Guide To Writing Great Job Descriptions

If you’re trying to search for top talent, then you need to be able to write a job description that attracts top talent. The job description is your chance to make a lasting first impression on a potential candidate. 

One of the main keys to writing a compelling job description is finding the right balance between giving the job seeker  enough detail so they understand the role with your company, and keeping it clear and concise. 

What exactly is a job description?

To fully understand what goes into writing a successful job description, it’s good to have a reference of what it actually is or consists of. A job description is a summary of the essential duties and responsibilities, activities, required qualifications and skills for a specific role. It will describe the type of work that needs to be performed by the potential new hire. 

Your job description will need to include some other important company details, such as the company mission and values as well as the workplace culture and the employee benefits. A good job description will give the reader enough detail for the candidate to understand if they will be qualified for the position. 

Keep these pointers in mind if you want to write a great job description that increases engagement and attracts the talent that your company is looking for.

Opt for a clear job title, not a flashy one

Using job titles that are non-traditional, such as “Rockstar Engineer ” or “Sales Ninja” can be pointless and not to mention potentially discriminatory. Instead, opt for clear and targeted job titles, which are more effective than generic titles. It’s a good idea to include key phrases related to the role within the job title. 

Try to avoid using internal lingo which may confuse potential candidates. For example, use standard experience levels like “senior” rather than “VI” or other terms candidates are less likely to search for. And, research shows that job titles that only have 80 characters or less will get more clicks online. 

Without an accurate and concise job title, you will most likely end up with the wrong people while missing out on high quality candidates. 

Write as if you are speaking directly to the candidate

When posting a job, your job summary will need to open with something strong and attention-grabbing, and it needs to be able to provide a good overview of your company as well as what you are expecting from a candidate who wants to fill the position.

Take time to make sure that you are giving details about what makes your company truly unique. You should see the job description as an opportunity for you to introduce your company, company culture and employer brand to potential talent. Many candidates will skim job descriptions, so lose the jargon and confusing phrases wherever possible. 

Include a lot of detail about your workplace culture and sum up the reasons why a candidate might want to work for you. Some other key information to include are your location and working hours, which are both helpful when attracting talent and they help boost your job posting so that it can appear higher within job search results. 

Describe job responsibilities and duties

You can help potential candidates visualize what a typical day working at your company might look like. Break down job responsibilities into short, clear job duties. These details should outline the core responsibilities of the position in a detailed yet concise way. It’s also a good idea to emphasize any duties that could be unique to your company. 

Highlighting the day-to-day activities of the position will help qualified candidates visualize the work environment and activities they will be a part of on a daily basis. This can also help your potential candidates understand if the job role and company would be a good fit for them, which in turn helps you only attract the best candidates for your job opening. 

Instead of saying things like “you will be responsible for running the digital marketing department” you should break it down further into more specific responsibilities. For example:

• You will manage all digital marketing channels including but not limited to: our website, emails, and social media, to help ensure brand consistency across all channels.
• You will measure ROI and KPIs
• You will monitor social media accounts

Make sure that the hiring manager and everyone involved in the hiring process are all on the same page about what the position’s responsibilities are to avoid confusion with candidates later on in the process. 

Sell your company and the job

Potential candidates will need some compelling reasons to leave their current workplace, or to pick your company as their next career move over other opportunities. Be sure to describe all of the great benefits and perks that come with the position. For example, a high-end workstation, free meals or new gadgets, vacation time, flexible hours or other benefits like health or dental. It’s also a good idea to explain how this particular position contributes to the company’s growth. 

Many candidates prefer applying to jobs that openly discuss the salary range. High quality candidates will look for job opportunities that match their salary needs, and this information can help you stand out from other employers. 

At 1Huddle, we offer cloud-based employee gamification software that can easily adapt to any employee recruitment or gamification strategy you want to implement at your workplace. You can customize your content for a seamless experience and all of your employees will be able to access their training anywhere, anytime and at the push of a button. You can use our gamification platform to measure their performance and make key decisions on where you should take your gamification strategy next. 

Do you want to learn more about how 1Huddle can help you level up your workforce? Request a demo today.