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What is a job description? 

A job description should present a summary of responsibilities, activities, qualifications and skills relevant to the role you are aiming to fill. It should captivate a job seeker’s attention, giving a taste of the company’s mission and culture and presenting a place where they would want to work. It should provide enough details so that applicants can determine whether or not they are qualified for the position.

Job Title - This will be the first thing an applicant will see. It should be specific and targeted toward the kind of applicants you are hoping to attract. Avoid using any internal terminology that those outside of the company wouldn’t understand and use standard phrasing for the levels of experience, such as ‘senior’ or ‘junior’.

Job Summary - This is where you really need to grab the attention of the reader and draw them in to look further. Give a brief overview of the company and the kind of team they would be joining. What makes your company unique? And why should they want to work there? Include here the location and some idea of work hours also.

Responsibilities and Duties - What are the core responsibilities of the role? Remember to give applicants as much detail as required while still keeping it concise. Your aim is to give the reader an understanding of what the role entails, what the requirements are, and the day-to-day activities they would be carrying out if they were successful in their application. An applicant should be able to determine from reading this if they feel it is a job they can do while also getting a sense of the work environment and how the role fits into your organisation as a whole.

Qualifications and Skills - Of course, this section is where you highlight any education, qualifications, certifications and experience that the role would require. But also, detail any soft skills you require a candidate to have, things such as communication, problem-solving, time management, and so on. Again, remember to keep it concise. The temptation here is to describe every trait and skill you envision in an ideal employee, but don’t overwhelm applicants. Give a flavour of what you want - the essentials - you can look for other traits and skills further on in the hiring stage.

Salary and Benefits - No job seeker is going to take the time to apply for a role if they aren’t sure it would meet their requirements. They are looking to earn a living, so need to be sure that the salary a job offers would allow them to do that. So include a salary range in your job description. Also, consider what other benefits they might get from taking a position within your company and present them here too. These could be things such as holidays, gym memberships, flexible hours, company vehicle, dog-friendly offices, and so on. 

With any luck, a well-written job description will ensure you have ample applicants to choose from. But it is so important to take the time with this first step in the recruitment process to get it right. A successful applicant should know exactly what they are walking into when they start the role. They will know what is required of them, and their beginning in the company will be less stressful for both them and you.



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