Your first interaction with a potential candidate is often via your job ad.

As ever, first impressions count.

When searching for staff, fitness employers are not just competing with other facilities for good staff, they’re also competing with other industries.

Job ads must be structured to be easily read on any device, to accurately reflect the unique appeal of any opportunity, and to clearly demonstrate to the candidate why they would want this job ad over any other. 

Here are our 5 points to help you create a more engaging ad...

1. The purpose of your ad is to sell the role, not fill it.

• We’re trying to fill a role. But no one's getting a job offer from an application alone, so let's encourage the applications.
• Focus on selling the role to suitable candidates.
• And make it personal. Talk to them directly; use "you" as often as possible. 

2. Your job ad must clearly highlight the benefits to the candidate.

• Talk about what the employee will receive (again, making it personal) rather than what the business offers. 
• We need to answer the reader's constant question of "what's in it for me?" 
• That's all they care about and that's what every ad should do. Tell them exactly what they'll get out of this role. 

3. Keep it to the point.

• The majority of candidates browse job ads on their phones.
• Ads are often viewed in transit or in between other activities, so it’s important your job ad is easily skimmable.
• We want to encourage applications and the ad can always be edited later if too many of the wrong candidates are coming through.
• Long, detailed ads are fine if your brand is well known and your opportunity is immediately understood and highly desirable. Outside of this, keeping things short and to the point is your best strategy.

4. Formatting goes a long way towards a better-looking ad.

• Group content under clear sections - See suggestions below.
• Keep the copy short and use bullet points where possible (keep each bullet point to a single line if possible). 
• Again, you want to ensure key points stand out to those skimming the ad.

5. Structure your job ad so it gets read.

The way you write your ad can influence the type of candidate you receive. For example;

• Many Key Requirements - Female applicants are known to be discouraged from applying if they don't meet all criteria. By contrast, male applicants are likely to apply if they meet just one!
• Too many details, too long - As most ads are viewed initially on a mobile, the need to scroll excessively can deter many applications. 

About your business: 

• What you do as it relates to the candidate – This is likely to be different from the pitch you would give to members/clients/franchisees. 

About the role: 

• Outline the nature of the role. For a candidate to figure out if they are suitable for the role (and in turn, if the role is suitable for them) they need a few key details.

What's on offer for the candidate?: 

• What kind of training and development do you offer?
• Are there career progression opportunities? What are they?
• What is the team/culture like? (social events, regular meetings, etc)
• Are paid hours available outside of Personal Training? Flexible hours?
• Do you provide leads?
• Any special equipment, types of clients or other points of difference?

Requirements: 

• Keep this to core requirements. The ‘must-haves.’ 
• If your bullet list here is longer than a few points, you may want to revisit what is actually a must-have for the initial expression of interest.
• Remember, you can screen for certain skills and qualities later in the recruitment process, but listing too many here could put a good candidate off.

Be clear who they are applying to and how.  

• For example, "Please submit your cover letter and CV to our Club Manager, Dennis, via the APPLY button."

By keeping in mind the above 5 tips when writing your ad, you'll be doing the best to help your job ad stand out in an increasingly competitive market.

When advertising via HealthyPeople, we'll always ensure you have consistent branding in a good-looking and spell-checked ad. 

If needed we can always build an ad for you around the content you provide.

Let's get your job ad posted!