Writing job offers is an essential step for any company wishing to recruit. But it can turn out to be much heavier in consequences than we imagine. Indeed, candidates have very specific expectations vis-à-vis these ads and can easily be disappointed by those they find on job search sites.
In any case, this is what a survey* conducted by OpinionWay for Indeed confirms. We learn that job seekers often question the lack of transparency of the advertisements they find on the Internet.
40% of candidates do not believe job descriptions
Thus, 47% of them believe that they are incomplete and that they do not provide all the information necessary for a good understanding of the position to be filled. Worse still, 40% of job seekers believe that job descriptions do not correspond to everyday reality. An impression that is not far from reality since only 39% of recruiters believe they are completely transparent when describing the positions to be filled.
In general, job applicants all too often deplore the lack of information concerning the remuneration offered by the company. Indeed, many advertisements do not indicate a salary range or are content only with the mention “remuneration according to profile”. A formula as mysterious as it is unattractive, especially for professionals who do not dare to give their real salary expectations during job interviews. Company benefits and working hours are also among the information that job seekers would like to find in the recruitment advertisements they consult.
Employers who do not always play with transparency
For their part, recruiters recognize that they too often disregard these elements when writing job offers. Only 36% of those surveyed consistently mention compensation in their ads, compared to 32% for working hours and 29% for company benefits.
At a time when employees and candidates attach more and more importance to flexibility, the overwhelming majority of employers do not always mention the number of teleworking days (78%). However, this detail can make all the difference in attracting and above all retaining talent: 31% of French employees say they are ready to change jobs if they cannot work from home, according to a survey carried out by OpinionWay for Slack in 2022 and quoted by Les Echos.
Things left unsaid that persist and handicap interviews
The lack of transparency of most job offers also has repercussions at the time of job interviews. Indeed, the unspoken and taboos blur the communication between the recruiter and the candidate. The latter may be embarrassed at the idea of addressing topics that he considers important during the interview, for fear of being frowned upon and therefore not being selected for the position. Thus, one out of ten job seekers does not raise the question of remuneration if he is not invited to do so by the recruiter. This strategy may not pay off given that almost all recruiters believe that candidates should take the initiative to discuss compensation and other important elements during the job interview (94%). However, this misunderstanding could easily be avoided by playing the card of transparency in job advertisements.
*This survey was conducted by OpinionWay for Indeed in June 2023 with 637 job seekers and 547 recruiters.
