Tips How to Write Up a Job Description
Writing an engaging job description is a crucial part of hiring the right candidate for a position. A precise and relevant job description will attract experienced and suitable candidates for the post. On the other hand, a poorly written description will in fact drive away the cream of the crop, leaving you with the bargain basement of candidates to choose from.
Your description has to capture the attention of your target audience. Hence, you need to use catchy, appropriate phrases. Moreover, the job description must be on point, concise, vivid and it should define the role accurately.
In this article, you will learn the process of writing an effective one. Missing out on essential details can lead to a boring, irrelevant, or a no-no kind of description.
Without further ado, let’s break down how you should write a job description:
- Job Title
The first and most important part of writing a job description is the title. Think of a suitable title that is catchy and generic.
Don’t use terms that most candidates won’t recognize. Stick to common terms, like “Senior” instead of “IV”. By doing so, you can steer clear of confusion. Be careful because using too ‘creative’ and unusual job titles like ‘Designer Superstar’ might frighten and confuse potential applicants instead of attracting them. They can also attract not the kind of employees you exactly need.
Make sure the job title is free from any gender or age implications. Leave this part for the job summary. Keep the title self-explanatory. As in online portals, people search for keywords, so a generic and common job title would be easier to reach.
You can be creative when writing the job summary and other parts of job descriptions. It is advisable to go through similar ones or use a sample job description if you are doing this kind of writing for the first time.
- Job Summary
The second important part of the job description is the summary. The job description summary must include an overview of your company. Also, it should point out the expectations of the organization with regards to the applicants. Add details about the environment and culture of your company. Point out why a candidate would want to join your organization. Your job description is your company’s first impression on potential employees. It should be sharp and precise.
- Qualifications and Skills Required
Pointing out the required skills and qualifications will make it easier for you to land the applicant most suitable for the post. Make sure you list all relevant skills and criteria, including the educational background, technical skills or any special certification that you require for the position. Highlight any soft skills you are looking for, such as hands-on expertise in MS PowerPoint, communication skills and teamwork and individual task management.
Avoid creating a long list even though you would want to add all the requirements to avoid inconvenience. A candidate might get confused by seeing a whole lot of requirements and may end up ignoring the job description.
- Duties
Make the job responsibilities and duties clear in the description. This will help save both your and the applicants’ time. List all the roles and duties the company expects the potential applicant to fulfill. Describe the responsibilities in detail, but it should be concise. Mention if a specific job title at your organization requires extra skills.
For example, you might be writing a job post for a ‘Graphic designer’ but may require great social media skills as well. Mention it explicitly in the job role. Also, it will be great if you would point out the day-to-day tasks as well and let a potential employee understand what their daily routine will be. For example, if you are sending out an opening for content writers, point out how many blogs you require in a day.
Also make sure that your and your hiring manager’s views of what to expect from a candidate are consistent.
- Salary
Instead of mentioning the exact salary, add a salary range. Conduct a proper market survey and see what other organizations are paying at the particular job level. This survey will help provide you with a precise and market-competitive salary range.
If you mention a salary range, you can quickly adjust the offer you make according to the qualification and experience of the applicant. You would be putting yourself in a difficult situation by mentioning the exact salary amount. Mention the incentives you provide to make the job more attractive. Don’t forget to mention bonuses.
- Experience
Mention the amount of experience you require for the job. Many times, organizations don’t mention the experience needed. So, when a candidate appears and does not have the required expertise, the HR professional rejects the applicant outright, which creates a bad image of the company because it wasn’t the applicant’s fault. So, make sure you mention the amount of experience you require.
- Benefits
Include benefits your organization offers to permanent employees. These can be primary benefits, such as health insurance and employee loans. Other secondary benefits that you can offer to non-permanent employees include flexible working hours and daycare facilities. If your organization offers these facilities, do mention them. Many talented women are unable to work because they have to look after their kids at home.
Mentioning these benefits is going to attract talented people to your company. Talented candidates make the interviewing process interesting for you as well.
Do’s and Dont’s for an Effective and Response Generating Job Description
- Try to sell the job as much as you can. You can use a job description template but pay attention to the details of your actual offer. Candidates need a compelling and attractive job description so that they are compelled to apply to your firm. They need a strong reason to change and adjust to a new working environment. Questions like ‘would I be able to adapt to the new firm or not’ often arise in their minds.
- Divert these questions by mentioning the perks your organization offers. For example, you may offer gadgets and laptops that employees can take home after work, along with free meals and coffee. Include transportation coverage or facilities. It will attract many candidates as commuting is a significant part of any job.
- Avoid discrimination of any sort. A company with equal opportunity for everyone is a great place to work in. Writing that you require a Manager with ten years of experience limits the set of applicants and eliminates fresh and potentially talented people.
- A job title such as “Salesmen Required” shows clear gender biases. Avoid such phrases. Instead of writing salesmen, you can write “Sales Person Required.” It is more suitable and doesn’t sound gender biased.
- Don’t sound mysterious. You should point out each necessary detail about the job role, job duties, and job responsibilities. Be straightforward about the non-negotiable aspects of the job such as working hours, qualifications and technical skill requirements.
- Remember a well-written job description for a resume will attract more candidates. Outline all the things mentioned above vividly in your job description.
Following all these steps will ensure that the job description you craft meets the industry standards and fulfills the expectations of the top talent in the market. A shoddy, poorly written job description can dissuade qualified candidates from applying for the job. Remember, the quality of your job description reflects the values, professionalism and standards your organization adheres to.
Hence, this isn’t a job that you should do without conviction. If you feel you are not up to the task, you can always outsource the job to a professional job description writer or an HR consultant.
