Your job advert is your shot at attracting the best candidates. You’ve spent time crafting it, optimising the copy, and then you hit submit. Job done, right? However, did you think about when you posted it, or was it just whenever was convenient for you?
The posting time matters. Candidates look for the newest adverts; if yours doesn’t appear in front of them because it’s three days old, you could miss out on some top talent. But when is the best time to post your job advert, and when should you avoid it?
Why Friday postings are never a good idea
So many of our working practices are built around how we used to work or communicate. Rewind 20 years ago, and job adverts would have been listed in newspapers, shop windows and word of mouth. That means candidates would have found them when reading the Sunday paper, doing the weekly shopping or socialising with friends - all activities that typically happen on the weekend.
In that world, posting new adverts on a Friday made sense, capitalising on weekend activities.
When we look at modern job hunting, though, it’s instant, it’s online, and it’s not happening on the weekend. Any jobs posted on a Friday are old news by the next working week, which means they can receive fewer applications.
That means you must strike Friday from your posting schedule to increase your applications and secure the best candidates.
Fresh advert, fresh applicants
You want your job advert to be at the top of the pile and included in the job alerts. It needs to be the first thing relevant job seekers see. But how do you do that? You make sure that your job is posted at the time when the most candidates are online.
Research by WaveTrackR found that most applications are received on Monday and Tuesday. They also found that 50% of candidates apply within one day of a job being advertised. The obvious conclusion is that you need to be posting your position on a Monday or Tuesday to take advantage of job seekers' habits.
This is a trend that we’ve found too. Our Oilandgasjobsearch.com data shows that candidates are most active on Mondays after 5pm and Tuesdays—making Mondays from 4pm and mid-day on Tuesdays the best time to post new jobs.
The job application process has improved significantly. Candidates no longer have to spend hours at a computer to complete lengthy application forms. Instead, they can apply on their lunch breaks or, for those working from home, anytime during the day. That’s why you must discard your previous assumptions about how people search for roles and embrace the new digital world of job hunting.
Other factors to consider when posting your job advert
While Monday and Tuesday are excellent times to post jobs on a broad scale, nuances must also be considered.
Seniority of the role
If posting for a more senior position, it’s worth considering how their schedules differ and when they might be available. Evenings or early morning job adverts are likely to get in front of this audience when they’re on the lookout for a new role.
Specialism
When posting a role for a particular specialist, it’s worth considering a candidate’s current schedule. Those in positions requiring on-site manual tasks are unlikely to be scrolling on the job, so posting in the evening will likely gain more applicants.
Location
The geographical location will impact the time and potentially the sites you use to advertise your position. Bear in mind time differences if the role is overseas or remote, and also do some research into the most popular job platforms in that location.
The when and where of posting your job advert is just as important as the content itself. With research and our data showing an increase in applications on Mondays and Tuesdays, it’s clear that these are optimum times. However, it is essential to be mindful of the constantly changing nature of job-seeker behaviour.
Next time you need to advertise for a role, pause before you hit send and sense-check whether it’s the best time for the people you’re targeting.
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