The law is an ass
The image below shows what the UK Government website says must be included in a job ad.
One of the things the law says is that you should state minimum experience levels. However, specifying the number of years experience in a job ad can expose your organisation to claims of age discrimination.
So there’s a contradiction for a start.
We wouldn’t argue with the fact that it says you must include the full name of the agency or company, whether the job is temp or perm, what the candidate will have to do and where, and the prerequisites.
But it seems even the Government doesn’t know the difference between a job description and an ad. Sigh.
With that in mind, we would dispute the usefulness of including ‘full details of the position’.
If you’re recruiting for an experienced accountant, the ad doesn’t have to tell them everything an accountant does because they already know that.
What the ad should do is tell them all the reasons why they might want to do accountancy here, at this employer. The job description (which comes later) is where they can find out ‘full details’.
If you’re recruiting for a beginner, you might have to tell them more in the ad. Don’t just explain why they might want this job, but also why they might want to work in this sector in the first place and everything they can expect to learn and enjoy.
Finally, the law says the hiring company must definitely have a vacancy. That means phishing is illegal. You have been warned.
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