In healthcare you are not competing for the attention of the unemployed, but for the attention of people who already have a job. An experienced registered nurse does not browse advertisements every day – she may look at five, in the evening, on her phone. Your advertisement has a few seconds to convince her it is worth reading to the end.
Below are eight steps that in practice most affect how many suitable applications you receive. This is not about polishing the text, but about helping the reader find answers quickly.
1. Put the profession in the title, not an internal job code
Candidates search by profession. If the title reads “Colleague for Unit B”, nobody will find you – neither in our search nor in Google.
- Good: Registered Nurse for the Emergency Clinic (m/f)
- Poor: New colleague for a dynamic team
If you are hiring several people, say so in the title: “3 positions”. It tells the candidate they have a realistic chance.
2. The first five lines decide whether they read on
Do not open with the history of your institution. Open with what the reader cares about: where the work is, what the hours are and what they will be doing.
Our health centre in Jesenice is looking for a registered nurse for the family medicine clinic. The work runs in two shifts, with no night duty and no weekends.
In two sentences the candidate has learned more than from three paragraphs about your mission.
3. Describe the duties concretely
“Providing nursing care” says nothing – it appears in every advertisement. The candidate wants to know what their day will look like.
- How many patients per shift?
- Working alone or in a team – and how large?
- What equipment and which information system do you use?
- Does the role include escorts, fieldwork or on-call duty?
Three concrete sentences are more convincing than ten general ones.
4. State the salary, or at least a range
This is the most common reason a good candidate closes an advertisement. If you do not state the salary, they have to guess – and they usually guess to your disadvantage.
In the public sector, state the pay grade and allowances. In the private sector, state a range and what it depends on. If you truly cannot publish a figure, at least explain what influences it and when it will be discussed.
The same applies to everything else that counts: allowances for direct patient contact, extra holiday days, paid training, parking, meals, the option of part-time work.
5. Separate essential requirements from desirable ones
A long list of requirements deters exactly the people who would be best. Recruitment research consistently shows that less confident candidates do not apply unless they meet every single point – even when they would do the job excellently.
So split the list:
- Essential: relevant qualification, completed professional examination, Slovenian language
- Desirable: emergency care experience, category B driving licence
6. Keep applying simple
Every extra step costs you applications. What works best is a direct e-mail address of the person who actually reads them – not a general info@ inbox.
Also say what the candidate should send and what happens next. The sentence “We reply to every applicant within one week” makes a strong impression, because few employers keep to it.
7. What must not appear in the advertisement
Slovenian and European law prohibit conditions unrelated to the work. Your advertisement must not require or state:
- gender (except in rare, legally justified cases)
- age or an age range
- marital status, family plans, pregnancy
- nationality, religion, political opinion
- health conditions unrelated to the ability to do the job
This is why every advertisement should carry (m/f) or (m/f/d). It is not a formality – it is a legal requirement.
8. Checklist before publishing
Before you publish, check:
- Does the title contain the profession candidates search for?
- Are the location and working hours clear within the first five lines?
- Are the duties concrete rather than generic?
- Is a salary or at least a range stated?
- Are requirements split into essential and desirable?
- Is it clear who to apply to and how?
- Is an application deadline given?
- Is the (m/f) marking used?
How we can help
Advice on preparing your advertisement is included in all our packages. If you prefer, we will write it for you – just tell us who you are looking for and what you offer. Your advertisement reaches exactly the people you want: healthcare and pharmaceutical professionals, without the noise of general job boards.
All packages and prices are on the Packages page, and you can reach us through the contact form.
