate
• Bonuses and commissions offered
• Benefits like health insurance, retirement plans, and paid time off

Be transparent about pay. Studies show job seekers mistrust and ignore ads without pay. Highlight special perks and benefits that set your company apart too.

Close with a Strong Call to Action

Wrap up your ad with clear instructions on how to apply. For example:

“To apply, email your resume to [email] or visit our website at [URL].”

Let applicants know:

• How to apply (email, online form, etc)
• Materials required (resume, cover letter, portfolio)
• Application deadline if one exists

This drives serious candidates to apply.

Best Practices for Writing a Help Wanted Ad

Follow these additional tips for creating compelling help wanted ads:

• Use clear, concise language. Avoid vague, confusing jargon. Keep sentences short and scannable.

• **Add a bit of personality.**Inject some warmth and humor while maintaining a professional tone.

• **Sell the role.**Highlight growth opportunities, great culture, or exciting projects.

• Optimize for SEO. Include relevant keywords job seekers search for.

• Proofread carefully. Fix typos, grammatical errors, and formatting issues.

• Avoid discrimination. Leave out gender, race, age, and ethnic requirements.

• Be flexible on “requirements.” List some qualifications as “preferred” vs “required” so as not to deter applicants.

• Check laws. Comply with regulations like including salary range.

• Create different ads for different platforms. Tweak help wanted ads appropriately for your website, job boards, social media, etc.

Help Wanted Ad Template and Examples

Here is a help wanted ad template you can use as a starting point when drafting yours:

[Job Title]

[Location]

[Company Name] is seeking a [job title] to join our growing team! The [job title] will be responsible for:

• Key responsibility #1
• Key responsibility #2
• Key responsibility #3

Requirements:

• 2+ years experience
• Bachelor’s degree preferred
• Skill A and Skill B

We offer:

• Competitive salary
• Health benefits
• 401k matching
• Flexible work schedule

To apply, please email your resume to [email] by [date].

And here are two good examples:

Social Media Manager

Atlanta, GA

ABC Company is looking for an innovative Social Media Manager to join our marketing team! You will:

• Create and manage social content across platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube
• Develop social media campaigns and strategies to grow our audience
• Track engagement and analyze performance data

3-5 years of social media marketing experience required. Photography and design skills a plus!

We offer competitive pay, full benefits, flexible work arrangements, and lots of room for growth!

Email resume and portfolio to [email] by May 30th.

Entry Level Software Engineer

Austin, TX

XYZ Startup seeks Entry Level Software Engineer to join our engineering team. You will:

• Build features and applications using Python and JavaScript
• Write, test code and troubleshoot issues
• Participate in code reviews and collaborate with team

Requirements:

• 0-2 years experience
• Knowledge of Python
• Strong problem solving and analytical skills

We offer competitive salary, health insurance, 401k, paid time off, equity options and more!

Apply by emailing your resume to [email].

There you have it! Follow these steps and best practices to write a compelling help wanted ad that makes candidates take notice and apply. With a well-crafted ad, you’ll attract qualified applicants and fill your open role faster.