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Why Does Writing a Great Job Description Matter?
As job seekers embark on their quest to find that perfect role, they crave opportunities that resonate with their aspirations and values. A job post light on specifics will not get people fired up to apply. After all, who wants to spend their precious time on something that might not match their career dreams?
That’s the importance of knowing how to write a job posting that offers a tantalizing glimpse of your open role. It is an essential skill whether you’re hiring your first employee or 100th.
1. Create a Candidate Persona
Job posts that sparkle highlight the traits and qualities essential for the role and your company. A detailed candidate persona that delves into communication preferences, motivations, goals, qualifications, and soft skills can prove invaluable.
What is a candidate persona? It’s essentially an internal document—a semi-fictional profile outlining all the attributes and qualities the ideal candidate for a specific role should possess.
When learning how to write a job posting, profiles like these ensure you target the right people, saving you time and precious resources. Creating personas involves research—here’s what to know.
Analyze Your Current Top Performers
Take a moment to consider the star players in your organization. What’s the secret sauce that makes them shine? And don’t stop there—think about what makes them blend seamlessly into the team. How do they interact with their colleagues and the company as a whole?
Interview Hiring Managers and Team Members
Work with colleagues to review the essential skills required.
- Clarify job requirements: Speaking with hiring managers and team members lets you understand the specific skills, qualifications, and experience needed for the role.
- Align expectations: Discussing the role with those working closely with the new hire ensures that all understand the expected responsibilities and outcomes.
- Improve recruitment strategies: Insights from your hiring managers may reveal where to source candidates and what specific qualifications to prioritize.
51% of job seekers would disengage/lose interest if the job description is vague or unclear.
Define Your Ideal Candidate
The next step is outlining all the attributes, qualifications, and characteristics you seek in the person filling your open role. Consider what personality traits are valued most in certain hires. Remember to keep diversity and inclusion in mind—candidates from different backgrounds and experiences will enrich your team’s perspectives.
- Skills: Determine the technical skills, industry knowledge, and experience necessary for the role.
- Adaptability: Some roles require people who can pivot quickly and adapt to new challenges and changing circumstances.
- Work style: Consider if your ideal candidate needs strong collaboration skills, can work autonomously, or both.
- Communication: If writing, verbal, and active listening skills are critical to the job, include the why and how in your candidate persona.
- Leadership potential: A candidate with leadership qualities could benefit your team even in non-managerial roles.
- Problem-solving: Consider the issues and creative solutions for which the person in the role will be responsible and include the traits required to address them.
- Core values: Let’s say your company’s official motto is to think big and move fast—you’ll want candidates who can keep up.
Wize Tip: When searching for that dream candidate, remember that you’re not just searching for someone with the right qualifications for the job. You’re also looking for a good egg. Having empathetic team members who understand your company culture contributes to a healthy work environment.
2. How to Write Job Titles
Although crafting clever, overly inflated titles can be enjoyable, they reduce the number of people applying for a position because they lack clarification. Instead, write straightforward, industry-standard job titles that convey the role’s responsibilities and level within the organization.
Examples of ambiguous job titles compared to industry standard terms:
- Chief Chatter Officer (social media manager)
- Digital Dynamo (marketing lead)
- Director of First Impressions (front desk associate)
56% of small businesses say that a job description generator and pre-employment assessments would improve their hiring process.
Tips for Writing Job Titles
Consider how a job title helps job seekers and current employees better understand different roles and duties within a company.
- Responsibilities: The job title should accurately reflect the essential responsibilities and duties of the role.
- Hierarchy: Titles reflect the hierarchical structure within your organization— Manager, Director, or Coordinator indicate levels of responsibility and authority.
- Legal compliance: Ensure your job titles comply with legal and regulatory requirements, such as equal employment opportunity laws.
- Global considerations: If your organization operates globally, consider cultural differences and language nuances when choosing job titles.
Wize Tip: Many job seekers view overly flashy titles in job posts as an attempt to make lower-paying positions seem more enticing.
3. Include a Salary Range in a Job Post
According to a recent survey, nearly every respondent said they want companies to include salary ranges in their job postings. Over half of those surveyed indicated they would only be willing to apply for a position with pay transparency.
Analyze Your Market
You might wonder how to determine salary. The best starting point is to create a compensation philosophy.
First, thoroughly analyze the role and current job market to create a salary range that attracts applicants. For instance, a competitive salary in Texas might not align with market norms in New York.
