Do Job Descriptions Still Matter To Modern Business

Competing for top talent is no easy task. While it might be simple to sell high ranked candidates on your company throughout the interview process, candidates first have to find out and apply for the position before you can get them on the phone. Receiving quality job applications from candidates is tied to the quality of the job description posted by the company.

A job description should be viewed as a foundational tool for your hiring process. Creating a well written job description that is customized to that specific open role and company can be a time-consuming task. But job descriptions that highlight the company and benefits while also accurately outlining the requirements and day to day of the position will increase the quality of the candidate applications, help your internal team decide if the candidates going through the interview process meet the requirements of the position and also ensure that the candidates expectations of the positions are aligned with the internal team and company’s expectations of the role. 

Why Job Descriptions Matter

The overall goal of a job description is to attract quality inbound candidates for your organization. The quality of the candidate applications that are being submitted for the open position reflect the quality and accurateness of the job description that the candidates are reading prior to applying.

It is important to create a job description that will not only define what will be expected if an individual is hired for the role but also what qualifications are required to apply. By setting clear and concise expectations, your team will attract top candidates while allowing you to analyze and rank each candidate appropriately throughout the interview process.

Creating an Accurate Job Title

While a job title should only be a few words, it is important for it to be specific. The candidate should have a sense of what is to be expected of them just from reading this title. The purpose of creating an appropriate title to help recruit the right candidates for any open positions your organization might currently have.

Job titles have the ability to help create the organizational structure within your company and inform who reports to whom throughout the workday. Clear structure is created within the company by accurately naming a position, which will provide candidates with a sense of motivation and direction for potential growth within your organization. A job title should include the department and the rank of position. For example, if you are hiring an experienced expert for your Marketing Department, a good job title would be Director of Marketing. Finally, if you are unsure of the best way to name a position you are hiring for but have a sense of what their job will entail, try using the Indeed Job Generator. This platform will give you a sense of what job titles are currently trending and what words should be included based off department. 

Showcase The Company Culture & Benefits

Creating a job description is an excellent time to showcase your company. There are more ways to emphasize your company than just the company description that is included. If you consider your company to be more on the casual side, the language you use throughout the company and job description should flow accordingly. Not only should this look good on paper but should be strongly exemplified through the careers portion of your website.

The careers portion of your company’s website should be viewed as a culture shrine and should really dive into why people would want to work for your company. A majority of your candidates will not only view your company website but will also check out your social media pages before applying. Culture plays a huge role for candidates in this day and age and online platforms are the best way to showcase what you’ve got. So, even if you are not currently hiring, it is important to always act as if you are recruiting through these platforms. Remember that the job description is not usually the first point of contact between the candidate and your company.  

Every Bullet Should Have A Point

Once you have the position title down, it’s time to include an outline of what is to be expected of the individual who fills this position. This shouldn’t include the actual tasks of the job but should focus on the individual’s role and function within the organization. Provide a few bullet points that highlight what specific skills and qualifications you are looking for in the role. In addition, it is important to include whether this role is considered a full-time, part-time or internship position as well as job location. Job location means both the geographical location as well as if/how frequently they are expected to be in the office versus working remote or on-site at a client.

Not all job descriptions should look the same. Once you have a general idea of what this individual is expected to do, you should take time to tailor it to the part of the company that this person will be working in. For example, if you are hiring for a Creative Director their job description should not read the same as the Director of Finance. It is important to speak to the type of person you want to hire by customizing and speaking in that department's “language”.

Make It Easy To Find, Read & Apply Online

Finally, your job description should be easily readable. Avoid the use of internal jargon and be sure that your bullet points flow. Even when creating and posting job descriptions, it is important to keep up with the competition. It is likely that similar companies within the same industry and market are hiring for similar roles and fighting for the top talent.

So, make sure your job description is easy for your ideal candidates to find. To make sure your job description appears in the candidate's search, it is important to use accurate and trending language that will be generated throughout the Search Engine Optimization. This will allow your job description to come up regularly throughout one's job search. You should also think about the sites your ideal candidates are on and see if you can post your job description on those sites, alleviating any extra effort for the candidate before they know about or have any desire to apply for the open role. Your company job descriptions should be posted on your website and shared on all of your social platforms.

Still Not Confident In Your Job Description Skills?

We’ve got you covered. Read through the big takeaways, and check out our downloadable job description outline. Although the content is up to you, we’ve created a brief outline to get you started.The Key Takeaways…

Create honest job descriptions - It is important for each candidate to know exactly what they are applying for. You want this candidate to trust your company just like you want to trust all your new hires. Regardless of if you end up hiring a specific candidate, you want each experience to be a positive one. 

Be credible - Remember that while writing a well drafted job description might not seem like a top priority task, it is what will gain your company credibility. So, be sure to put some time against creating it because if done poorly it could be used against your business.

Remember this is mutually beneficial - It is important to remember that throughout the interview process your job descriptions will serve as the foundation internally as well as externally. This means that when interviewing and vetting candidates, the job description will serve as your checklist. So, make sure it states everything you want this candidate to bring to the table to ensure you are meeting with appropriate potential employees.   

Read this post on the FedEx Out of Office blog.