Founder and director of kbb recruitment specialist Oval Deene, Gemma Creasey offers advice on how to attract the best design talent for your business – and it starts with the killer job advertisement

As an employer you are looking for candidates who stand out above the rest and therefore you should equally stand out as a company which attracts talented designers.

Every position you recruit for has a job spec, but this is not the place to post a lengthy job spec, it’s an advert.

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Once a candidate has expressed an interest in your business and is suitable, then you can send them over the detailed job spec prior to meeting for interview.

Writing a recruitment advert

A common mistake is not putting an indication of salary on the advert and including a vague job title.

The title of the position you’re recruiting for needs to be clear and keywords are important for candidates searching for jobs online and being able to find your advertisement.

Don’t be boring! You are trying to attract the best designers in the market.

If the content of your advert is boring, a candidate will turn off quickly.

Personalisation is key – the right candidate knows the position you are recruiting for, but they don’t know you, your business, character or ethos.

Your advert is your marketing pitch to find you the best person for the job. Think about what would attract you to a job among several other competitors advertising.

Why are you a good employer? Have you won any awards? What progressive career paths can you offer a designer?

Talk about the benefits of working for your business and the flexibility you can offer.

Creating a job spec

The job spec you include should be short and list main/core responsibilities.

Suitable candidates applying for a design position will understand the core responsibilities you are looking for. But they will want to know what particular CAD package you use, what manufacturers you work with, or if you custom make your own products.

They also want to know who your customers are; trade/retail, end user, or developer.

Other key bits of information should include working hours, such as if the position requires someone to work weekends/evenings.

You need to make this clear to save time in receiving applications from unsuitable candidates.

Now you need to consider where to place the job advertisement for the best results.