Put effort into writing the job advertisement. The ad is often among the first things a potential job applicant will read about your organization. The job advertisement is an opportunity to introduce your company and create a good impression of the workplace.
What kinds of things should you take into account when writing the job advertisement?
The job advertisement should be clear and informative. The writing style should be in line with your company, whether matter-of-fact, funny, or even a challenge for the candidate to solve. The advertisement communicates to the job applicant what you are like as an employer. Describe the open position and the organization’s expectations clearly.
As a rule, write the international job advertisement in English and use other languages only if they are related to the open position.
If higher education is required, people outside Finland often interpret this as meaning a bachelor’s degree. You should take this into account when writing the advertisement. Consider whether a master’s degree is necessary.
As a rule, international experts are not familiar with the Finnish work culture, such as profession-specific requirements, employee benefits, or the recruitment process. Do not assume that anything is self-evident – be explicit. Mention the salary clearly and transparently. Many international experts have a family, and the salary must cover the expenses of the entire family, especially if the spouse doesn’t have a job at first.
Also consider the best channels for finding the ideal candidate. Where should you publish the job advertisement and how does this affect the style of the ad? Is the applicant an active social media user, do they listen to the radio or read the newspapers? It is to be expected that international experts use the internet, social media, and their own networks to a great degree when looking for a job. Check with your local recruitment partner which are the most important channels in the target country.
An alternative to a public job advertisement is headhunting (i.e., executive search). In headhunting, it is common to use a recruiter familiar with the sector, i.e., a headhunter, who, together with the organization, lists the requirements of the open position and identifies potential candidates. The recruiter contacts the candidates and may handle the recruitment process with the organization. Headhunting may be an effective way to find suitable candidates. There are several service providers available for headhunting.
Remember that responsibility permeates the entire recruitment process. For example, consider whether your choice of words in the job advertisement favors one gender and what the message sent by the accompanying images is. Also consider using the diversity statement.
