With the labor market surging in the past few years, companies experience difficulty in finding quality workers.
For instance, in industries such as construction and manufacturing, there are more job openings than skilled workers to fill them. The trade sector faces the challenge of retiring baby boomers, who make up a substantial portion of the workforce, and younger generations not interested in working in trade.
This supply-and-demand imbalance in the job market made experienced and qualified workers pickier when considering employment opportunities. And how you present your company’s job opening to prospective employees is the first hurdle your company passes or falls at when attracting top talent.
To help HR professionals, content writers, and anyone else involved in the recruitment process, this article explains how to write your own job description to attract the best candidates for your company.
In this Article:
Define Your Ideal Candidate
The first step towards crafting a job description that attracts the ideal prospect is to create a clear picture of who you are looking for.
To develop an ideal candidate profile, consider:
- How much experience do they have?
- What kind of experience is relevant for this job?
- What hard and soft skills are you looking for?
- What personality traits would fit into your company culture?
The work you do in this step won’t affect only the immediate job posting but rather guide the recruitment process throughout candidate selection and onboarding.
Choose an Accurate & Clear Job Title
In most cases, the title is the only thing prospective candidates will read from the entire job description. If the title doesn’t sound like what they’re looking for, off they go.
The best practice is to stick to standard, recognizable job titles whenever possible. Searching for a ‘Digital Marketing Ninja’ might sound more compelling than a ‘Digital Marketing Specialist‘—but the latter tells job seekers a whole lot more about what to expect when applying.
Be Specific When Outlining Job Responsibilities
In the essential component of your job posting, you should break down the core responsibilities of your future employee, precisely and concisely.
To help candidates understand the full scope of the job they apply to, incorporate (some) the following:
- Structure the text using bullet points
- Use action verbs (e.g., manage, coordinate, create)
- Quantify responsibilities, if possible (e.g., send 50+ outbound emails daily)
- Order responsibilities according to their importance
- Keep the list short, up to 5 items or so
Outline Candidate Capabilities
Many job descriptions go to extremes when outlining candidate requirements. They’re either too brief and broad to help prospects understand whether they qualify or they’re unrealistic for the position (and often, salary) offered.
In this section of your job opening, you should define the required and preferred skills and experience you expect of your ideal candidate, such as:
- Level of education
- Years of relevant industry experience
- Certifications, courses, etc.
- Technical expertise or knowledge (e.g., software or language proficiency)
- Preferred soft skills (e.g., communication, time management, problem-solving)
Break Down What Would a Typical Day Look Like
If your company has routine procedures without frequent urgencies and disruptions, it could be a good idea to walk prospective candidates through what their days at your company would look like.
Consult with other employees working in similar positions as to how their days go by and make sure to include both the boring stuff, like meetings, and the fun stuff, such as coffee breaks and Friday afternoon office get-togethers.
Remember that this, however, can be a double-edged sword.
On the one hand, it’s a strategy that might help attract enthusiastic, professional candidates—but if the actual day-to-day work bears no similarities with how you presented it, you’ll end up with a frustrated employee looking for a way out.
Specify Work Arrangement Details
The post-pandemic business world looks much different in many regards, with the prevalent desire of the majority of employees to work remotely.
Many candidates, especially top talents, who can easily find a great work opportunity under their conditions, won’t even apply for a job if the position isn’t fully or partially remote.
In turn, some companies decided to drop the work arrangement details completely, afraid to dishearten prospects from sending in their resumes.
However, specifying key details upfront is crucial to attracting and hiring top industry professionals. Thus, make sure your job description outlines whether you offer a full-time or part-time role, working model (remote working, hybrid, or in-office), and any other requirements.
Be Transparent About Compensation
Including a salary range in job postings is a growing trend among companies.
Salary transparency is an important factor in attracting top industry talent, who won’t waste time on interviews and skill assessment tests if they don’t know whether better work conditions await them.
Disclosing the salary range is still arbitrary, but if you opt to keep it private, be prepared to potentially miss out on some great employee opportunities.
Highlight Noteworthy Clients & Company Culture
Your talent-attracting job description should be all about the candidate, but there’s a place for you, as a company, to present yourself and brag about your accomplishments.
Describe your company’s mission, values, and culture. Showcase the professional development opportunities you offer to illustrate how you support and reward your employees.
Furthermore, explore the option of implementing a good corporate travel program to offer career advancement opportunities beyond the company’s premises. It will help in managing travel expenses efficiently, ensuring employee safety and well-being, and optimizing productivity. This strategic initiative not only reflects a commitment to employee growth but also underscores the company’s dedication to fostering a positive and supportive work culture.
And, if you demonstrate that you use recognition software for employees to ensure employee satisfaction and positive relationships within the workplace, prospective workers will understand that your company values its staff members.
Of course, feel free to brag—with style, though—about the enviable client pool, industry awards and recognition, and successful projects.
Use Inclusive Language
The language used in a job posting can have a huge impact on the type of candidates it attracts. Be mindful of the words and phrases used in the job description, as they may unintentionally exclude certain groups of candidates.
One common issue is gender bias, which can be introduced in many ways. Using gendered pronouns like “he” or “she” instead of gender-neutral ones like “they” can create a perception of bias. Additionally, using words that are typically associated with one gender, such as “nurturing” or “assertive,” can also turn off potential candidates from applying.
Another issue to be aware of is age bias, particularly when it comes to millennials. For example, using phrases like “digital native” or “millennial mindset” can give the impression that older candidates are not welcome.
Finally, watch out for language that could be seen as exclusionary, such as using words like “ninja” or “wizard” to describe desired skills. These terms can be seen as overly masculine and may discourage female candidates from applying. Instead, focus on using neutral language that accurately describes the skills and experience needed for the job.
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