Formatting Tips to Sharpen Recruitment Efforts

In our recent eBook Job Listings that Speed Up Effective Hiring, we discussed the importance of including all relevant information in job postings for maximum effectiveness. A clear and concise job posting is key to attracting the most qualified candidates. However, even with all the critical information listed, if the job posting is poorly formatted and difficult to read, candidates may skip over it altogether. An easy-to-read, easily digestible (and device-friendly) job posting will make a big difference in your recruitment efforts.

Here are some other valuable formatting tips that will impact recruitment efforts:

1. Job title clarity is important.

Be concise and precise with the job title. Don’t use caps or all bolding – it can confuse search results.

2. Use a concise, single-paragraph job description versus a long, detailed one.

Large blocks of text are uninviting and can be challenging to read. Job postings should be long enough to be comprehensive but short enough to maintain interest. Job seekers may be reading many job postings a week so don’t turn them off with a “wall of text”.

3. List essential requirements as a bulleted list rather than embedded in a lengthy paragraph.

Using bullets helps job seekers quickly scan and digest bits of information to easily determine if the job meets their needs. List required skills and qualifications first and then preferred and nice-to-haves by order of importance to the role.

4. Bullets can also become part of  the graphic design.

An added bonus of using bullets is that it gives you the opportunity to add color and shapes to add visual appeal to the posting. Using images, graphs, or icons when applicable can be inviting as well.

5. Avoid special characters.

Search engines like Google often don’t recognize special characters as text. As a result, including special characters in a title or job description can limit the visibility of the posting in search results. It can also make the posting more difficult to match search queries by job seekers. Characters that are not letters or numbers are considered special characters.

6. Create font and text contrasts in the posting.

Using larger text for the job title, for example, will make it stand out against the rest of the text. Thoughtful use of bolding or italics or smaller-size fonts in the body text or any subheadings creates visual variance and ensures the important elements of the job don’t all blend together.

7. Consider including a hyperlink to the specific job description rather than the full listing.

Using an embedded link to describe the organization in more detail will help keep the job posting as brief as possible and limited to those subjects most relevant to the initial job search.

8. Use templates + user guides.

Standardizing job templates can ensure that essential information is included in all job postings in a consistent manner across the health system. Templates are also a great tool to keep recruiters on track. Easy-to-follow user guides can be developed to ensure that job postings are well-designed and support an effective recruitment process.

An essential requirement of a good job posting.

Standardizing job codes and titles across the enterprise is an important best practice for health systems. While salaries may vary, the job taxonomy can be shared and utilized across facilities. Not only does this help maintain consistency and quality in postings, but it also allows recruitment efforts and data to be meaningfully analyzed.

Many health systems have created a descriptive job code system designed to include pertinent information such as facility, cost center, role, shift+position number, and FTE value. An entity-specific standardized naming convention can ensure a position control methodology that can facilitate the job posting process. It also allows for easy quantification of vacancy rates.

In summary, don’t overlook the formatting of your job postings. It is an important aspect of your recruitment efforts. Well-formatted job postings make it easy for a job seeker as well as a search engine to read and understand. These tips, along with the practice of conducting regular job posting “audits,” will lead to significant improvements in engagement and conversions.