How to write recruitment copy that actually does the job

It seems like the vast majority of recruitment copy is written by a robot in a rush. Here’s why it shouldn't be that way.

Everyone who’s ever applied for a job has no doubt spent a chunk of their time and a slither of their soul wading through a swamp of identikit job ads. Packed with buzzwords and empty phrases, they often flop on the two things they’re designed to do.

Another fast-paced office

First of all, they fail to articulate what’s actually distinctive about this one particular company. All too often the writer neglects to consider why someone would actually want to work there. By falling back on stock phrases, every company winds up sounding the same.

It’s not about quantity

Secondly, these rush-written job ads simply don’t attract the right people. To do this, you need to know exactly who you’re looking for. And then you need to articulate it. This often takes some interrogation of those doing the hiring. 

Get your wits out

Clients often ask for witty copy. But when is wit right for a brand? 

So what is wit?

Before we can discuss it, we need to know what ‘it’ is. Let’s say what we understand it to be. Wit starts out as surprise and ends as entertainment. It’s the unexpected. It’s turning something old into something original. It’s sharpness and catching people slightly off guard with a nice turn of phrase or a playfully intelligent twist.

Anyone can be witty.

In terms of witty copy, we copywriters are looking to achieve that wry smile. We don’t want our clients or customers to be laughing their heads off while reading our copy. But we do want them to be wryly amused.