Should you use testimonials in job adverts?
What can you learn from this photo of a testimonial in an estate agent window? And how can you relate it to the use of testimonials in job adverts?
There’s good and bad.
The good thing about testimonials in job ads
Testimonials are a good thing. They’re more convincing than anything you say yourself.
This means it’s a good idea to quote what current and past employees say about the company you’re recruiting for, or the department, or the manager. Don’t make stuff up.
If the business has good star ratings, share those. Give credit where it’s due. Name names. Include video if you can.
Any kind of independent third-party endorsement reinforces your sales message. That applies to job ads too. You’re not selling houses, you’re selling jobs.
The bad thing about testimonials in job ads
Clichés are a bad thing, so try not to use words like ‘passionate’ and ‘exciting’. When you read the words in the picture, do you think to yourself; “Of course they’re passionate and excited about selling my house, they’re going to make a huge pile of money out of it”?
Exactly.
No-one cares how passionate and excited you are. They only care what’s in it for them.
If your hiring managers insist it’s an exciting opportunity and demand that you find someone who’s passionate about the role, ask why. Dig deeper.
Find another way of describing the opportunity. That way, your job ads are more likely to stand out from the rest, and more likely to get noticed by the people you’re targeting.
Need more advice on writing job adverts that bring in better candidates? Take a look at our recruitment copywriting training courses.
