How to write a job ad that attracts people who aren't looking

Many of our meetings with companies start the same way: “We posted the ad, we got lots of CVs and none of them is what we're looking for.” When we read the ad, we usually see why. It's written for someone who is already job hunting and will accept anything reasonable. And the person you really need is probably in work, happy and not browsing job portals. This guide is about how to write for them.

First, understand who you're writing for

A good professional who isn't looking doesn't read a job ad the way an active candidate does. They don't search for it: they come across it. A former colleague forwards it, they spot it in passing on a professional network, or someone from our team shows it to them. They give it a few seconds of attention, with one question in mind: “Is this better than what I already have?”

That changes the starting point. An ad that attracts passive talent doesn't describe what the company wants to receive. It describes what the person stands to gain by moving: a challenge, a team, a way of working, a career step. If the ad doesn't answer that question in its first few lines, they close it and never come back.

Before you write: define the role properly

Most weak job ads don't fail in the wording; they fail earlier. Nobody has pinned down what the person actually has to achieve. Before you open the document, answer these questions in writing:

• What problem does this role solve? What happens if it stays empty for a few more months?
• What should the person have achieved by the end of their first year?
• Which competencies are essential and which can be learned on the job?
• Who will they work with day to day, and who do they report to?
• What do we offer that the company next door doesn't?

If your team doesn't agree on these answers, the ad will show it. And a good candidate notices. It's the same definition you'll use later to interview, as we explain in our guide to competency-based interviewing.

The structure that works

A title that makes sense outside your company

Use the name the market uses when searching for that role, not the internal label from your organisation chart. If internally it's “Operational Excellence Manager II” but outside it's called plant manager, write plant manager. Add what sets it apart: sector, scope or the main challenge, if it fits in a few words.

Open with the challenge, not the company

Almost every job ad opens with a paragraph about the company: a leader in its sector, rapidly expanding, with a young and dynamic team. They all say that, so it sets nobody apart. Start with what the person will do and why it matters. For example: “We're looking for someone to bring order to the sales function of a company that has grown faster than its processes.” That is something a professional who's bored in their current job will actually read.

Responsibilities framed as outcomes

Swap the list of tasks for what you expect to achieve. “Manage the client portfolio” says nothing. “Rebuild relationships with key clients and open two new business lines” says a lot. Five or six points are enough. If you need fifteen, you're probably describing two jobs.

Requirements: few and real

Every requirement you add rules someone out. Sometimes that's exactly what you want; other times you rule out the person who would have fitted. Separate the essential from the desirable and be very strict with the first list. Look hard at years of experience and qualifications in particular: ask yourself whether they really predict performance or are just a habit inherited from the previous ad.

What you offer, in detail

This is where you win or lose the passive candidate. Be specific: working arrangements, flexible hours, training plan, who they'll report to, what the team is like, how much decision-making latitude they'll have. Generalities such as “great atmosphere” or “exciting project” add nothing; what helps is being able to picture an ordinary Tuesday in the job.

Salary

From the other side of the table, we see it clearly: a professional who isn't looking won't spend time on a process without knowing whether the pay makes sense for them. Publishing a salary range filters from the start and signals that you're serious. If internal policy stops you publishing it, at least have it defined before you start and share it in the first conversation. It's also worth checking with your employment adviser whether any pay transparency obligations apply to your company.

An easy next step

For someone who already has a job, sending an updated CV and filling in a long form is a barrier. Offer something lighter: a short, confidential conversation, or the option to apply with their professional profile. Explain too what the process will involve and how long it will take. Being transparent about the steps builds trust.

Tone: write the way you'd speak in an interview

Read your ad out loud. If it sounds like a legal document, rewrite it. A few guidelines we apply at Crearte:

• Pick a formal or informal register to suit your culture, but keep it consistent from start to finish.
• Short sentences. One idea per paragraph.
• Use inclusive language and avoid any requirement unrelated to the job, such as age, appearance or personal circumstances. If in doubt, check with an employment adviser.
• Cut the empty superlatives: “passionate”, “ninja”, “rockstar”, “superstar”. They attract people who describe themselves that way more than people who actually are.
• Don't oversell the role. If you sell something it isn't, you only postpone the problem until their first day.

Mistakes that scare off talent that isn't looking

• Anonymous ads for no reason. If the search isn't confidential, hiding the company breeds mistrust. If it is, at least explain the sector, the size and the challenge.
• Impossible lists of requirements. Asking for the full profile of three jobs in a single person.
• Copying another company's ad. Good candidates have read plenty and recognise templates.
• Silence after they apply. An attractive ad followed by weeks without a reply destroys the image you had built.
• Promising what the line manager won't stand behind. A job ad is a commitment, not a brochure.

Where to publish it, and when that isn't enough

A good ad improves the quality of applications, but it can't work miracles with people who never see it. Job portals are visited mainly by people who are job hunting. To reach those who aren't, the ad has to travel: on professional networks, in sector communities, through referrals and, above all, through direct approach.

That direct approach is what we do in headhunting: we identify and approach professionals directly, including passive candidates, to fill specialist, strategic or hard-to-fill positions. And when talent is spread across digital channels and networks, nethunting lets us identify and locate it with specialist search tools.

At that stage, the ad is still useful. It's what we send after a first call so the professional has the challenge, the team and the terms in writing. That's why it's worth getting right, even if it never appears on a job portal.

A quick check before you publish

1. Would someone outside the company understand the title?
2. Do the first three lines answer “what's in this move for me?”
3. Are the responsibilities written as outcomes?
4. Are the essential requirements genuinely essential?
5. Is there concrete information on terms and salary, or is it at least defined for the first conversation?
6. Is the next step clear, and how long the process will take?
7. Would someone who is happy in their job today read it with interest?

If any answer is “no”, it's worth another pass. And if the profile you need still hasn't appeared after several postings, the problem probably isn't just the wording but the channel. That's where a recruitment process with active search makes the difference: at Crearte we work with our own database of 47,000 analysed and up-to-date candidates, and with senior consultants who know the market for your role.

Frequently asked questions