With the predicted need for more personnel in the disability and community care sector over the next few years, competing for the workforce is now gaining a renewed momentum and becoming a greater focus for employers and hiring managers.

A job advertisement is often the first point of contact between your organisation and candidates and one of the most important things you can do is use your job adverts to differentiate your organisation and vacant roles.

A quick scan of some job ads reveals a list of standard items or highlights that are usually bullet pointed with little or no explanation, indicating that most organisations are not doing a lot to differentiate themselves. While there is a need to keep job adverts short these items shouldn’t be left to the interview for explanation.

Some examples of these job ad highlights include:

• Award or above award salary: What does this mean to school leavers or career changers and where do they find information about it?
• Salary packaging: It sounds good but it could sound even better if it was explained that the industry provides salary packaging incentives above and beyond normal packaging options.
• Certificate III required or the willingness to obtain it: Most new entrants to the sector will be excited at the prospect of obtaining a qualification, but there’s no often no explanation as to how they would go about it and be employed at the same time. This leaves candidates with plenty of questions, such as: Will I get time off work to attend Tafe? Will my new employer help with course costs? Are there minimum education requirements to attend these courses? A simple explanation in a job ad could cover these questions.

One way of further distinguishing an organisation in a job advert is by detailing the additional employment benefits. Some organisations in the sector do this but most don't. Examples include:

• Work/life balance
• Career progression and a variety of career opportunities
• Personal development opportunities
• Staff participation in the organisation’s direction and vision
• Recognition of Prior Learning
• Role specific training
• Financial bonuses
• Discounted gym memberships

While this is not an exhaustive list, it is a good example of how some organisations are being noticed by candidates. What does your organisation do to stand out from the crowd? We’d love to hear from you.