Writing ads: 7 mistakes that penalize your recruitments and how to avoid them
Some mistakes are frequently found in the Writing ads. Their impact is global: reduction in visibility, Hiring deadlines lying down, candidatures few or of low quality. Not to mention the hidden costs associated with corrections and going back and forth with jobboards. And yet, good practices, which are simple to implement, exist.
The 7 mistakes in ad writing
Unclear title, missing information, clumsy wording, these errors are harmful to your employer brand and your ability to attract the best profiles. Let's review the 7 most common pitfalls of all recruiter can meet.
An inaccurate or overly creative job title
To choose the titre Of your offering, adopt a double angle:
- That of the distribution medium while respecting the taxonomy and vocabulary used.
- That of the job seeker by asking you about the keywords he would choose to find your offer. Besides, do you know that 36% of candidates Are you looking for the job boards with the exact function?
So, we forget the “magicians of words” for a copywriter or a “marketing conductor” for a B2B CMO. Write with Entitled clear and appropriate.
As you can see, with a fancy function, your ad could go unnoticed. It will not stand out much in the search results of job offers, will receive few clicks and will fail at Matching “position to be filled”/” position wanted”.
A description that is too vague or too complex
You will need to find a balance between a wording that is too vague or a long description. 52% of candidates state, moreover, that the precision of missions ofthe workstation directly influences their decision to postulate or to send a spontaneous application.
So, if you don't want to discourage good profiles, avoid “participations in various projects.” Instead, talk about contexts and scores expected.
Absent or wrong location
One localization inaccurate or absent may block your ad from appearing on some sites. You are also depriving yourself of targeting geographic location that the majority of job seekers will perform. Les algorithms Job boards, like Indeed, index ads based on geographic criteria. If the area is vague or poorly marked, your vacancy will not appear in the searches.
So, prefer “Paris 15th, hybrid possible” rather than “France”, a bit approximate.
A vague or missing salary
From June 2026, at the latest, the regulations require the mention of wage in job offers.
And in the meantime? It can be observed that, for the sake of transparency, 60% of businesses have outpaced the legal requirement. Indeed, the candidates are suspicious and, according to a Robert Half study, half of them don't respond to ads without pay. Don't forget that the remuneration Is part of decisive criteria for a good number of candidates.
Another benefit: you optimize your recruitment process by saving yourself interviews unnecessary hiring with profiles that are out of budget.
Therefore, choose a clear range rather than an “attractive salary”.
Mistakes or clumsy syntax
A candidate's image may be marred by a RESUME And a motivation letter including Faults or written with an AI. But did you know that the other way around also works? Les mistakes In your listings damage your image and your employer brand. And 70% of candidates would not apply to a company with a bad repute.
So, pay attention to the grammar, syntax, and formulations specific to Chat GPT or other generative AI.
Key information is missing
Each platform has its mandatory field requirements in forms of filing an announcement. Your job offers must therefore comply with their specific standards. Don't underestimate the waste of time and the back and forth Time-consuming if some of the required data is lacking.
Some media allow you to publish an announcement at the conformity partial, but it will not be very visible, especially in the absence of critical information (contract, location, salary). In another case, missing fields can block the publication, the announcement then remains on stand-by as long as the information remains incomplete.
Legal mistakes
Omission of mandatory information (for example, contract or length of work), involuntary discriminatory formulations, failure to inclusiveness, non-compliance with RGPD may result in refusal to publish, or even litigation. Beyond the regulatory aspect, non-inclusive or stereotyped writing can discourage some candidates, harm diversity, not to mention damage to your employer brand.
Legal rules to keep in mind
- Above all, the offer must be real and have the aim To hire a candidate and not only to build a pool of resumes. In addition, it is forbidden to charge job seekers, whether on a site or a premium rate number.
- The Labor Code requires the mention of the place of work, the type of contract (CDI, CDD, temporary, seasonal, work-study, internship), as well as the terms of the contractual relationship, such as the hours, the duration, the missions of the position, the missions of the position, the experience required, and the instructions for applying (the clarity of the candidate process also has a real impact on the abandonment of an application). And from June 2026, the remuneration or a salary range must appear in the announcement according to a European directive. In addition to these mentions, diplomas and qualifications for regulated professions are added.
- The offer should not mention items discriminatory such as age, gender, origin, sexual orientation, religion or disability.
- Les personal dataThe data collected must be completely transparent about their use and their storage period, in accordance with the RGPD.
- Finally, you must write the ad in French if it is broadcast on French territory, as required by the Toubon Law.
Tip: software allows you to automatically check beforehand to secure compliance and accelerate multicasting.
Best practices to maximize the distribution of offers and avoid rejections
Writing an announcement falls under both RH, legal, marketing and SEO. Here is the checklist to keep in mind:
- You must think of your offers as a real communication tool to attract Best candidates. It's up to you to find the balance between attractiveness and legal compliance. The introduction of the announcement can enhance the mission, while clear blocks contain the mandatory information.
- Write a checklist of vetting : location, type of contract, salary, benefits, etc.
- Create a common base, then adapt your ad to the specificities of jobbards: the number of characters, vocabulary, taxonomy, etc. A spreadsheet will allow you to find your way around.
- Integrate SEO reflexes to optimize the seo on Google Jobs or on LinkedIn. Indexing and the Matching on job boards will be facilitated. Consider including business keywords in the title and body of the ad, enriching the lexical field specific to the position to be filled, and adopting a clear and legible structure with bullet point and dash.
- Perform two proofreads: one on the background and one on the form with the help of a spell checker. (Good boss, Corrector, or Antidote.)
- Check before airing to prevent rejections. You can opt for human validation or with software that will check and correct before sending to the supports.
In summary, the mistakes frequent in the drafting of your listings waste a significant amount of time, deprive you of good profiles and may expose you to sanctions for non-compliance. However, they can be avoided thanks to good practices or tools that are simple to integrate: checklist, spreadsheet or software to automate the distribution of offers.
