We often talk about how competitive the job market is for job seekers, but have you ever considered how rigorously companies must contend with one another to attract top talent?
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 7.6 million active job openings in the United States in December 2024. In January 2025, that same Bureau reported 6.8 million unemployed people.
The bottom line is that more companies are seeking talented candidates than there are job seekers to go around. Especially when the role you need to fill requires special skills, you may need to go above and beyond to attract that talent, or someone else will. Below, we’ll discuss how you can do just that.
Job Descriptions that Sell
There’s endless information out there on how to write a resume. Job seekers often spend countless hours learning about keywords in job descriptions and how to tailor their resumes to fit. If you are an employer or hiring manager, have you given that level of attention to the job descriptions you write? Here are a few tips for getting it right.
- Use clear and concise job titles, not vague or overly creative ones. For example, don’t say “Marketing Guru” or “Facebook Ads Ninja; use a proper title with “Digital Marketing Specialist” instead.
- Use the first paragraph to write a compelling summary. Before diving into the qualifications, hook your candidates with a narrative explaining how exciting and important the role is.
- Don’t exclude talent through exacting requirements. You may think you’re sifting out the best talent by requiring specific degrees or many years of experience. But you may actually be excluding talented candidates who are self-taught in the “new collar” fashion. Especially with fast-moving tech roles and emerging technologies, many years of experience may not be possible. You can still list these items as “preferred” rather than “required.”
- Highlight company culture and benefits. Today, many job seekers value a pleasant work environment, flexibility, and a sustainable work-life balance over salary. Give candidates a feel for the company culture. Mention opportunities to work remotely, hybridly, or with a flexible schedule. Insurance, childcare, parental leave, and other perks can also entice top candidates.
- Lean into search engine optimization (SEO). Just as you want your webpage to top the search results, you need to make sure candidates can find your listings. Whether you’re listing positions on your own website or an online job board, do A/B testing and trial searches to make sure your postings respond to relevant keywords. Adjust your SEO parameters as needed.
Advertising Openings
Technology has made online advertising the twenty-first-century version of placing a classified ad in a newspaper. You can reach potential candidates with ads on LinkedIn, Facebook, and elsewhere.
Take advantage of each platform’s tools to narrow your ad presentation to the most likely candidates. Research and test what interests, geographic locations, and other parameters might be most suited to the position at hand.
Don’t forget to advertise to professionals who aren’t currently seeking a job change. The right salary or perks might tempt a skilled employee of another company to consider changing teams.
Build Trust
The internet has completely changed the job search ecosystem in recent decades. By and large, it’s made it easier for candidates to find and apply for the positions they want. However, the anonymity of the internet has also made candidates distrustful of certain offers—and rightly so, as bad actors and scam artists sometimes infiltrate respectable platforms.
To reassure shy candidates, you can take the following steps to build trust in your company.
- Invest in a complete, informative LinkedIn profile and website. Profiles without pictures, contact information, and current posts may be seen as a red flag, even if you’re a legitimate company. Make sure your profile and website contain information on your location, mission, and values so that your candidates can get to know you. This is especially important if you are a small company they may not have heard of before.
- Don’t ask for sensitive information too early. Generally, you shouldn’t ask for sensitive information like social security numbers and bank accounts for direct deposits until you’ve made a candidate an offer and they’ve accepted it. Otherwise, it may seem like you’re “phishing” for information.
Key Takeaways
Recruiters have a lot of tools at their disposal to help their job postings rank higher and attract more job seekers. They can give attention to the listings themselves, making sure they’re accessible via search, and highlighting perks and attributes that may make the position most appealing.
Then they can use online advertising to reach specific demographics that may be qualified for and interested in the job. Finally, they can build trust by supplying ample information about themselves and not requesting sensitive personal information too early in the onboarding process.