A good trades job ad answers the questions a technician would ask your best employee over coffee. Most Toronto postings answer none of them. This service rewrites your ads so qualified people reply, and so the posting carries the items Ontario's rules now ask for.
What it is
It is copywriting and layout for your hiring ads, built on an interview with you and, ideally, with one of your crew leads. We find out what the job really involves and what your people like about working for you, then write postings that say so plainly.
A typical ad covers:
- The day: start time, whether the tech starts from home or the shop, typical number of calls, residential versus commercial mix.
- The equipment: take-home van or not, who supplies tools, what the truck stock looks like.
- The people: who they report to, who trains them, how many people are on the crew.
- The schedule: on-call rotation, overtime approach, seasonal swings.
- The pay and benefits: the range and items you choose, stated clearly.
- The next step: one way to reach a real person, with a reply time you can keep.
Who it's for
Owners and office managers of Toronto trades companies who post regularly and get poor replies. It fits plumbing, electrical, heating and cooling, roofing, renovation and similar shops, whether you hire licensed technicians, helpers or apprentices.
It is also for owners who have just crossed 25 employees and want postings set up properly for the rules that apply at that size. The official guide to publicly advertised job postings explains who is covered and what must be included; we build the template around it, and you confirm the details.
What's included
- A 45-minute intake call with you, and a short call with a crew lead if possible.
- Full postings for up to three roles in the first month.
- Short-form versions for social platforms and text-message sharing by your crew.
- A posting checklist that links the Ontario employment standards guide and the Ontario Human Rights Commission's advice on advertising, so your office can check each new ad.
- A simple tracking sheet: views, applications, phone screens and interviews per posting.
- A review after three weeks, with a rewrite if the numbers say so.
Timeline
- Week 1: intake, draft postings, your review.
- Week 2: postings go live on the boards you use, plus your careers page if you have one.
- Weeks 3–4: we compare results against your old ad and adjust headlines, order and detail.
Ongoing, we refresh ads every season, because a posting that worked in March can feel stale by October when every shop is hiring for heating season.
How results are measured
We track four numbers per posting: views, applications, people your office reached by phone, and interviews held. The useful ratio is interviews per hundred views. If that ratio rises after a rewrite, the ad is doing its job, even if raw applications fall, because the wrong applicants have stopped applying.
We don't promise a number of hires. Hiring depends on your offer, your reply speed and the market. What we can show is whether each version of the ad moved people further along.
Mistakes we see in Toronto trades ads
- Leading with demands. "Must have own tools, clean abstract, weekends required" tells a working tech nothing about why they'd move. Put requirements after the reasons.
- Requirements that aren't really required. The Human Rights Commission notes that neutral-sounding conditions can screen out people unfairly when they aren't essential to the job. Ask whether each requirement is truly needed on day one.
- "Toronto" as the location. Name the yard's nearest major intersection or neighbourhood. A candidate in North York needs to know whether you're near the 401 or down by the lake.
- No reply path. "Apply online" into a portal that nobody checks loses people. Give a phone number that gets answered.
- The same ad all year. Seasonal demand changes what candidates care about. Rewrite before peak seasons.
Where this fits
Job ads are usually the first service we recommend, because they are cheap to change and give fast feedback. Once the ad works, a careers page supports it, and recruiting campaigns put it in front of more of the right people. For the rules side, read our 2026 posting rules guide, and see pricing for plan costs.
Frequently asked questions
How many versions of an ad do you write?
Usually two or three per role: a full posting for job boards and your careers page, a short version for social platforms, and a version for schools or pre-apprenticeship programs if you hire juniors.
Will you make our ads compliant with Ontario law?
We lay them out to include the items in the official posting guidance and link the source, but we don't give legal advice or certify compliance. If you have a question about your own obligations, ask an employment lawyer or the Ministry.
Can you write the ad without a pay range?
That depends on your company size and the rules that apply to you, which the Ontario guide explains. Whatever range appears is the one you choose. We never suggest wage figures.
How soon will we know if the new ad works?
Usually within two to three weeks on an active board. We compare views, applications and phone screens against your previous posting for the same role.