Since you’re reading this, I could guess you tried writing job ads before without much success. I’ve been there too, until I learned a few simple and effective secrets that helped me hire very talented virtual assistants.

We have hired rockstar virtual assistants for many industries, including real estate, health, entertainment, construction and many more. It’s safe to say that I’ve tried every strategy out there to find the best candidates but most of them failed – I wasn’t getting the quality of applicants that I was hoping for.

A lot of people get bummed out when they write a detailed ad that gets very few candidates, who are not very qualified.

Here are a few tips that helped me:

1. Don’t write an ad to please everyone.

This is NOT a number’s game. Write an ad to attract your ideal candidate, and use the appropriate language to attract a few good rockstars.

So before writing the ad, think “who should read this ad and get fueled by it?”

2. Nail your title

Believe it or not, you’ve got roughly two seconds to catch the eye of an applicant. Remember, they are scrolling through hundreds of job ads every time. So you need a strong title that will make them want to say “oh, I need to click on this ad and find out more!”

When writing a catchy title, ask yourself the following:

  • What tone fits your company best? (humor, cleverness, formal, etc)

  • What are your competitors saying in their ads?

  • What key area do you want to emphasize? (good pay, stability, fast hire, personality traits, core values, etc)

Here are some examples we use:

  • URGENT HIRE: Cold Caller needed – work from HOME, stable company, GREAT PAY on time

  • Is that YOU? Hungry sales person needed in the fastest growing industry in the US. Huge bonus potential

  • Inside Sales Agents – family-owned business, great WORK/LIFE balance!

  • Excellent Video Editor wanted – Great Pay and Benefits!

3. Post your core values in the ad

In addition to writing what the job requires (i.e., skill-set), write down your core values as well (i.e., personality traits). You will attract the people who resonate with your values! Don’t be afraid to mention that “if you don’t see yourself in this description, you will not be a good fit for us”. It eliminates the bad candidates right off the bat.

This is a real sample of our online ad:

We are a company driven by core values – we hire and fire around them. Our values spell V.I.B.E:

V- Value (always bring your best game and show the best value you can deliver)

I – Integrity (do the right thing all the time, even when no one is watching)

B – Betterment (improve personally and professionally every day)

E – Extreme Ownership (take full responsibility for your role)

If you feel uncomfortable with any of our values, we are NOT the company you should apply to. If this resonates with you, however, we’d love to hear from you!

4. Set expectations

If possible, touch on the salary range and benefits. Since the salary is a big part of the decision-making for the candidate, you want to make sure you only receive applications from candidates who are aware of your range and fall within it too.

Imagine how would you and the candidate feel after going through all the hoops of application and screening, having an interview, and spending time and energy only to find out that you are not in sync with the expectations.

5. Give specific instructions on how to apply

Too many virtual assistants apply to a plethora of jobs without reading the description fully. You only want people who want to work with you!

Include specific instructions on how you want to receive the applications. For example:

   To apply, send an email to info@email.com with the following subject line: “Real Estate Cold Caller Application”. Include your resume AND voice recording. All applications that don’t follow these instructions will not be considered.

If you follow these tips in your next job ad and still can’t find good candidates, don’t give up. It takes time to find the right match, and your ideal candidate might not have seen your ad. Try again later. If you would rather outsource this process to professionals, let us take it off your hands. My dedicated team is constantly looking for great virtual assistants so that we can present the perfect match directly to you.

Whichever route you choose, remember – better results are just one VA away!

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