Well-written job descriptions are essential for attracting top talent to your open roles A good job description clearly explains the position details, requirements, and company culture to job seekers.
Crafting compelling and accurate job descriptions takes time and effort. However, it is time well spent to ensure you find the best candidates for your team.
In this comprehensive guide we will cover the key elements of quality job descriptions and the best practices for writing them.
Main Sections of a Job Description
While formats can vary, most job descriptions include the following core sections:
Job Title
- Concisely states the name of the open position
Company Overview
- Highlights your company mission, culture, and employee value proposition
Job Summary
- Provides a brief overview of the role and its purpose
Responsibilities
- Lists the core duties and functions of the position
Requirements
- Outlines the hard and soft skills needed for the job
Compensation and Benefits
- Covers the pay, perks, and other rewards offered
Let’s explore each of these sections in more detail.
How to Write the Main Sections of a Job Description
Follow these tips and examples to write compelling content for each part of your job descriptions:
Job Title
The job title should communicate the essence of the position in just a few words. Some guidelines:
- Use wording that candidates will easily understand
- Reflect the seniority level in the title (e.g. Manager, Director)
- Include critical specialty if relevant (e.g. Marketing Manager, Accounting Director)
- Keep it concise – aim for 1-4 words in length
Company Overview
This section allows you to sell candidates on your employer brand. Cover details like:
- Company mission and values
- Culture and work environment
- Key facts and milestones
- Employee benefits and incentives
- Training and development opportunities
Keep it short – 3-5 concise paragraphs or bullet points. You can also link to your careers web page for more details.
Job Summary
The job summary section should provide a brief overview of the position, including:
- Primary objectives and responsibilities
- General function within the department/company
- High-level qualifications needed
This opening paragraph helps candidates quickly understand the core purpose of the role. All other details will follow in subsequent sections.
Key Responsibilities
The responsibilities section forms the bulk of most job descriptions. This is where you elaborate on the specific duties and day-to-day tasks involved.
To write this section effectively:
- Carefully review current role documentation
- Interview people currently in the position
- List 5-15 core responsibilities/functions
- Use concise bullet points formatting
- Where helpful, group related tasks under subheadings
- Use active voice with clear action verbs
Requirements
The requirements section lists the competencies, credentials, and experience needed to succeed in the role. This helps set candidate expectations.
For this section, be sure to cover:
- Hard skills – specific technical abilities required
- Soft skills – capabilities like teamwork and communication
- Education and certifications – degrees and licenses
- Years of experience needed – entry-level up to executive
- Key competencies for high performance
Compensation and Benefits
The compensation and benefits section reinforces why your company is an attractive place to work. You can highlight details like:
- Salary range and incentive pay eligibility
- Medical, dental, vision benefits
- Retirement savings and stock options
- Work schedule, PTO, and leave policies
- Relocation assistance and tuition reimbursement
This information helps entice suitable candidates to apply for openings.
Best Practices for Writing Job Descriptions
Beyond properly structuring job descriptions, below are some key best practices to follow:
- Use clear, straightforward language that is easy to grasp
- Avoid overly broad or vague descriptions of responsibilities
- Focus on the value and impact of the position
- Match the tone to your employer brand (casual, formal, etc)
- Emphasize growth and development opportunities
- Review carefully for spelling and grammar errors
Well-written job descriptions avoid gender-biased language, simplify overused jargon, and showcase your company culture.
To ensure accuracy and completeness, always collaborate with managers in the department with the opening when writing or updating job descriptions.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Many poorly written job descriptions suffer from these issues:
- Listing every minor task rather than critical functions
- Using dense blocks of text rather than scannable bullets
- Including biased language that could deter some candidates
- Presenting an unclear or inflated view of the role
- Failing to promote company mission, values, and culture
- Not specifying whether job is exempt, non-exempt, remote, etc.
Avoiding these mistakes and other common errors will improve the quality and effectiveness of your job descriptions.
Tips for Crafting Unique and Engaging Job Descriptions
You want your job descriptions to stand out and excite top talent to apply. Consider these tips:
- Add quotes from current employees about their experience
- Highlight company awards and recognition
- Pitch interesting projects the new hire will work on
- Emphasize flexible work arrangements and other perks
- Use inviting language like “you” and “your”
- Show why this role is interesting and fulfilling
Customizing parts of the job description for each opening creates a more compelling call to action.
Importance of Updating Existing Job Descriptions
Job descriptions easily become outdated as roles evolve. Be sure to:
- Review and update job descriptions every 6-12 months
- Rewrite descriptions for any redefined positions
- Reflect major changes to required skills and duties
- Talk to department managers about any shifting needs
Having current and accurate job descriptions prevents mismatches between candidates and open roles.
