Excellent Job Descriptions: Tips You Need To Know

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What are excellent job descriptions all about? Everything there is to know from how they should should look like to what they should include.

Competition is a keyword these days. It is everywhere, whether we are talking about how an employee perceives the surrounding world or about how the employer’s perspective on things looks like. What makes this competition even more fierceful? Job hunting.

When talking about this concept, everyone seems to focus on job seekers, leaving out companies and their importance in this process. No one thinks about how a hiring position is identified or about how it goes public. Nobody thinks about how it should be advertised in order to attract the right candidates.

How can a simple job description engage the reader and grab his attention? Are you struggling with finding the right word combination that will mesmerize the reader? Lacking ideas on how to make your announcement more appealing to the eye? This article is going to give you the insights of what makes a job description valuable. Get ready to find out some easy tips and tricks that will make your life so much easier!

What Are The Struggling Parts Of A Job Description?

A job description which is put together well makes all the difference between having to deal with a large amount of unqualified candidates and handling just a handful of adequate applicants. It is all about maintaining the right balance. In order to be able to do that, you should first identify the root of your problem. What are struggling with? Here are some aspects hiring managers seem to be having an issue with most frequently:

  • Describing the duties of the position as accurately as possible.
  • Establishing the soft and interpersonal skills of the candidate.
  • Finding the mandatory skills in opposition with the desirable ones.

There is nothing trickier than crafting a well-thought job description. As a hiring manager in charge of this part of the process, you need to understand that you are not just enumerating the skills a person needs to have. You are also becoming a salesperson as you are not only required to sale that position to the suitable candidates, but also the company.

A job description that lacks the factor of personalization and which is focused more on the working part and less on creating a pleasant atmosphere, will automatically create a feeling of boredom and monotony. On the other hand, having a tone that is too enthusiastic and presenting the company in a manner that is a bit too casual could take away the applicant’s attention from the actual position and indirectly guide him more towards the perks offered by the company. This lack of focus could cause a poor understanding of the job’s requirements, making way once again for unqualified applicants.

Essential Tips To Create A Great Job Description

#1 The Job Title

Should reflect the work performed by the employee, but also the company’s culture. Followed by no more than three sentences, the job summary should contain the main responsibilities, as well as the purpose of this position.

#2 The Key Responsibilities

These should be no more than 10 and they should all start with a present tense verb. To help the candidate visualize a typical day make sure to mention the frequency of each task and the percentage of time it will take him to complete it.

#3 Supervisor/ Department

The person your future employee will report to should also be included in the scheme. Do not forget to also specify the department they are located in and the position they own in the company’s hierarchy.

#4 Skills and Qualifications

Make sure to include the most relevant skills your employee needs to have. Do not include a great amount of must-haves, otherwise you will scare them off! Gather a maximum of 6 main skills, both must-haves and “nice to have”.

#5 Company Description

Every serious candidate will look up on details regarding the company before applying for the position. However, it is a great idea to add a description of the organization’s activity as told from its point of view. The main office’s location, the mission, goals or vision are great ideas that should be included in here.

#6 The Form of Employment

Be very clear, right from the start, about the type of employment the position is requiring. Is it a full-time or a part-time job? Is it paid or unpaid? Also, mention the location of the office, so that the candidates can get an idea on how much time they will be spending on commuting.

#7 Salary & Benefits

Some companies do not display these details in their job announcements, but if your company is not one of them, do not forget to mention this aspect. Job seekers are very interested in this part!

#8 Contact Information

Including the contact information of the recruiter is crucial! If a candidate has any questions, they should be able to find some answers right away. Otherwise, you run the risk of losing them!

Layout Tips

Another aspect that should not be neglected is the way your job description is going to look like. You might be having all this information at your hand, but if you do not know how to emphasize it, you are most likely going to lose precious potential candidates.

A job description is a content tool intended to sell the hiring position and the company, as well. Due to this great role it is important to pay attention to its physical aspect. Is it looking good? Is it able to engage the reader? Is it easy to read? If you find out that it is not, here are some tricks that will do the work:

#1 Use Bullet Points

The most important parts of a job description are the key responsibilities and the skills. The reader should find it easy to skim these sections. Also, feel free to use them wherever you feel that they fit.

#2 Speak Clearly

Leave out any vague descriptions. Stick to the concrete ones and communicate your ideas as clearly and efficiently as possible. This way it will also be easier for the candidates to envision themselves in that particular role. Also, keep out the descriptors introducing the idea of ambiguity such as often or sometimes.

#3 Add In Your Company’s Culture

The words and the tone you choose to use should reflect your organization’s ethos. The copywriter or the creative team could also help with the creation of the job description, if you are working in a startup whose approach is anything but usual. Just keep it as realistic as possible and don’t go hunting for unicorns!

A job description that is well built will bring the right talent right away. This is the main reason for which you should be able to know exactly what you are looking for. Once this step is completed, you can start crafting it! Use these tips and tricks and improve your company’s quality of life!

 

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