Job postings can be the first place a prospective candidate learns about your business. Or they can provide job hunters with greater insight into a business they already know.

Whatever the case, job ads are an important way to promote your company - as well as find the best candidates for the role your are trying to fill.

"Too many advertisers make the mistake of making an advertisement all about what they are seeking in an applicant, rather than listing the benefits of working for the business," Sharon Bennie of Specialist Property Recruitment told WILLIAMS MEDIA.

We take you through the most important elements of a good job ad.

Tone of voice

First of all, tone of voice will set the overall 'mood' of the ad. If your company is a cutting-edge, tech start up it might be appropriate to use some hipster language or technical jargon, but most of the time plain English and simple and clear explanations are the best approach.

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Job title 

• Make the job title simple and easy to understand.
• Keep it short and concise.
• Don't use jargon unless the role is very specific or technical.
• Use the job title that is widely known, rather than what you might call the role internally. For example, one well known agency uses the title of business systems operator for what is more commonly known as sales and marketing coordinator or sales administrator.

Salary, or not?

• Whether or not to include the salary in a job ad is a hotly debated topic.
• Most candidates would like to have some idea of the salary range.

"I believe in highlighting salary, and if there are added benefits such as bonuses or commissions, and what the realistic potential for on target earnings (OTE) could be in the role," says Bennie.

Job summary

• The summary is a quick snapshot of the role, and must be easy to read and interpret. 
• Keep it short and punchy.
• Mention the company, the role, and the ideal candidate.
• It might be good to review the summary once the whole ad is written. On RECON Jobs, you can save a draft version, and edit any fields if necessary just before publishing.

Full job description

• In this section, describe the duties the role involves.
• Use subheadings to make it easy to read, for example 'About us', 'Duties', and 'Why work with us'.
• Aim to capture the reader's attention so they are more likely to call for more information or to apply.
• Keep it concise. Bennie suggests up to five paragraphs or a maximum of 10 bullet points.

"Given the amount of competition currently searching for good staff, this is the section that gives you the opportunity to 'sell' the reasons why someone would want to work for you," says Bennie.

"Getting the classification right is essential to ensure you are in front of the right audience," explains Bennie.

• If you need real estate experience, then the real estate classification is best.
• Otherwise, you may be better to try classifications such as administration or accounting, depending on the role.

FT / PT / casual / contract / intern 

• Think carefully about this category, as how you fill it in will determine who finds your role in a job search.
• Opening up the role to part-time candidates as well as full time may increase your pool of suitable applicants.

Specialisation, Region and Years of experience

• Again, how you fill in these fields will determine who sees your job ad. Make sure it is accurate, and take care not to unnecessarily cut out potential job hunters.

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RECON Jobs: The Real Estate Conversation's new jobs website

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The top 10 questions recruiters ask when interviewing real estate agents