5 Tips to Write Job Titles that Attract the Best Candidates

There are over 5,000 available job listings on FastJobs alone - how do you make yours stand out?

Writing job titles can be tricky, especially when employers are constantly attempting to find the right combination of words to effectively grab the attention of job seekers, luring them into clicking through to their job posting.

Here’s how you can do just that by adhering to these 5 simple tips.

1. Use Relevant Keywords in the Job Title

Most job seekers search for jobs using generic keywords that generate a large number of results upon clicking enter. 

To avoid getting lost in the mass of job postings, ensure that your job title encapsulates the requirements and expectations of the job. This way, you’ll garner immediate interest from potential applicants who possess the skills required to contribute to your team. 

Be specific. Instead of just writing “Sales Assistant” in your job title, include the specific task that employees are expected to carry out. A job title such as “Retail Sales Assistant” or "Restaurant Supervisor" will allow the job hunter to assess his or her ability to adequately fulfil that role upon reading the title. 

2. Avoid Using Industry Specific Terms

An ideal job title should be easy to understand and digestible within a few seconds of reading. To achieve this, leave out the alternative names that your company may use as job titles. 

Unconventional titles such as “Customer Happiness Creator” or “Fabric and Fashion Specialist” may appear more glamorous, but they are merely confusing variations of “Customer Service” and “Retail Assistant”.

Make your job title understandable. Job seekers who are not familiar with the industry jargon may steer the other way after reading an unconventional job title, leaving you with a much narrower range of candidates clicking on your job posting.

3. Include Details that are Short and Sweet

While job titles may differ across various platforms, here on FastJobs, we encourage employers to include information that may attract job seekers to find out more about the job.

Job details such as hourly salary and commission rates may be included in the title if they are applicable and encourage potential candidates to click on your listing. Consider adding in certain conditions like “$12 hourly rate” or “Up to 10% Commission” in your title if you feel that it can effectively entice job hunters.

Indicate accordingly if your job has additional requirements or skills that candidates must possess such as “Experience Required” or “Min. Diploma”. Conversely, if you would like to appeal to a wider array of applicants, consider including terms like “Training Provided” and “No Experience Required”.

Keep the information short and well-organized. Ensure that your title is concise and detailed, but not too lengthy, to encourage more clicks and generate more applications. 

4. Incorporate the Seniority Level of the Job

If you are looking for a specifically skilled individual to step into a senior role at your company, sieve through the flurry of job seekers by including the seniority level in your job title.

Tacking on “Senior” in front of “Security Officers” will narrow down your search as only adequately experienced candidates are likely to click on your post and apply.

On the other hand, if you are looking for someone that you can train and mentor at an entry level position, adding terms like “Junior” or “Entry Level” will attract a significant number of applicants who are just entering the workforce.

Avoid using acronyms or abbreviations. Just to be clear and avoid confusion, avoid using words like “Sr” to abbreviate “Senior”, or “Mgmt” for “Management”. 

5. Include the Location of Work

Proximity is important for any job seeker looking for work. Most people would love to have their workplace close to their home, as it would allow them flexibility in their schedules.

Adding in locations in the job title will grab the attention of job seekers looking for jobs near home. If the location in your title is close to their home, it will immediately stand out, prompting them to find out more about the job. If you are looking to hire at more than one location, you may include several general locations in your title. 

Remember rule number 3. You wouldn’t want to flood your title with an excessive number of locations, drowning out the other details in your job title. As such, you may want to leave out locations that have a lower priority, or group locations in close proximity together (e.g. Pasir Ris & Tampines can be grouped as “East”).

In a Nutshell

Be detailed and meticulous, yet concise and straightforward. Your job title should be the first line of attack in your job posting game plan that pushes interested candidates to apply. A clear and effective job title will generate more interest resulting in more clicks, further progressing your conquest to hire the most suitable and qualified candidate.

Now that you know how to write the perfect job title, find out how you can improve your job description game to further rope in prospective applicants here.