If your job ads aren’t working, it’s usually not because “no one wants to work anymore”.

It’s because your ad is competing in the noisiest, most crowded place possible and it looks like everyone else.

Here are the most common reasons it falls flat, and what to do instead.

1) You’re only reaching active job seekers

Job boards mostly reach people who are actively searching.

But a lot of the best candidates are already employed.

Fix: run a simple paid social campaign that targets locals in the role and uses video to show the workplace and expectations.

2) Your ad is all fluff and no proof

“Great culture” and “competitive pay” don’t mean much without context.

Fix: show the proof. A quick walk-through, a team clip, a manager explaining expectations anything real beats generic claims.

3) The role is unclear (so good people don’t bother)

If people can’t picture the job quickly, they scroll.

Fix: make the role obvious:

• What’s the work?

• What are the hours?

• What does a good week look like?

• What does success look like?

4) Applying is annoying on mobile

If your application flow is clunky, you’ll lose good people.

Fix: use a short “raise your hand” form and qualify by phone.

5) You’re too slow to respond

This one hurts the most.

If a good applicant applies and you call them a week later, they’re gone.

Fix: aim for a call within 24 hours. Even a quick text confirmation helps.

If you’re hiring in Brisbane, Sunshine Coast and surrounds and your job ads aren’t cutting it, book a 15-minute discovery call with Good Crew Media.

We’ll tell you straight what’s holding your hiring back and what to change first to get better applicants.