Write Job Descriptions That Attract The Right People
An effective hiring process will fill a needed role with the right candidate who will stay. Always remember that a job description is a candidate's first introduction to your organization.
I believe a 4th career is brewing in my heart right now, so I have been reading job descriptions to gain some insight. Yesterday, I was reading a job description for what appeared to be a senior role in an industry that I am familiar with.
For years, I have helped executives hiring for critical leadership roles put together job descriptions to attract winning candidates, so I have read MANY job descriptions. Book a strategy call with me if you'd like some help. Creating a job description that attracts the right candidate for the role you are hiring for is part art and part expertise.
The Structure of a Good Job Description
I have clients who approach job descriptions in different ways. Most hiring managers inherit the format they use because it takes significant effort to standardize these documents, especially in large organizations. ADP has a great article for putting together job descriptions.
Check out this graphic from that article.
From A Guide to Writing a Great Job Description from ADP’s HR Tip of the Week.
Common Job Description Missteps
Always remember the goal of a hiring process is to fill a role with the right candidate who will stay with your organization over time. No one wants to hire for the same role over and over. Here are four observations based on the job descriptions I have read lately, including the one I read yesterday.
Length. Most job descriptions are too long. Yesterday, I printed a 6-page job description. Single-spaced. I counted 24 bullets. It is easy to get lost in job descriptions that are too long. In this scenario, the salary will always be too small when the responsibilities feel endless.
Conflicting responsibilities. In the job description I read yesterday, the core responsibilities lacked cohesion. That signals role confusion, which can be attributed to a lack of clarity in the role. Or, it could be the job description could have been written using a combination of AI with some tweaks by a person.
Experience mismatch. Based on the job title, the role sought someone with experience. Reading it more closely, I realized nope. This job is a junior role with a big title. I can foresee mismatches in the candidate pool. In this instance, the title attracts highly experienced candidates, who will get bored the day-to-day, because the role does not require as much leadership as the job descriptions indicates.
Core competencies. Be clear how core competencies connect back to individual performance reviews. When its performance review time, competencies outlined in the job desscription should link back to this process.
Many people are looking for work right now. Hiring managers, if you have roles to fill, write the best job description you can. A good job description is clear, accurate, and always includes the salar
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