Writing Effective Job Descriptions. The Perfect Pitch to Future

Transcription

1 Writing Effective Job Descriptions The Perfect Pitch to Future

2 The Essen(al Hireology Guide for Wri(ng Effec(ve Job Descrip(ons The job descrip3on is typically the first point of contact you have with a job applicant. It s the moment when you can make a las3ng impression and aaract the type of talent you envision your company flourishing with. However, if you re not wri3ng quality job descrip3ons, you can ignore all of this and lower any expecta3ons of your company flourishing with talent. But it doesn t have to be that way. According to a recent ar3cle from Businessnewsdaily.com: A recent study in the Journal of Business and Psychology found that wri3ng beaer job descrip3ons can lead to a higher-quality pool of applicants. This means employers need to be more careful about what they put in their job pos3ng and focus more on highligh3ng the company culture, what the posi3on is really like, and what the company has to offer the job seeker. All accomplished wriaen pieces of work have something that makes it aarac3ve. Otherwise, no one would read it or pay aaen3on. Before you decide to even spread the word that you re hiring, make sure you create eye-catching job descrip3ons. Hireology is here to provide you with a simple guide that walks you through six easy steps for crea3ng effec3ve job descrip3ons: 1. CLEARLY DEFINE THE ROLE AND ITS RESPONSIBILITIES A unique job 3tle 1-2 paragraph general overview of the posi3on Bullet points lis3ng specific responsibili3es Similar to submitng an aarac3ve resume, a job descrip3on must have that pop or pizzazz in order to make it stand out especially for the younger genera3on of the workforce. Recent studies have shown that most millennials prefer culture and meaningful work, in contract to having a larger salary with boring work. So highlight anything that s special within the posi3on and your company. Here are some things to consider before wri3ng your job post: How will this poten3al employee contribute to the company s overall goals and mission? What sets your company culture apart from others? In what ways can this posi3on make a difference within the company and its future? What kind of social or ethical work does your company do outside of the office?

3 2. SPELL OUT WHAT YOU WANT AND DON T WANT IN A CANDIDATE A list of what you re looking for in the ideal candidate Remarks on the nega3ves you don t want Whether you re a manager or HR lead, you know beaer than anyone else why someone le\ your company and why that person didn t quite fit. Therefore, you have to make it clear for applicants not only what you want in a poten3al employee, but also what you don t want. In your job descrip3ons, be sure to men3on: The type of personali3es you have and want in the office Talk about the work habits that are expected for success in the posi3on Consider men3oning the type of experience or past success that s needed to perform well in this posi3on List the quali3es or traits that are not allowed in the office (Don t like slackers in the office? Don t be afraid to men3on it!) 3. CLARIFY WHAT YOU EXPECT FROM THE POSITION Bullet points lis3ng requirements Job descrip3ons are the best place to cut right to the chase. What s the point of was3ng both your 3me and the applicants, by wri3ng a bunch of unnecessary jargon about how glorious the open posi3on is? This is where honesty as a best policy comes in place. If you want to only bring in candidates who are qualified for your job, then you must be upfront when wri3ng about job requirements on your descrip3ons. This means men3oning the not so fun parts of the job. If you re upfront with candidates early on, then you have a greater chance of them s3cking it out whenever things first go wrong early in the job. Here are a few things to think about when wri3ng your job requirements: What kind of background is preferred for this posi3on? What kind of skills and educa3on are necessary to perform this job well? What kind of responsibili3es will this employee have? Are there any more things you expect your employee to do to fulfill this open posi3on? (Think about working hours, technology or personalized skills, travel, etc.)

4 4. HIGHLIGHT THE UNIQUE FEATURES OF YOUR COMPANY 1-2 paragraphs highligh3ng the company s business and background, culture, work environment, job perks, and any addi3onal informa3on about the job This is the part where you can brag about how great your company is and explain why it s such a great place to start or con3nue a career. Sure, we have days when we might not feel this way about our work, but if you dig deep you can highlight the best aspects of your company. Culture is a crucial aspect for young job seekers, so make sure you talk about it. Have writers block? Don t forget to include this informa3on about your company: Your company s mission statement or goals How you support your employees (benefits, 3me off, etc.) How you mo3vate your employees (think of the incen3ves or office perks you offer) The type of people that work for your company 5. GET CREATIVE WITH YOUR JOB DESCRIPTIONS A clear and appealing message Simplicity Uniqueness An easy, crea3ve way to aaract qualified candidates is to tell a short, yet compelling story within the job descrip3on. Give job seekers a brief synopsis of the posi3on, but don t feature every liale aspect. Instead, tell them what makes your company unique. Keeping your job descrip3on short and sweet makes the applica3on much more appealing to job seekers, as well as puts your company in a posi3ve light as an employer. You want to let applicants know why they should work for you and how they d be playing an important role on your team. Don t forget that people want to make an impact and feel appreciated. Here s what you need to keep in mind when wri3ng a crea3ve job descrip3on: You re talking to your ideal employee the person you dream of having on your team What makes your company beaer than your compe3tors? Why should this person apply for the job? What impact will he or she make for your company in this posi3on?

5 What are some of the most interes3ng aspects of your office and culture that employees can t find anywhere else? 6. PROMOTE THE OPEN POSITION A career website and social media accounts Reliable job boards to post on With a great job descrip3on in hand for your open role, it s 3me to get that posi3on some exposure to maximize candidate flow. We all know that pos3ng your job openings on social media sites, as well as popular job boards, are easy ways to get your company and job lis3ngs out there to poten3al candidates. However, in order to truly capture the aaen3on of the type of candidates you want, you must make sure you re pos3ng your open posi3on in the right place. The goal is to get your job descrip3on post to reflect both your company and culture. For example, if you re hiring for an accountant posi3on, it might be more appropriate to post your opening on a more formal site, such as LinkedIn, whereas if you re hiring for a graphic designer posi3on, a crea3ve organiza3onal site such as AIGA might be a beaer place to post. This way you can flush out candidates who might be serial applicant fillers! Not sure where to post? Here are some prac3cal places to post that won t burn a hole through your wallet: CareerBuilder.com LinkedIn.com Monster.com Glassdoor.com Indeed.com SimplyHired.com KEEP THIS IN MIND: When it s all said and done, job descrip:ons are similar to adver:sements. Think of it as your big pitch! You re selling your company and open jobs to poten:al applicants. You re trying to adract the best group of talent out there by giving them an appealing message that hits home. Make sure your job descrip3ons connect with those you want working at your company. If done right, you can expect a dras3c increase in the type of talent you bring into your office.