As an employer who is hiring, it’s your job to effectively communicate exactly what you are looking for in a candidate. Translating the proper skills and experience level you’re looking for is crucial to hiring the right person for the job and determining the right salary.
However, writing the perfect job description can be tricky and requires you to spend time crafting exactly what it is you’re looking for. Below, we’ve outline the top 4 tips to help you write the most accurate description for your open job and help you find the best candidate possible.
1. Find the right job title
It’s hard to resist the temptation to title your job “social media maven” or “engineering ninja,” but irregular job titles can be problematic when you start searching for candidates. Make sure your title is searchable and descriptive and something that won’t turn a potential candidate off. Researching common descriptors online can help you find the right titles (job boards are a great place to start). And don’t worry, you can let the fun personality you would have otherwise put in the job title shine through during the interview process!
2. Ask current employees for input
Tapping into your best resource, your current employees, will be a big help when writing new job descriptions. While this task is often placed on the desk of the HR team, asking for input from your employers who will be close to this new hire can really help your HR team say exactly what they need to. These employees have first-hand experience in the department in question and will also help you determine what you really need. Employees are experts in how to find the best culture fit, and they can help incorporate those details in your job descriptions.
3. Update!
Sure, that job description you wrote a few years ago was perfect then, but it’s not perfect now. With constant advancements in technology and an ever-changing hiring landscape, old job descriptions are no longer going to be accurate. Ensure that whenever you hire for a new role, you update the job description so that it reflects the new skill sets and experience you’re truly looking for.
4. Get Detailed
Job descriptions can suffer if they are vague, uninspiring, and grammatically incorrect. When you’re writing, ensure that you are specific; include the skills you’re hiring for, how much experience you desire, what the duties of the specific role are, and a bit about your company. We also suggest that you throw a little bit of your company’s personality into the description. Candidates are likely reading a ton of job descriptions throughout the day, how can you make yours stand out? Also, be sure that you spell-check your job descriptions and that they are grammatically correct. You don’t want to lose out on a potential new hire because you didn’t double check your work!
