Due to the current labour shortage in Australia, employers are having to re-evaluate various aspects of their businesses to effectively attract, recruit, and retain skilled workers, and the agricultural industry is not exempt from this trend. Additionally, the industry’s wide geographic span, operational demands, and other competing industries further compound the challenge of finding and keeping qualified people.

Therefore, running a successful advertising campaign for vacant positions requires a strategic approach that aligns with your brand identity. Your campaign should not only promote your job openings but also present your company culture and values to potential candidates. In this article, I will provide some tips on how to best run an advertising campaign from a business point of view for vacant positions while sticking to your brand.

1. Define your target audience: Just like any advertising campaign, it’s essential to identify your target audience. Determine the skills and experience required for the job role and the demographic you want to attract. This will help you create a job listing that resonates with your target audience.
2. Be clear and concise: Your job listing should be clear and concise. Avoid using jargon or complex language that can confuse potential candidates. Highlight the most critical requirements of the job role and the benefits of working for your company.
3. Get to the facts quickly: Candidates often have limited time and attention span when browsing job ads, so it’s important to provide the most important information upfront. This includes details such as job title, location, salary range, and key responsibilities.
4. Make it enjoyable and easy to read: While job ads should be professional, it’s also important to inject some personality and flavor into the writing. This can help to make the ad more engaging and enjoyable to read, which in turn can help to attract more candidates.
5. Don’t replicate someone else’s ad: While it’s helpful to look at other job ads for inspiration, it’s important to create an ad that stands out from the crowd. Use your own unique voice and style to communicate the selling points of the job and the company. This includes promoting your brand: Your advertising campaign should reflect your company’s brand identity. If Agricultural Appointments is advertising on behalf of a business, we will understand and use their tone of voice in a job listing. This will help potential candidates understand the company culture and values, which can attract the right candidates that align with the company.
6. Use social media: Social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook are great tools for promoting job vacancies. Utilise your social media accounts to share your job listing and reach a broader audience.
7. Ensure your message is authentic: Candidates can often sense when a job ad is insincere or misleading, so it’s important to ensure that your message is authentic and relevant to the job and the company. Avoid making false promises or exaggerating the selling points of the job.
8. Evaluate and optimise: Evaluate the success of your advertising campaign regularly and make necessary changes. Monitor the performance of your job listing and see how many applicants you receive. Make necessary changes to your job listing to improve its performance.

In conclusion, running an advertising campaign requires a strategic approach that aligns with your company’s brand identity. Define your target audience, promote your brand, be clear and concise, use social media, and evaluate and optimise. By following these tips, you can attract the right candidates for your company and hire the best talent.

Article written By Lauren McNally, Senior Agribusiness Consultant of Agricultural Appointments. Connect with Lauren on Linkedin.