How to write job postings that showcase your EVP
We’re currently in the midst of the Great Rehire, which means that candidates have a lot of choice in their job search. With most employers offering similar benefits when it comes to pay, remote work, and other traditional perks, your unique employee value proposition (EVP) continues to be one of the best ways to stand out during this crowded time.
One area where your EVP can really shine through and help you convert candidates is on your job postings. We still see many organizations using the same, generic job post templates that don’t stand out as candidates are searching online. In today’s candidate-driven market, those just won’t do. To help you take your EVP and put it to use where it matters most, we’re breaking down how to incorporate your EVP in your job postings.
1. Add a "why join us” section that outlines your EVP’s core pillars
Your EVP needs to be front and centre for your candidates to see. The top of your job post is prime real estate. Similar to how a resume has a “summary of qualifications” at the top to entice recruiters to keep reading, you need to have the “what’s in it for me” factor up front to keep candidates engaged with your post.
One of the best ways to do that is with a designated “why join us” section. When you take human behaviour into consideration, people tend to skim web content, and job descriptions are no different. Having a designated section with a bolded headline can help draw candidates’ attention to information pivotal in their decision to apply, such as your EVP pillars.
In terms of how to format this section, it should be near or at the top of your job description, especially for InMail reach outs and social media posts where you have limited time to draw people in. Within the section, there is flexibility with regard to how you explain your EVP and its pillars, but a tried-and-true format is to place your EVP tagline at the top, followed by between two and five pillars that support the tagline and share additional information about what your organization offers to employees.
Taglines and pillars will naturally change from company to company, but they generally answer the following questions:
Why do people decide to come work at your organization?
What makes them stick around long-term?
What sets your organization apart from hiring competitors?
If you want to learn more about uncovering your EVP, take a look at this blog: How to uncover your organization’s employee value proposition (EVP): a 7-step process.
2. Use concise language that’s easy to understand
Drawing attention to your EVP with a headlined section is one thing, but having candidates understand and remember what’s in that section is another thing entirely. Generally speaking, in your job description, you want to use language that’s short and easy to understand. Avoid using too many buzzwords, acronyms, and company jargon.
Shorter words and sentences help drive your points home faster — a necessity when most candidates spend just 14 seconds deciding whether or not to apply.
“Clear” also applies to the length of your paragraphs, as the longer you make them, the harder it is for candidates to quickly scan through and get the information they’re looking for. You can use the Flesch readability score to double-check that your language is hitting the mark here.
For those worried about shortening their job descriptions too much and risking omitting important information, LinkedIn found that candidates actually prefer a snapshot of your company culture. As the overview of the study reads, “instead of dedicating too much real estate to the background about your company, point them to your website or LinkedIn Company Page where they can learn more after they’ve read the job post.”
3. Show don’t tell: Link to employee-centred
One of the best ways to showcase your EVP is through employee stories and testimonials. You can support the claims in your job descriptions by linking to content that shows your EVP pillars in action.
For example, instead of just writing that one of your EVP pillars is “innovation,”you can link to a video of an engineer talking about a new process or product they created that’s used across the company.
This way, candidates don’t have to rely on your word; they can see your EVP in action from the perspective of real employees. Needless to say, the better you can help candidates envision themselves at your company in the roles they’re applying for, the better the conversion rate you can expect to see.
Hubspot links to their Culture Code course in their descriptions. With over five million views, the course goes over how Hubspot has built their culture to where it is today, and where they plan to take it in the future.
4. Make it visual
You can also experiment with embedding images and videos right into your job descriptions. The human brain absorbs visuals 60,000 times faster than it absorbs text — making job posts with visuals easier to scan. Visuals can mean it’s more memorable, and, consequently, you’ll have higher converting job descriptions.
Want to learn more?
For more help with incorporating your EVP into candidate touchpoints, please send us a message! We’d love to chat with you and are always here to help. You can also subscribe to our newsletter in the footer below to receive new posts every other week that teach you about employer branding and recruitment marketing.
About The Employer Brand Shop
The Employer Brand Shop is a boutique recruitment marketing and employer brand agency located in Kitchener, Canada. Our team helps organizations around the world attract and engage talent using creative marketing strategies.