Creating a compelling job description is vital in helping your company attract the most qualified candidates for the open job role. With millions of vacancies posted daily, a great job description can help you stand out. This piece of information is the first opportunity to start marketing your company. Therefore, it is essential to find the perfect balance between giving all the needed details, so candidates understand the role and, at the same time, keeping the description concise.

What Is a Job Description?

A job description is a statement that describes the details of an open job position. It explains the type of work a potential candidate will perform if chosen to join your team. A job description not only focuses on the position but outlines important company details that can give a better picture to the candidate applying.

An effective job description gives enough details to the applicant to decide whether or not they are eligible for the specific role and whether the company is a suitable match for their career journey. It usually summarises the key responsibilities, qualifications, activities and skills for a job role and specifically describes the type of work performed.

Why Is it Important to Get it Right?

The job description is an essential part of the application process as it offers relevant information to help applicants determine whether their skills align with the job role. Also, it gives precise information about whether the job is something they would like to do in the future as a step ahead in their career journey. From a company perspective, a job description is important as it ensures that the applications received for the job role match the company’s needs.

Olive Recruit is a permanent staffing solutions partner that can help companies develop job descriptions designed to attract prospective candidates and achieve long-term objectives through matching skills required with the essential responsibilities and company culture. We understand the importance and impact of a good job description.

Key Elements of a Good Job Description

The key to writing an effective job description is finding the balance between candidates learning about your company in depth while still keeping it short enough that it focuses on delivering tangible results.

For that reason, there are a few key elements every job description should involve. One of them is sharing your company’s mission, vision and culture, allowing the candidates to learn about your company. A compelling job description needs to be engaging and inclusive and encourage the right candidates for the job role to apply. Some job description examples show a variety of elements to add to your job description, but few are essential.

Clear Job Title

Writing a clear job title is essential and should be at the top of the job description. Companies involve information about what exactly the job role entails, where the position is based, whether it is a full-time position and even whether it is a permanent or a contract position. A specific job role title will likely attract the right candidate to fill the open job position through a compelling job summary.

As with any opening section, a clear job title is vital to attracting attention and captivating the candidate’s interest. Including a few key details about the role will help the job title stand out, which is why making job titles specific is more effective. Another good idea is to avoid using language that can confuse job seekers to ensure the potential candidates applying are suitable for the job purpose.

Responsibilities and Duties

Outlining the responsibilities of the open job role is another key element of a job description. Making sure to list all of the responsibilities and the desired skill set clearly and concisely is going to help job seekers understand what exactly their role is.

Also, companies often emphasise the duties that are unique to their organisation. Highlighting the activities helps candidates learn about the work environment and all of the activities they will be exposed to on a day-to-day basis. This level of precision allows candidates to decide whether the role and the company are a right fit but also helps companies attract the best candidates for the open job role.

Required Qualifications

A job description should specify education, previous job experiences, technical skills and certifications for the role. Some companies also include soft skills and personality traits, but keeping the list concise and clear is what makes the job description more compelling.

It’s also helpful to include bullet points for the candidates about their daily responsibilities and their connection to the required qualifications. Being thorough and allowing the candidates to know what exactly they will be responsible for contributes to having an overall transparent hiring process.

Finally, in this segment, being precise is essential. Allow your potential candidates to know what system or software they will be working with and what interesting projects you are working on at the moment, and allow them to consider their responsibilities within that context.

Benefits

After explaining the open job role and the responsibilities, an excellent complementary element is adding the benefits each potential employee will receive if they become a member of your team. This segment aims to allow the applicant to envision themselves as a part of your organisation and truly see the benefits you are offering. This is another element that can help your job description stand out.

“Who We Are” – Tell Them About the Company

In today’s market, it is essential to present your company in the best way possible and let the job seeker know everything about your organisation and what you do. The best way to do that is by sharing the vision, purpose and values of your organisation and what is the solution you provide. This part of the job description can be brief, but it should give a clear picture of what your company stands for and why you do what you do.

Purpose of a Job Description

While the primary purpose of a job description is to source and hire the right talent for your company, it is not its only function.

Writing job descriptions that are clear and concise can help your team and even the company’s entire management understand what that specific job role entails. It can bring continuing value for the employer and employee throughout the recruitment process.

From an employee perspective, the successful candidate selected to fill the open job role is the best reference point for matching their qualifications with the expected responsibilities. The job description can also be used as a tool for measuring how well employees are doing in their new job and whether they fulfil all of the listed requirements. Similarly, managers can use the job description to check and see how well the new employees are doing and whether they fulfil the requirements set out.

Olive Recruit is Dedicated to Creating Effective Job Descriptions

As a permanent staffing solutions partner, Olive Recruit is dedicated to helping companies craft compelling job descriptions that encourage qualified candidates to apply for an open position.

We understand the importance of having a well-written job description and how it can impact the process of attracting, finding and hiring top talent.

If you want to know more about how we can help, contact us today!