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Home For churches Employees and Volunteers Lay Employment Resource 4. Advertising, Recruitment and Selection for Lay Posts Step 2: Preparing the documents Create an Advert

Create an Advert

Purpose of an advert

The purpose of any advertisement is two-fold:

  1. To attract a sufficient number of candidates, who may possess the necessary skills, experience and qualifications to do the job effectively
  2. To provide sufficient information to allow interested parties to self select at this stage. In attracting candidates, thought needs to be given to what 'selling points' the post offers

Advertising may be placed in many choices of media, for example:

  • the Job Centre
  • Relevant websites
  • Social media networks such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn
  • Local or national press
  • Specialist journals or magazines
  • Local notice boards

The choice of medium should be appropriate for the type of post.  The cost of advertising should be considered and provision made.

An Advert Must

  • Create a positive impression of the Church/Circuit/District; provide a clear and accurate picture of the Church/Circuit/District's activities, the job duties and level of seniority, and the type of candidate the Church/Circuit/District is seeking
  • Be consistent with the job description and person specification and any other information supplied to candidates
  • Include the salary and benefits 
  • Include the application closing date and the interviews date
  • Include the length of the contract, if the post is for a fixed term
  • Include the hours of work
  • The advert should be pitched at the right level to appeal to suitable candidates
  • Make it clear how applicants should respond, for example asking the applicant to write or telephone for an application form and further information, or to send a CV

Adverts must not:

  • indicate a preference for either gender (unless an Occupational Requirement has been identified); for further information contact your Lay Employment Secretary in the first instance, or Human Resources Team at Methodist Church House.
  • Adjectives such as ‘lively’, ‘energetic’ and ‘mature’ should be avoided as these could be seen to suggest a preference for candidates of particular age groups and therefore potentially discriminatory on the grounds of age
  • A requirement for a candidate to be Christian must be used with care and only when this can be justified by existence of a Genuine Occupational Requirement.  Advertisements with this requirement should include a reference to the mission or belief of the church or the work being advertised, and how this applies to the specific post. For further information please refer to the Guide on the Equality Act 2010 – Employing Christians under the Equality Act 2010 published by the Equalities and Human Rights Commission.

Important to Note!

  • A poorly or vaguely worded advertisement may result in a large number of applications, many of which will be unsuitable, thus wasting valuable time and resources. It is always better to seek to attract a small number of suitable candidates rather than a large, miscellaneous array of people.
  • Advertisements must not indicate a preference for either gender or religion (unless an Occupational Requirement has been identified); for further information contact your Lay Employment Secretary in the first instance. 
  • Adjectives such as 'lively', 'energetic' and 'mature' should be avoided as these could be seen to suggest a preference for candidates of particular age groups and therefore potentially discriminatory on the grounds of age.
  • Anything contained in an advert can be seen as contractually binding, therefore ensure that anything included in the advert is reflective of the job description and person specification.
  • Do not speak about years of experience!

For additional information about advertising please also go to Step 3: Advertising and Applicant Management Stage