How to write a good job description

 

The impact of a badly written job description extends to recruiters looking for applicants as well
as the candidates themselves. Uncertain, ambiguous, or perplexing criteria stymie the search for
the greatest personnel. It may reflect adversely on the company's brand when a job request is sent
out. Furthermore, excellent applicants may be hesitant to apply for a position that isn't clearly
described.

A decent job description is much more than a list of responsibilities and activities. It should be
brief, easy to understand, and detailed enough for our recruiters to use their extensive networks
to identify the perfect match. Recruiters are well familiar with the preferences and abilities of
their applicants. The more information you provide them, the better they'll be able to narrow
down their search.

 

Format:

Make the job advertisement scannable. Most job searchers will examine a job posting for details
before choosing whether to apply or disregard it. It's ideal to use a combination of written text
and bullets. The readability of the text will improve by arranging major duties with bullet points.
Separate sections with descriptive headings, in addition to bulleted lists, to allow a potential
candidate to examine the key details as fast and simply as feasible.

Job Title:

The title and level (assistant, senior, lead, etc.) should accurately reflect the work the employee
will perform.
 

👉     Be sure to choose a job title that reflects your industry's standards and common nomenclature.                 Any acronyms should be recognizable. 

👉    Specific is better than general. “Senior .NET Developer” instead of “Software Engineer,”
         “Sr. Project Manager - PMO - Data Analytics & Revenue Management” instead of
         “Project Manager”.(Allie, 2022)

Key Responsibilities:

List all of the essential functions of the position. Generally, this includes between five and 10
responsibilities.

👉     Clearly define what tasks are involved with the job. Begin each responsibility with a
          present-tense, action verb -"lead daily scrum stand-ups" or "mock up new UI graphics"are                      good examples.


👉       Be transparent about how frequently a task will be performed or what percentage of the
           employee's time will be spent with each task. This helps applicants visualize what a
           typical day may look like.

👉       Avoid using vague language such as “rise to new challenges”, “seize new opportunities”
           and “lead change across the organization.”(Allie, 2022).

       
Skills and Qualifications:

List all qualifications that are mandatory, along with those that are preferred. Such qualifications
should include skills, years of experience, certifications, licenses, education level and necessary
technical proficiency.    

👉        Don’t hunt for unicorns. Think carefully about what skills are required and what are
            preferred. Too many requirements and you might create an unfillable job or turn off an
            otherwise great candidate. Preferred skills might be able to be learned on the job.

👉        The ability to work with newer tools and technologies is almost always desirable. Try to
            emphasize any technologies that will be used that are hot in the marketplace and in
            demand.

👉        Make sure the years of experience you’re requiring is reasonable. Asking for two years of
            experience with a brand new technology will lead to a dead-end.(Allie, 2022)
           

Location:

Nobody wants to spend half their day driving to and from work.

👉        Be sure the correct address is on the Job Order, especially if you’re using a VMS tool. If
            there are multiple locations being considered for the position, emphasize this on the Job
            Order - this opens the candidate pool for sourcing!.

👉        Work from home or telecommuting options are extremely desirable these days, so be sure
            to mention that perk if it is an option for you.

👉        If overnight travel is necessary, note what percentage of time the employee will spend
            traveling and where he or she will be traveling.(Allie, 2022)

References

Allie, S., 2022. matrixres.com. [Online]
Available at: https://www.matrixres.com/blog/2016/07/the-implications-of-writing-a-bad-job-
description
[Accessed 08 04 2022].