Key Takeaways for Writing Job Descriptions
- Well-written job descriptions are critical for talent acquisition.
- Most include sections on role details, requirements, culture, compensation.
- Be clear, concise, and use active voice and bullets where possible.
- Collaborate with managers and employees in the department.
- Avoid common mistakes like inflated or biased language.
- Update job descriptions regularly as needs change.
Following these job description best practices will help attract more qualified applicants to your open positions. The effort invested is well worth it.
With a quality job description as your foundation, you can post your job opening and begin connecting with great candidates for your team!
Important Parts of a Job Description
- Job Title
- Company Bio/Mission
- Role Summary
- Role Responsibilities
- Role Requirements (Must-Have Skills)
- Time/Location
- Next Steps (How to Apply)
Here’s an outline of the main sections every job description should include.
Make the job title clear, concise and industry-specific.
43 percent of job seekers look for career opportunities on job boards that use search engine optimization (SEO) techniques. Job seekers are also likely to search based on the terms they know, so don’t stray from the standard industry language of common job titles. Be sure to include specific terms, like the programs required for the role. The title Lead Front End AngularJS Engineer is much more descriptive than Developer and will attract more qualified candidates. If your job can’t be found, it can’t be applied to.
Include a company description or mission, but keep it to about two to four sentences.
72 percent of job seekers noted they would be more likely to apply to a job posting with a company description. At the same time, don’t get too lost in the details. Most companies have a lengthy mission statement with core values and a culture code. For candidates looking at multiple companies and open roles, the missions start to sound the same. If candidates decide to pursue the position, they can read about the company’s full profile on the website.
Consider writing a templated version that can be repurposed whenever you need to write a new job post. It’s also more common to include the company description or mission at the beginning of the post.
Write a brief three to five sentence summary about what the candidate will do in their role, who they’ll work with and any general qualities your team is looking for in the individual.
90 percent of top-performing job descriptions include clear responsibilities and duties, according to Built In research. Responsibilities and duties are essential in order for a candidate to understand the role. They also set expectations for the hired employee and can be used as a baseline for performance reviews down the line.
Give five to 10 bullet points on what the candidate can expect to do in the role. Here are a few tips:
- Write in complete sentences.
- Be thorough. Candidates will be better prepared for the interview and role if they know what is expected of them.
- Don’t be excessive. You don’t need to include every single possible thing a person might encounter during the work day.
Job descriptions include an average of eight distinct qualifications per job post (including must-have and nice-to-have skills), according to Built In research. List five to seven bullet points that are absolutely necessary for a candidate to be successful in the role they are applying to.
- Include quantities when applicable, like years of experience.
- Be sure to clarify what the application requires, like a portfolio, writing sample, video recording, resume, CV, cover letter, etc.
- Other important information includes education, experience, certifications and knowledge of specific platforms.
If there are any other qualities that are nice to have, include those here. Don’t feel like you have to include this section, but it may help candidates know what to include in the application or interview to stand out. This section is lower priority and should have fewer bullet points.
61 percent consider compensation information to be the most important part of a job description. However, 99 percent of top-performing job descriptions don’t include compensation information, according to Built In research. Many companies still refuse to provide this information in job descriptions, but it’s time to get over this discomfort to garner a larger applicant pool.
It’s best to be upfront about the time frame you need employees to work. Flexible work hours are more common for full-time employees, time zones may play a role, and certain industries and markets work around different schedules.
Candidates will consider commute time or relocation efforts in their employment decision, so help them determine fit before they embark on the application process. Embedding a Google Map onto your website is really quite simple and can be done with this guide.
Keep working conditions and workplace expectations clear. People want to know what to expect in their future work environment. Are there any physical requirements for the role? What is the expected dress code?
Make sure it is blatantly obvious where a candidate is supposed to apply. Do not make it complicated or frustrating to apply because that’s just going to reduce your applicant pool for the wrong reasons. This is one area that companies should customize to the location the job is being posted. Make sure they know where to click or who to email to get the process started.
Most companies include an equal opportunity employer statement and that the employee may be required to perform additional job functions beyond the description. Do your research because disclaimers can help companies prevent serious lawsuits.
How to Write a Job Description (With Examples)
Job descriptions are the cornerstone of the recruiting process. They help to attract top talent, set expectations for qualified candidates, inform prospects about the role and company, and streamline the search process. Plus, a well-written job description gives companies a chance to make a great first impression. So while writing accurate and compelling job descriptions can be frustrating, finding the time and resources to do so is well worth it.Benefits of Effective Job DescriptionsWriting a Job DescriptionJob Description Examples for Specific RolesBenefits of Effective Job Descriptions
: Shutterstock / Built In
