How to Craft Job Descriptions that Attract Great | Signify Technology

Engage​

Start with a short engaging sentence that summarises the job description. How does the job title contribute to the wider companies visions and goals? How does the company see this role developing in the near future? How does this role help the community/world?

Details

It may sound obvious but if you are looking for a new role you want to know exactly what you will be doing on a day to day basis. Paint a picture of what it will be like for the candidate should they start in this role. You need to outline in as much detail as possible the main responsibilities of the role and you can include a breakdown of tasks, with a percentage for each, showing how much of their time they will take up. Give the candidate an idea of how this role functions within the organization, explain who they will be in contact with most, what their team will look like, who they will report to/who their supervisors will be. Include a salary range and also years of experience and other requirements, if candidates can find these details quickly it will avoid wasting everyones time.

Leave Out the Buzzwords

So many recruiters scatter in buzzwords, thinking it will make their job description more engaging. This in fact detracts from the description and makes it harder for the candidate to dissect the information to find what they are actually looking for. Extreme modifiers or over the top language actually prevents candidates applying - especially minorities or women. Whimsical terms that aren't actually descriptive of the role are cliche, plus anyone who doesn't actually identify with them (even if they are perfect for the role) will be put off!

What makes this Organization Unique?

While this should definitely come second to the actual role description, you will want to include a paragraph about the organization. Make sure this focuses on the organizations USP's; think about what sets them apart from other organizations and what most candidates look for in a company.

Benefits

This is something that will make your role even more appealing than the rest and if a candidate is going through numerous job descriptions this could make all the difference in which they spend their time applying for. Recruiters sometimes tend to focus on this aspect too much and that can again make it look like you are selling the role - remember the actual description of the job role is most important.

Urgency

Even if the role doesn't need to urgently filled you want candidates to feel as though the company is eager to get someone new onboard. This makes the candidate more excited at the opportunity of meeting the companies needs.

Innovate

As I am sure we are all aware, applying for jobs can be a tedious process. Candidates spend a lot of time reading through job descriptions and if there is something you can do to make the application process look more appealing that will get their attention! Speak to the client and ask if you can do things slightly differently, can you advertise a video CV or cover letter, could you add a short video into the job description, with the hiring manager talking about what makes the organization unique or is the interview process shorter than most in the industry?