Hiring the right person for a new role is pivotal to continuing the positive trajectory of your business. But, if you’re like most business owners, your day-to-day responsibilities don’t leave a whole lot of free time for thorough interviews and follow up calls.
Letting your job description do some of the heavy lifting during the hiring process can save you hours of valuable working time. When written properly, a standout job description can help you vet candidates, find the perfect professional for your team, and support the longevity of your business as a whole.
Plus, 52% of job seekers say the quality of a job description is very or extremely influential in their decision to apply. Starting with the foundational must-haves of writing a job description as an employer, and progressing to the modern intricacies of digital hiring processes, this guide covers all the job description best practices of 2022.
The Basics
The descriptions that get the highest volume of quality job applicants are those that have clearly outlined the details that job seekers expect to find when searching for their new role.
The best job description examples include the following information:
Job Title – Stick with industry-standard titles that directly define the role like Sales Manager, Executive Assistant, or Graphic Designer. 36% of job seekers search for new roles based on job titles, so avoid quirky names, or those with inappropriate use of honorifics like Digital Overlord, Rockstar Developer, or Social Media Guru. The latter titles don’t contain necessary keywords and won’t get shown to job seekers searching for similar positions.
Job Summary – This section should function as an engaging, but brief overview of the available position, with the daily tasks, projects, or assignments the applicant can expect to accomplish outlined.
The most important details to highlight here include where the position is located, the salary range offered, expected time contribution (full or part time), and if the role is permanent or contract based.
Job Duties – Use this section to share more specific details about the expected contributions of this role, and format it in a bullet point or numbered list for clarity and readability.
5-10 bullet points with the daily tasks directly defined should cover the bulk of the position’s responsibilities.
Job Requirements – This section also performs best when formatted in a numbered or bullet point list. Utilize this space for outlining the hard skills and accomplishments needed like software proficiencies, years of experience in particular fields, and minimum educational requirements.
Job Preferences – The preferences you include here can range from soft skills like collaboration and communication, to additional hard skills that you’d like to see, but aren’t necessary to complete the job duties.
The latter might look like experience in a field your business is looking to expand to, or skills that can potentially be taught and trained on-the-job.
Your Company – 72% of job seekers say it’s very or extremely important to see information about the company’s culture when applying for a new position. Highlight your company values, mission statement, special accomplishments, and key team members here to reach the future employees who will thrive in your company’s environment.
7 Steps to Make it Stand Out
Follow these seven steps to streamline your hiring process, and make sure your job listing attracts candidates who are well-informed and excited to apply.
1. Be Seen – If you opt-out of working with an experienced local recruiter, your best option is to use reliable sites like Indeed, ZipRecruiter, or LinkedIn, and stay away from dated or scam-ridden platforms like Craigslist or Tarta.ai.
Social media channels can be a great way to reach followers who are already familiar with your business, but don’t rely on organic posts or paid ads alone.
2. Be Honest – Modern Millenial and Gen Z applicants will walk away from a job offer at the first sign of dishonest business practices. Don’t use low quality tactics to widen your reach, like listing it as remote when the position is in-office.
73% of job seekers want flexible options, and 83% prefer hybrid work – none of them will be happy to find out a role was listed in a misleading way. If your job listing isn’t getting the attention you’d like, reference the details above or reach out to us to get connected with an expert recruiter instead of including inaccurate information.
3. Be Direct – Always list the salary range on offers for positions, expectations of relocation or job position expansion, and the hourly contributions required.
Refrain from using indirect strategies to vet your candidates, like a special keyword the applicants must include in their cover letter that is hidden within blocks of text. To job seekers, this signals that your company will frequently have poorly communicated expectations.
4. Be Open – Your job listing should never contain language that excludes applicants based on personal identities. 67% of job seekers consider diversity and equity inclusion to be a make-or-break factor when deciding to apply for a new role.
Utilize simple, bias-free phrases like, “The ideal candidate will…”
5. Be Clear – Use concrete facts, numbers, and statistics about the role’s expectations and desired accomplishments, like “30% of this employee’s day is spent conducting market research.”
6. Be Informative – Including your business’s name, website, and social media channels will not only give your site a minor traffic boost, but it will also signal transparency to potential applicants.
Modern job seekers will scour the internet for information on your company, so being upfront will allow them to vet your business before applying. Plus, a strong employer brand can save your business up to 50% in hiring costs.
7. Be Brief – Go above and beyond by plugging in all the above information and then some! But don’t write a novel – keep the entire listing between 700 and 2,000 words maximum. With an attention-grabbing hook, direct details, and links to your website for further research, the perfect candidate will likely do their own exploration outside of the job description for more information.
After your job description has been consciously crafted, and before you publish it on a verified job listing site, have a colleague or hiring professional review it. From there, it’s time to put it out in the world!
Once you’ve found the right person for the job, prevent turnover and ensure relationship longevity by making their first day perfect, and by following the advice from the experts at Sabio Systems on improving employee satisfaction.