Additionally, benchmark against salaries in similar roles to gauge a fair compensation range. When establishing this range, aim to maintain a reasonable gap of under $20,000 between the minimum and maximum figures. A narrower range shows transparency in your compensation practices, helping candidates better understand what to expect.
Wize Tip: Many states, including New York, Washington, Nevada, California, Nevada, Maryland, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, require pay transparency in job posts.
4. How to Write the Job Posting Description
The summary introduces the role’s purpose by providing a high-level overview in around seven sentences. It outlines core responsibilities and essential skills to give job seekers a basic understanding of the position.
Suppose you are writing a summary for a Front Desk Associate working at a hotel. It may look something like this:
Job Description
As a Front Desk Associate, you’ll thrive in an independent role. You will work autonomously, showcasing your excellent communication and customer service skills in person and on the phone. Attention to detail and multitasking are key. Your role involves welcoming residents warmly, adeptly handling emergency response procedures, and maintaining security systems while keeping precise records.
60% of job seekers feel most confident about accepting a role at a small business that uses clear and transparent job descriptions.
5. Share the Job’s Responsibilities
Sharing responsibilities aligns expectations and helps filter applicants. Being transparent provides a long-term benefit that can reduce turnover and improve employee satisfaction.
Quick tips for getting started:
- Assess the actual day-to-day tasks and responsibilities associated with the role.
- Consider the workload and ensure it’s feasible for one person to handle.
- Avoid overloading the job description with tasks that are optional to the role.
- Organize responsibilities based on their importance and frequency.
- Include soft skills, such as communication, teamwork, and leadership.
- Align the duties with your organization’s broader goals and mission.
Here’s an example of how to write responsibilities for a Front Desk Associate:
Job Responsibilities
- Extends a warm welcome and guides residents and guests
- Handles guest reservations, inquiries, and requests
- Provides information about hotel services, facilities, and attractions
- Manages and supervises security systems and access to hotel
- Reacts promptly and effectively to emergencies
- Takes charge of resolving complaints and issues
- Contributes to a positive workplace culture
- Fosters a culture of exceptional guest service
6. Specify the Job’s Requirements
Prospective candidates want to know you are looking specifically for them. And nothing makes a better connection with job seekers than clearly articulating qualifications for the role.
Is your role open to people new to the industry? Or do you need someone more seasoned? Address how many years of experience you’re searching for and in what capacity. For instance, if you need an experienced Guest Services Manager, you might look for someone who has held a managerial role before, in addition to years spent in guest services.
In many cases, any new hire should bring knowledge to their team. Detail job-specific or industry-specific expertise in the job ad to increase the number of applicants who can make significant contributions. Remember to distinguish between preferred and essential qualifications. It will inspire more candidates to apply by removing potential barriers.
Spell Out Required Education and Licenses
Some jobs require a bachelor’s degree; others require advanced degrees, licenses, or certifications. Specifying the education and licenses needed in a job description is essential for transparency, legal compliance, and efficiency in the hiring process.
Using the Front Desk Associate example again, here’s what outlining qualifications and education looks like.
Job Requirements
- High school diploma or equivalent, though it’s not mandatory
- College-level courses in business or hospitality are a plus
- Candidates should bring two (2) to three (3) years of relevant experience
- Computer literate, with a good grasp of information system hardware and software, is highly regarded
- Effective written and verbal communication skills are a must
- Multiple language fluency is desirable
- Exceptional customer service, communication, and interpersonal skills are essential for this role
7. Share Why Your Company Is a Great Place to Work
Of course, your company is awesome—now’s the time to let job seekers know, too. It’s the secret sauce for making a stellar impression that sets you apart from the competition. So, go ahead and spill the beans.
Talk About Your Company’s Values and Mission
Research from Gartner found that people want to feel their work has value and meaning. Sharing your company’s values and mission statement helps job seekers understand your company’s purpose. You can also share how employees are encouraged to embody your values and mission, fostering a culture that reflects the company’s principles and vision. Don’t forget to mention if your office is remote, hybrid, or in-office.
Share Your Company’s Size
Many job seekers prefer specific company sizes. Typically, mid-sized and larger companies offer structured roles, clear career paths, and chances to specialize, but it might make some candidates think they would get lost in the corporate jungle. Conversely, smaller companies let you roll up your sleeves, be part of a tight-knit team, and wear many hats, but growth opportunities might be limited. No matter the size of your company, you can also dispel common beliefs about company size in your job post.
