Study finds job seekers put off by badly written job adverts

Matt Jones

Much has been written about people who apply for jobs but fail to notice careless spelling mistakes in their applications. This can cost strong applicants the chance of a job. However, a new study by recruitment site Monster.co.uk has also found that the reverse is true, with good applicants being put off by the careless work of employers.

Job adverts containing spelling mistakes were found to be a problem for job seekers. Of 2,000 people surveyed, 23 per cent reported being put off by inaccuracies. With many companies choosing to outsource their content to professional writers, this study suggests that the same level of professional help may be needed to create job adverts.

An even bigger issue was the use of jargon in job descriptions – 57 per cent of respondents had decided not to apply for jobs because of the use of acronyms or jargon in the adverts, and applicants disliked terms such as “self-starter” and “leverage”.

Job titles were another source of problems, and many people said that bizarre job titles had led to confusion about the job being offered. As people often search by job title, one issue with misleading job titles is that they are less likely to be found in internet searches.

The study by Monster reveals that employers and job applicants need to work hard to ensure that their efforts hit the right note. This advice is familiar to website owners, who need to tailor content to their readers and to ensure that web copy is proof-read before publishing.