To hire the right talent, you need to attract the right people.
If you’re looking for better and more efficient ways to hire in today’s job market, it’s important that you first know how to write an excellent job description.
The job description defines the role and is your first chance to set the foundations for the overall hiring campaign. Hiring is a two-way street - you must clearly communicate what the role offers and who you want to fill it.
The key is to provide clarity on the job’s core requirements, which becomes a reference point for all parties involved. This will ensure that your company attracts the right candidates for the position from the very beginning.
Here’s how to find this balance and create a highly effective job description.
First of all, what is a job description?
A great job description summarises the key responsibilities, core activities, experience and skills needed for a particular role. It paints a clear picture of what candidates need in order to be successful. You can then advertise these core points to the right audience, and filter out unsuitable applicants - saving you time and helping you find the best-matched talent for the job.
What should a job description include?
We’ve discussed and outlined some guidelines as to what to include in an effective job description below:
- A simple and accurate job title
Candidates notice your job title first and it’s a core part of advertising the role. Include keywords and phrases that define the role and boost the job’s search visibility across various channels. People look for jobs that are a good fit with their skill set and experience - keep the title clear and accurate to attract the best-matched candidates for your position. Avoid internal jargon or vague language that could mislead people.
- A clear and useful business summary
Include a bold, clear-cut business summary in the job description. Your summary should provide a straightforward description of your company and the expectations for the role. Include information on the company’s mission and values, and what makes your business and this role distinctive. First impressions matter - a job description is your chance to establish who your company is and what you hope to achieve.
- The core responsibilities
Outline the primary responsibilities of the job position in a comprehensive yet concise list and emphasise any requirements that are exclusive to your business. You can also highlight the positions, day-to-day tasks, and frequent activities. Offering clarity and details assists the hiring manager and recruiter to decide if the role and company are a suitable match to any applicants, and whether they can help you achieve your future goals.
- Essential information about the job
The job description should state how the position fits into the company’s overarching structure, who the employee will report to or manage, and how they will work within your company. This outlines the broader picture and helps employees understand how their role affects the company’s success. You should also include details such as the work location, hours and whether the role is contract, part-time or permanent. It’s beneficial to include a salary range - quality employees will look for opportunities that meet their salary needs.
- Experience, skills and attitude needed
Imagine your ideal hire - what qualities would they bring to the table? A list of hard and soft skills that your role requires will help find this ideal candidate and provides a clear checklist for candidate selections, interviews and hiring decisions. The candidate’s education, past work experience, certifications, and technical capabilities required are all hard skills. You can then outline soft skills such as communication, critical thinking and teamwork, as well as personality attributes that you believe are important. Make your list as concise as possible. While you may be inclined to list all the credentials you envisage for the perfect hire, an over-crowded list may turn off potential prospects.
- Employee Benefits
Use your job description to outline your company’s competitive remuneration. This could include a company vehicle, a phone and uniform, career progression opportunities, flexible hours, or full training and development based on the candidate’s experience. Include any relevant benefits, ensuring you can meet the successful candidate’s expectations once they’re on your team.
Why the job description is important
A job description is the legal reference to base and advertise the role from both during and after the hiring campaign. It helps attract the right people to ensure you hire the right talent. A bad hire costs time and money and affects productivity, and if a new employee is unengaged, lacks diligence or just isn’t the right cultural fit, turnover increases. Getting it right starts with the job description.
With a little preparation, you can craft a detailed description of the role which sets the foundations to attract a diverse group of highly suited individuals for your consideration. Most importantly, it ensures that you are clear about what requirements candidates need to meet before they even start applying.
The job description is a chance to outline the company culture and what you’re all about before you begin the interview process. It should accurately reflect the day-to-day working environment of the organisation. When you find a candidate to move on to the next stage, the job description becomes a basis to structure interview questions to ensure you hire the most qualified people who align with the workplace culture and aims.
Feedback and input from all essential personnel will guarantee a smooth and effective hiring process. A well-constructed job description can also be a future management tool to establish standards for performance assessment, provide praise when it’s due, and highlight areas for improvement down the road.
How we can help with your job description
The most overlooked aspect of the hiring process is the job description. It must be precise and clear while covering a lot of ground. What if you could make your life simpler and even save time throughout the hiring process? TwoTicks is here to help. As part of the TwoTicks engagement, we can help you prepare and complete your job description before going to market for your role. Feel free to contact us for professional assistance or any queries, small or large.
After following these guidelines on how to write a job description, you can be confident
that you’re well on your way to attracting top talent before the interviews even begin.
Want more hiring tips and recruitment advice?
