Tips on Writing a Job Description

Posted: 09.30.2020
Taking the time to create a quality job description can make the hiring process a little easier. By adequately outlining what your company is looking for, you’ll be able to attract the right candidates.
 
Below are some tips to consider when writing a job description for a position at your organization.
 
Be specific.
Avoid generalizing job descriptions. To hire the best candidate possible, make sure to include specifics about “hidden aspects” of the job like the kind of personality needed to fulfill this role or certain industry knowledge needed. To help you with that, you can ask the previous employee to help you fill in the blanks. If they aren’t there anymore, you can check out their LinkedIn profile to see what they put as a description.
 
Reference online templates.
You can quickly search through thousands of different templates online to get an idea about how to format your description, how to phrase certain sentences, get an idea about what types of information you should include, etc. You can even search based off your specific industry and search through even more specific templates.
 
Describe the company.
Include basic information about your company like where it's located, how long it has been around for, what the company does, etc. You can also include some information about what is like to work at the company, which can help paint a picture for the perspective employer on what the work culture is like.
 
Don’t use jargon.
Avoid using words, phrases, or even program names if they wouldn’t be well known to job seekers. For example, your company may be using a program that’s unique to your company. It isn’t relevant to use because whoever you hire anyway will overtime become familiar with that program through training and frequent use.
 
Use an appropriate title.
To ensure you get relevant candidates applying to your opening, make sure you put an appropriate job title that best describes what they will be responsible for at your company. You can also use multiple titles to better describe the type of person you are looking for to fulfill a position. For example, “Customer Service/Marketing Assistant or “Administrative/Social Media Assistant.”
 
Make your job description visual.
Along with providing information about your company, you can also add relevant links like to your website or social media pages, so perspective candidates can learn more and get a feel for your company.
 
Know the market.
Is the candidate you’re looking for in demand or is there a bigger supply of candidates? If the demand is high, make the job description a little broader to give the chance for more candidates to apply. If there is a low demand, you can be a bit more specific in what you are looking for.
 
You can also watch President of Toronto Recruiters Marc Belaiche’s YouTube video for more tips here.
 
For more videos you can visit our Toronto Recruiters YouTube Channel.
 
For a list of our upcoming virtual events you can click here.
 
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