Admit it.

Recruitment ads are often dry.

They convert well, yes, because everybody needs a job. But recruitment ads, including job descriptions, lack the sizzle that might motivate candidates. We are so fed up with banners saying “We are hiring! *then a list of job openings*” or “Looking for Qualified Individuals! *then the eternal list of job openings*”.

Perhaps a captivating recruitment ad won’t matter if the job you are offering is unique and in-demand, but if rival recruitment firms are offering the same position, needless to say, you have to stand out.

In technology recruitment, for example, where there is talent scarcity, running after the same pool of limited talent is tough. A recruitment firm needs to stand out. It needs to attract the talents they need.

You can do this by treating all of your online assets as marketing tools – from job ads to job descriptions, they all must be conversion-focused. When we say “conversion-focused”, it must aim at turning a reader, a prospective candidate, into an applicant or a lead (say they opted in a landing page and provided you with their contact details or resume).

A general formula for a conversion-focused copy is the AIDA Formula. Briefly, here’s how it works:

Attention. Write head-turner headlines. You can be as creative or as clever as you want depending on your target audience. Although, generally, the rule is “don’t get too clever”.
Interest. Elaborate on your offer. Create a sense of emergency and urgency.
Desire. This is where you entice your audience with the features of the offer (e.g. pay, benefits, etc.).
Action. Have a clear call-to-action. Tell your audience what they need to do next (e.g. Apply Now, Send Your Resume, Give Us Call, Shoot Us An Email, Visit Us At, etc.).

Of course, you do not have to strictly follow this formula. The AIDA formula can be presented in various ways.

Here are some examples of creative recruitment gimmicks:

Dallas Restaurant & Bar

You think it’s French? No, it’s just a drunkard’s babble. This does not strictly follow the AIDA formula, but it catches attention, stirs interest, and it is funny.

10X Marketing

This ad may have some copyright issues, but you get what I mean… it’s cool and creative.

P.S. This is Darth Vader in Star Wars, in case you do not know who this is.

Burger King

Of course we all know Burger King’s competitor is McDonalds; hence Burger King’s “Don’t mention the M” campaign. This is pretty witty.

Sysgen Philippines

Sysgen Philippines is an I.T. staffing firm. In this recruitment ad, they tried using system prompts as their theme to maintain the techy character of their job offerings.