If your job ad is pulling in the wrong applicants, believe it or not; the ad is usually the problem.
Skilled tradespeople skim job ads on their phone during smoko. Or in the port-a-loo (yep, we know!). Regardless if it’s your top level project manager, or your apprentice fitter, they are all doing the same thing. They decide in seconds whether an ad is worth a closer look and most ads lose them in the first line.
Here’s how to write a trades job ad that the right people actually respond to, whatever the role.
1. Use a plain job title
Tradespeople search for job titles they recognise, and so does Google.
Keep it simple: [Trade] – [Type of work]. For example, “Electrician – Industrial Maintenance” or “Diesel Mechanic – Heavy Vehicle Workshop”. Skip the made-up titles and the “rockstar” language.
Add the location and shift if there’s room, for example: “[Role] – Day Shift – [Suburb]”.
Follow the K-I-S-S method: Keep It Simple, Stupid.
2. Put the pay in the ad
This is the single biggest change most businesses can make.
“Competitive rates” tells a candidate nothing and most assume it means low. Give a range or an hourly rate. Mention overtime rates, allowances and any vehicle or tool allowance.
The Fair Work pay guides set the legal minimum for your award, but experienced tradespeople expect well above it. Resources like the Victorian Skills Plan give a feel for median earnings across technical trades. Check what similar roles near you are actually offering, too.
3. Be clear about hours and roster
Day shift or rotating? 38 hours or 50? Weekends, on-call, call-outs, FIFO?
Hours matter as much as money to most tradespeople. Leaving them out makes people assume the worst.
4. Describe the actual work
Good tradespeople want to know what they’ll be working on. Tell them:
The type of equipment, plant or systems.
Whether it’s workshop, site or field-based.
How the work splits, for example breakdowns vs planned maintenance or fabrication vs install.
Who they’ll work with and report to.
“Maintaining [equipment type] across a [type of site], about 70% planned work” tells them far more than “general duties as required”.
5. Keep the requirements short
List what’s genuinely essential, like a trade certificate, licence, or specific tickets. Then stop.
A list of 15 must-haves scares off good candidates who tick 12 of them. It doesn’t put off the people who tick none.
6. Tell them why they’d want to work for you
This is where most ads fall flat. Skip “great culture” and “family business” and give specifics instead:
Modern workshop and decent tools
Steady, year-round work
Low staff turnover, so your team sticks around
A boss who backs their people
Training, upskilling, or a clear path to leading hand or supervisor
Ask yourself honestly: why would a good tradesperson leave their current job for this one?
7. Make it easy to apply
Most tradespeople will apply from their phone. Don’t ask for a cover letter. A resume, or even a phone call, should be enough to start the conversation.
Then respond quickly. Good candidates are often off the market within a week. Sometimes days.
A simple template to start with
Copy this:
”[Role] – [Shift] – [Suburb]. [X]–[Y]/hr + overtime. [Days and hours], [weekends yes/no].
You’ll be working on [equipment/systems] in a [workshop/site] with a team of [size] that’s been together for [X] years.”
In four lines, a candidate knows the job, the pay, the hours and the environment. That’s what gets people to click Apply.
The bottom line
A good trades job ad is plain, specific and honest. If it reads like every other ad on SEEK, it’ll get the same results as every other ad on SEEK.
Still not getting the right applicants? At Freedom Recruitment Agency, we recruit technical tradespeople for engineering, maintenance and manufacturing businesses Australia-wide. We write the ad, handle the screening and reach skilled people who aren’t actively looking.
Book a free 15-minute Hiring Clarity Call and let’s get your role in front of the right people.
