Writing a job description is the first step in the recruitment process. Writing a compelling description will help attract the best candidates for your position.
The key to writing an effective job description is finding the balance between providing enough information so candidates understand the role and company while keeping the description concise.
In this article, we will go over the importance of writing a good job description, how to write one, and provide some common mistakes for you to avoid.
Key Takeaways:
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A well written job description will help attract qualified candidates, set job expectations, and it helps make a good first impression for your company.
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Your description should include the job duties and responsibilities as well as day-to-day activities to help give the candidate an insight on the job.
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Including the salary range and benefits can help you set yourself apart from the competition.
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Avoid any vague descriptions and including any desired skills that are unrelated to the job.
The Importance of Job Descriptions
A job description is what describes and explain what kind of work an individual will be performing if they are hired by the company. In this description, it will highlight important company or organization details that applicants can expect to be remunerated.
Writing a good job description is important because it will give enough detail to the applicant for them to determine whether or not they are an eligible candidate for the position. Here are some of the reasons that writing a job description is just as important to the candidate as it is for the company:
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Set expectations. Writing a clear job description will help everyone be successful. Writing clear expectations and qualifications will help filter out the best candidates from those who are under qualified.
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Attract prospective candidates. Writing a compelling description will attract the best candidates. Something that is lengthy and is hard to read will have anyone passing over the job to find something that is easier to understand.
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Help candidates prepare for interviews. Before they come to an interview, most candidates review the job description to help them prepare for topics of conversation. The job description will also help them have a better understanding of the role and what the interviewer expects from them.
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Makes a good first impression. The job description is the first thing some candidates will see about your company. If the job description is hard to read and has grammatical errors, it will turn candidates away thinking it’s a fake job posting or give them the impression that the company is not organized.
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Simplifies the search. Job searching is a lengthy process. Most candidates will use keyword searches to help narrow down jobs. Including important keywords and making the job description clear and concise can help your job show up on more searches.
How To Write A Job Description
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Job title The first fundamental element of the job description is the job title. A good job title will have the following qualities:
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It accurately reflects the nature of the job and the duties being performed
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It reflects its ranking order with other jobs in the company
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It does not exaggerate the importance of the role
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It is free of gender or age implications
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It is generic enough that it can be compared to similar jobs in the industry for the purposes of equity in pay and conditions
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It is self-explanatory for recruitment purposes (in most online job searches, the job title is the main keyword searched)
An example of a good job title is ‘Parking Inspector’. An example of a bad job title for the same position would be ‘Council Enforcement Officer’. This title gives you no indication of what is being enforced. In this case, the word ‘parking’ would be a mandatory requirement in the job title.
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Duties. After the job title catches their attention, the duties listed will ensure that the candidate is properly qualified. The list should be as short and effective as possible. It’s recommended to list no more than ten duties and tasks, and no more than two sentences should be dedicated to each task.
Along with the job duties, you should highlight the day-to-day activities and how the position fits into the organization. This is to help the candidate understand the work environment and who they will report to do a daily basis. This part will also help the candidate see the bigger picture and how the role impacts the company. They want to know they are going to make a difference working there.
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Skills and competencies. Skills and competencies should be listed separately from each other, as they are two quite separate things.
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Skills are activities the candidate can perform based on what they have learned in the past, or from qualifications they have obtained.
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Competencies are the traits or attributes you expect the candidate to display in the role. An example of a skill is the ability to give effective presentations. It is a skill that can be learned through study and practice.
An example of a competency, on the other hand, is strong communication, which is an innate characteristic displayed by a person. The modern trend towards competency-based job descriptions means extra weight is given to behavioral competencies such as leadership, teamwork, flexibility, communication and initiative.
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Relationships. There are two important relationships to include in the job description, which are reporting lines and working relationships.
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Reporting lines clarify the responsibilities of the position by showing who the candidate reports to and who reports to them. This is important, not only in relation to compliance issues, but also to give the candidate an insight into the hierarchical structure of the organization and how their position fits into it.
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Working relationships Working relationships are the people and departments the position requires the candidate to work closely with. It is a good idea to give an indication of the size of such departments and the extent of interaction.
An organizational chart is a good way to represent relationships in a job description, with vertical lines between boxes demonstrating reporting lines and horizontal lines showing working relationships.
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Salary and benefits. Rather than assigning a particular salary to the position, work out a salary range to include in the job description that is competitive with similar positions in other organizations and allows for variations in education and experience.
As well as salary, you will want to list any benefits that are offered with the position. Most candidates are looking for attractive rewards and benefits such as:
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Flexible hours
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Medical, dental, and vision coverage
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Office perks
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Unlimited PTO
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Paid sick leave and vacation
By including your benefits will attract the best candidates from any competition your company may have.
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Job Description Mistakes to Avoid
Here are some common mistakes that you should avoid when creating your job description:
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Using internal terminology. You want to avoid using any terms or phrases that is specific to your company. Potential candidates won’t understand what you are asking in the job description, causing them to move on to another job. Stick to well recognized terms and phrases that candidates will understand.
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Adding desired skills that don’t relate to the job. Adding any unnecessary skills to a job just because you think they may be useful at some point won’t help you find the best candidates.
Most candidates won’t apply to a job if there is one skill they don’t qualify for, even if they qualify for every other skill. Only include skill that are an accurate depiction of what the role requires to eliminate that from happening.
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Not proofreading before sending it out. One of the biggest mistakes is sending out the job description without reviewing it for any spelling or grammar errors. Any errors are likely to turn away your target audience who pride themselves on their attention to detail.
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Involving too many people in the process. Including every department in the process of writing a job description is counterproductive. There will always be something wrong, or something that needs to be added when trying to appease everyone. Try sticking to human resources, management, and any heads of departments that will be working closely with the new employee.
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Not updating when needed. The company’s needs will evolve over time. Updating the job description when this happens will help the company find the best candidate for the position. The job description should even be updated when the position is filled. It will make posting it again if it is needed in the future.
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Being vague in your description. It’s important to avoid being vague and ambiguous in your job description. Try to use action verbs and describe the position using those verbs. Using action verbs and keywords will also help your posting reach more candidates.
Final Thoughts
A good job description is much more than a laundry list of tasks and responsibilities.
If well written, it gives the reader a sense of the priorities involved. It not only provides a clear picture of the position for potential candidates, but is also a useful tool for measuring performance and a vital reference in the event of disputes or disciplinary issues.
So, the more accurate you can make a job description upfront, the more useful it will become in the future.
Author
Taylor Berman
Taylor is a freelance writer from Pennsylvania. Taylor got into writing because she enjoys writing articles that help people and loves creating stories that inspire. She earned a bachelor's degree in journalism and public relations with an interest in communications media from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
