Is Your Job Ad Good Enough

How to Improve Your Job Ad & Attract More Applicants 🔥 

We’ve spent years helping businesses across the food and beverage industry find and retain top talent. And if there’s one thing we see far too often, it’s companies struggling to attract the right candidates, not because the talent isn’t out there, but because their job ads aren’t working. 

 Let’s be honest. Hiring right now is tough. Talent shortages, shifting expectations, and a workforce that knows their worth mean businesses must rethink how they attract top-tier candidates. Change is needed in your recruitment efforts, and while change can be met with resistance, standing still isn’t an option if you want to stay competitive. 

Let’s talk about your job ad… 

First things first, salary transparency. 

We see this on almost every ad, but what does “competitive salary” really mean? If you want to increase your applicant rate, be upfront about pay.  

A recent LinkedIn study found that 91% of U.S. job seekers said seeing a salary range in a job posting influences whether they apply. 

Glassdoor data reveals that 67% of job seekers prioritize salary above all else when considering a job offer. 

No one wants to invest time in an application, multiple interviews, and back-and-forth conversations only to find out the salary doesn’t meet their expectations. Be honest from the start; it saves time and attracts the right candidates from the get-go. 

But is money everything? 

Not always. A study by MIT Sloan found that employees are 10.4 times more likely to leave a job due to a toxic work culture than low pay. 

Other factors matter just as much, if not more: 

• Work-life balance 
• Team relationships & company culture 
• Sense of purpose 

If your job ad only focuses on salary and fails to highlight the intangibles like company mission, flexibility, career development opportunities, and culture, you’re missing a chance to connect with candidates who care about more than just the paycheck. 

The language you use matters 

Your job ad should be clear, concise, and reflective of reality, don’t misrepresent your company culture or the role itself. 

 Words to avoid in job ads: 

• “Rockstar” (Translation: You’ll be overworked and underappreciated) 
• “Self-starter” (Are you offering training and support? Or just expecting them to figure it out?) 
• “Fast-paced” (This can read as: “You’ll be constantly stressed.”) 

If a job ad is so vague that someone can’t explain the actual job duties after reading it, that’s a problem. If it sounds like two or three jobs in one, that’s a sign of bigger structural issues within the company. 

  *Pro Tip: A/B test your job ads. Try running two versions with different wording and measure which one gets more applicants. 

 If you’re rethinking your hiring approach and want to make sure you’re putting your best foot forward, we’re always here to help.