Crafting an Effective Job Advert for the Pharma, Biotech, MedTech, and Life Sciences Sectors

January 15, 2024

In the Life Sciences, Pharma, and Biotech industries, recruiters often fall into the trap of using the same content for both job advertisements and job descriptions. However, it’s crucial to understand that while they are both integral to the hiring process, they should not be mirror images of each other. Job adverts and descriptions serve different purposes, target distinct audiences, and require varied content and formatting.

Purpose

A job advert is essentially a marketing and sales tool for your company. Its goal is to make the position as appealing as possible to prospective candidates, thereby attracting top-tier talent.

Conversely, a job description isn’t about marketing your company. Instead, it’s designed to inform candidates about the role, detailing day-to-day duties, objectives, and the specific requirements of the ideal candidate.

Content

Job adverts should focus on showcasing the primary benefits of the position and emphasise why a candidate should choose your company over others in the Life Sciences sector. When crafting your job advert, empathise with jobseekers by highlighting the most appealing aspects of the role and the unique opportunities it offers.

For job descriptions, the audience is likely already interested due to your advert or a referral. While it’s beneficial to touch upon the perks mentioned in the advert, the emphasis here should be on providing detailed information about the role. This helps candidates thoroughly assess their suitability and interest in the position.

Job Title

When advertising a role with a niche or complex title unique to your organisation, aim to simplify it in your job advert for broader recognition. This approach helps in making the advert more searchable on job boards and search engines, potentially leading to a higher rate of engagement from interested candidates.

In the job description, you can use the complete job title, providing additional context. Here, candidates can find extensive details about the role, its responsibilities, and how it integrates with the company’s overall operations.

Length

Considering that most candidates might not read every job advert thoroughly, it’s important to avoid overwhelming them with too much information. Focus on including only the most compelling aspects of the role to prompt further action. Keeping the advert concise, engaging, and selectively informative can help in boosting candidate engagement.

In contrast, the job description should encompass the finer details of the role, including comprehensive responsibilities and aspects of the position that might not be the main selling points. If your job advert is succinct, ensure that you elaborate on the key highlights in the job description and make them easily accessible to the readers.

Use of Internal Jargon

While industry-specific terminology can help candidates assess their suitability for a role, overusing internal jargon in your job advert may deter potential applicants. It’s crucial to communicate the benefits of the role in an easily comprehensible manner. Strive for clarity in your advert, balancing specificity with simplicity.

In job descriptions, while jargon is more acceptable, it’s still advisable to articulate role expectations clearly, resorting to specialist terms only when absolutely necessary.

Highlighting Company Culture

Your company culture can be a major draw for candidates, so it’s essential to highlight this in your job advert, particularly if your work environment or ethos is distinctive within the Life Sciences field. Ensure that the unique aspects of your company culture are prominently featured in your advert.

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)

In crafting a job advert, consider how candidates will find your posting online. Integrating relevant keywords into your advert can enhance its visibility on search engines and job boards.

For job descriptions, typically viewed as saved documents like PDFs, the use of keywords is less critical. However, including them can reinforce the role’s characteristics to the candidates as they review the details.

Formatting Considerations

When crafting job adverts, factor in how job seekers are likely to access and read your content, particularly on mobile devices. Job adverts are often uploaded to web pages or job boards, necessitating a format optimised for mobile viewing. This contrasts with job descriptions, which are typically shared as PDFs or other formats adaptable to various devices.

To enhance readability, especially for candidates reviewing documents on the move, consider structuring your job description with shorter paragraphs and bullet points, rather than lengthy sentences.

Quality Descriptions Pay Off on the Long Run

Investing time in carefully planning your job advert, rather than simply copy and pasting your job description, is a worthwhile endeavour. Remember, the primary purpose of a job advert is to engage potential candidates, while a job description is designed to provide detailed information about the role. Keeping this distinction in mind will guide you in determining what information to include in each document and how to effectively present it.

Recruit Top Tier Talent

Mastering the art of crafting effective job adverts in the Pharma, Biotech, MedTech, and Life Sciences sectors is essential for attracting the right talent. Understanding the distinct purposes and nuances of job adverts and descriptions is key to engaging potential candidates and providing them with the necessary role information.

By emphasising the unique aspects of each role and aligning them with the right candidates, we ensure that organisations not only attract top talent but also align with their strategic goals and company culture. This approach is central to our commitment to fostering successful connections in the biotech industry.

Find out more about our executive search services on our website, or alternatively, feel free to give our team a call to discuss your individual needs.

Published on 15-01-2024