The quality of your job ad directly affects the quality of who applies — a vague listing attracts guesswork, while a clear one attracts candidates who already know they are a good fit.
What should a good NZ job ad actually include?
A strong job ad covers six things: the role title (in plain language, not internal jargon), the main responsibilities, the must-have skills versus the nice-to-haves, the location and whether remote or hybrid work is available, the employment type (full-time, part-time, fixed-term, casual), and how to apply. Leaving out any of these forces candidates to guess — and many will simply move on.
Salary or a salary range is increasingly expected by NZ candidates. If you cannot publish an exact figure, a band or the phrase "salary commensurate with experience, negotiable" is better than silence. For current market rates by role, check the wage data at Stats NZ or Careers NZ, or use the FindMeAJob Salary Calculator for NZ-specific context.
What mistakes do NZ employers most commonly make in job ads?
The most common problems are:
- Using internal job titles nobody searches for ("Activation Specialist" instead of "Marketing Coordinator")
- Listing 15 "essential" criteria when five are actually non-negotiable
- Writing in third person corporate-speak that sounds nothing like your actual workplace
- Omitting the location or hybrid arrangement
- Forgetting to mention the employment type — candidates need to know if this is permanent or fixed-term
- Setting an unrealistic experience bar for an entry-level salary
- Leaving out any mention of the team or culture
How do you write a job title that gets found on Google?
Job seekers search for what they know, not what you call things internally. Use the most common, searchable version of the title — the one a candidate would type into Google. If your internal title is unusual, use the common equivalent in the ad and mention the internal title in the body. For example, "Customer Experience Lead (internally: Member Advocate)" tells the search engine and the candidate what they need to know.
Short titles also outperform long ones. "Accountant — Auckland (Full-Time)" is more clickable than "Experienced Accounting Professional Sought for Dynamic Finance Team."
Where can you post your finished job ad for free in NZ?
Once your ad is written, posting it on FindMeAJob.co.nz is completely free — no credit card, no contract, no per-listing charge. You will need a free employer account, which takes about two minutes to set up. After that, every applicant arrives in your dashboard as an AI hiring brief, automatically scored against your job description, so you can see at a glance who fits the role without reading every CV manually. All candidates are NZ-based.
NZ-specific free options also include your industry association job boards, LinkedIn's free basic listing, and community Facebook groups relevant to your region or trade — though none of these provide the AI shortlisting that FindMeAJob includes by default.
Frequently asked questions
Should I include the salary in my NZ job ad?
Including at least a salary band will generally attract more and better-matched applicants. Candidates are less likely to apply for roles with no salary information when they have other options. For market rate guidance, check Careers NZ or Stats NZ wage data.
How long should a job ad be?
Long enough to answer the six key questions (role, responsibilities, requirements, location, type, how to apply), but no longer. Padding reduces readability and can deter candidates.
Can I edit my listing after it goes live on FindMeAJob?
Yes. You can update your listing through the employer dashboard at any time after publishing.
What is the 90-day trial period and should I mention it in my ad?
The 90-day trial period allows employers with fewer than 20 employees to include a trial clause in an employment agreement. It does not need to be mentioned in the job ad itself — it belongs in the employment agreement. See Employment NZ — trial periods for the full rules.
Source: Employment NZ — trial periods
Do I need a recruiter to get good applicants?
Not necessarily. A well-written ad on the right platform can surface strong candidates without recruiter fees. The AI hiring briefs on FindMeAJob do some of the shortlisting work automatically, which reduces the time you would otherwise spend sorting applications.
Write a clear ad, post it free, and let the AI do the sorting — set up your free employer account at FindMeAJob and have your listing live in minutes.