With a clear idea of the role you need filled you can begin the process of finding the right person for the position, whether this is through formal advertising or through less formal processes.

Preparing the Advertisement

• Make sure you have an accurate job title
• Check that the advertisement has sufficient information about the role and how to apply
• Consider placing several different advertisements depending on the role/s required and the different kind of workers you might like to attract;
• Consider how to achieve maximum impact i.e. the ability to describe and sell your position and what's great/unique about it.
• Keep it short and to the point.

Design your advertisement to suit your personal style and circumstances.  Some examples of wording for online and newspaper advertisements can be found in the document Advertisements - Example.

The online tutorial, Employing People to Assist, from Family Advocacy, includes further examples of advertisements. 

Where to Advertise

Consider the cost and potential effectiveness of these and other places to advertise:

• Family and friends: Many people find their best workers through word of mouth recommendations
• Local newspapers. If the role involves early and late hours it may more attractive to people who live locally. 
• Universities or colleges: Notice boards and student employment services
• Local libraries and shopping centres often have community notice boards
• Social networking sites or your own website
• Online job sites: These can be effective but often attract huge numbers of replies that will need to be filtered adequately.  Many offer advice on how to advertise effectively

Application Forms

These can be used to gather information about the applicant that will assist you to short list and to weed out potentially unsuitable applicants.  Include space for people to identify where they live, their links to the community, the skills and talents they bring to the position, the hours they are available to work.  Use this Application Form - Example as a guide.  

Phone Interviews

A phone interview can cut down on face to face interviewing time by assisting you to shortlist suitable applicants by checking that they at least meet your basic requirements.  During the phone call let applicants know you will be speaking to a number of people and will call in a few days time if they are successfully shortlisted for a face to face interview.

Who can Help?

Local recruitment agencies can be helpful in sourcing staff.  For example, Brisbane based agency, You Select Recruitment offers a range of services for people employing their own staff including workshops such as the "Advertising for Support Workers Interactive Workshop".

Many of the online job boards have information on how to improve your advertising writing abilities.  Check out the range of options and explore how each works:

Seek, Career One, Gumtree, Find a Carer, My Career, Indeed and Care Careers

Read more about other stages of the Recruitment Process.