Why Technically ‘Boring’ Content is What Candidates Want to See

Boring content has connotations of being dry, tedious and unexciting – so why would your candidates want to

Boring content has connotations of being dry, tedious and unexciting – so why would your candidates want to read it? Well, what might seem ‘boring’ to one person might be exactly what your candidates want to read about. Conventionally boring content – such as technical guides and how-tos – have a clear purpose. When this content directly serves your candidate’s needs, it becomes instead informative, helpful, and essential, and your company image and branding in return become more synonymous with expertise, support, and knowledge sharing.

This kind of content can be broken down into three main types:

  • Technical how-tos – how-to guides teach the reader by breaking down a task or action into a direct, easy to follow process.

  • Comprehensive guides – these tend to be longer, more in-depth discussions that provide all the information on a certain subject

  • In-depth support documents

Although these different strands of content aren’t particularly inspirational, ground-breaking or dynamic, their purpose does not extend further than simply informing the reader or helping them reach an end goal. In this sense, it is completely fine that they aren’t that exciting. This type of content is highly targeted, to the point, and focused on the subject matter.

What are the components that make up ‘boring’ content?

  • Specific title – the more specific the better. Candidates who are reading this kind of content need to be drawn in from the outset by its relevance, or they won’t click onto it. You need to be very aware of the unique angle or application your content contains that means the reader can’t go anywhere else for that information, whether it’s containing information directly from or about your business or a particular industry software for example. This is an effective way of nurturing passive candidates, by using great content to attract them and reel them in.

  • Clear goals – outline from the start what the purpose of this content is – what questions does it aim to answer? Candidates should be under no illusions as to what you’re trying to achieve and what the desired outcome is.

  • Complete clarity – this isn’t the place for over-elaborate language, keep it simple and concise. ‘Boring’ words, that describe exactly what the candidate should do, are most effective for this kind of content.

  • Make it easy to follow – by displaying information in a structured and logical way, candidates will be able to follow the content much more easily, especially if they are viewing it over a period of time in which they need to come back and review the information. A how-to guide should be step-by-step, while a more comprehensive guide may not be as simply broken down, but should still follow a logical pattern.

  • Large headings – Make it even simpler for candidates to follow your content by incorporating large, appropriately titled headings. This bodes well for those who skim read content, and is useful when quickly looking at a glance. If candidates lose their place, they can quickly find it again.

  • Plenty of detail – the more detail, the richer the content. Candidates want to take something away from what you’ve written. If your job is to inform them or reach a particular goal, then the more details you include, the more likely it is that this will be achieved. Details are exactly what the candidate is will find rewarding.

How will this affect candidate experience and response?

What might seem boring to a general audience can be exactly what candidates are craving. By giving them the information they desire will make your candidates more engaged, and the more ‘boring’ content you produce, the more likely it is that you will attract candidates looking for the specific answers to their questions.

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Looking to integrate 'boring' content into your recruitment strategy? Please email [email protected] or call us on 01483 719020.

Enhance Media

“Enhance Media have… built up a great knowledge of our business… the information getting out to our potential candidates is relevant and engaging.”

Head of Recruitment and Talent, ITV plc