Mention Company Perks
Perks can help sweeten the deal when seeking the best candidates. So don’t forget to reference them in your job description. Does your company offer work-from-home days? How about office lunches? Are your offices dog-friendly? You never know what might resonate with a candidate and make them decide it’s time to apply.
Mention Your Company’s Recognition and Awards
By showcasing the awards and honors your organization has earned, you underscore its commitment to excellence and reinforce your credibility as an employer of choice.
Specify Your Benefits
Salary isn’t the only thing that can excite job seekers. The Pew Research Center also found that 62 percent of workers say paid time off (PTO) is crucial to job satisfaction. Many workers also prioritized employer-paid health insurance, employer-sponsored retirement benefits, and family or medical leave.
Returning to the Front Desk Associate role, here’s an example of what to write.
Values and Benefits
Values:
Join our award-winning boutique hotel, where work is fun and fulfilling. We’re a passionate team known for creativity and exceptional guest service. Enjoy growth opportunities, a unique environment, and our commitment to innovation and community engagement. Be part of a team that celebrates your passion, creating memorable guest experiences and lasting team memories.
Benefits:
As a full-time associate, you’ll enjoy a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, and vision coverage options. You’ll also have access to time-off benefits, paid holidays, and a 401k plan with a company match. Some occasional travel is necessary for training and company events.
8. Share the Interview Process
Every candidate who applies for a job is eager to hear back about their application’s progress. Your job post is an opportunity to provide insight into your recruitment process and set expectations for what comes next and when. In a few short bullet points, you can detail what the interview process will look like and its timeframe. Do you only have the capacity to respond to some applications? Make it clear in your job post.
- Initial screening: Briefly mention the initial screening step, which HR or recruiters usually conduct.
- In-person or virtual interviews: Share that successful candidates will move on to in-person or virtual interviews.
- Assessment tests or tasks: If applicable, mention any assessment tests, tasks, or assignments candidates must complete.
- Final interview: If your process includes a final or panel interview, mention it and explain its significance.
- References & background verification: State that reference checks and background verification may be part of the process.
- Timeline: Provide a general timeline for the interview process, including when to expect the decision to be made.
9. Make Your Job Post More Impactful
Now that you know how to create a job ad, here are extra bonus tips for reference.
- Vivid verbs: Replace common verbs like “manage” or “handle” with more descriptive action words like “orchestrate,” “implement,” or “optimize” to paint a clearer picture.
- Specify skills: Instead of saying “strong communicator,” specify the type of communication required, like “concise technical writing.”
- Quantify achievements: It is better to say candidates should have experience boosting quarterly sales revenue by 20% instead of just saying sales skills.
- Be specific about technologies: If the role involves particular tools or technologies, name them rather than using generic terms like “industry-standard tools.”
- Focus on outcomes: Instead of saying “manage projects,” say “drive projects to successful on-time completion” for clarity.
- Include growth opportunities: Mention opportunities for career growth and development within the company to attract ambitious candidates.
- Avoid jargon: Minimize industry jargon and acronyms, and explain any necessary terms to ensure clarity for candidates from varied backgrounds.
- Be inclusive: Use inclusive language to attract a diverse pool of candidates and promote diversity and equity within your organization.
Job Post Template
Use this example to get started
Job Title
When choosing a job title, aim for one that captures the essential responsibilities and duties of the role.
Job Description
It offers a concise overview, providing prospective candidates with a foundational understanding of the role. It highlights key responsibilities and necessary skills to clarify the position to attract the right people.
Pay Range
Creating a compensation philosophy will help you establish salary.
Job Responsibilities
Evaluate the daily tasks and responsibilities linked to the role. Prioritize essential duties over optional ones and arrange them by importance and frequency. Incorporate soft skills like communication, teamwork, and leadership here.
Job Requirements
Share if the candidate needs a degree, an educational background, and years of experience in a specific industry. Also, include if the candidate needs proficiency with particular tools or methodologies and soft skills like communication and collaboration.
Values and Benefits
Share why your company is a great place to work and all of its perks and benefits.
Interview Process
Share your interview timeline. Let candidates know when they can expect to hear back, how many rounds of interviews to expect, and if an assessment test is required.
Wize Words
Growing your company is an exhilarating journey, but it can come with its fair share of challenges, starting with how to write a job posting that atracts the right people. Remember, the research and effort you put into creating an irresistible job post can make top talent come to you, saving time and energy in the long run.
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