Hiring managers often say that one of the most challenging steps in recruiting new talent is writing the job description. The difficulty is that the people who are doing the hiring often aren’t writers by trade and they don’t always have the technical background of the person they are trying to hire.
So, with that in mind, here are some tips that can help make writing your next job posting easier so you can avoid having your job postings skipped over. Don’t over think it. Call the job what it is, describe what the successful candidate will be doing and what credentials they need, and tell them why they should want the job.
How to write a successful job description
Use industry standard job titles
There’s not need to get overly creative with the name of the position, as that will only make your job harder to find in online searches. You will reach more candidates, and cause less confusion, if you stick to the basics. Call it what it is.
Use clear and concise language
Explain the essentials about your company and what the job entails. There’s no need for long paragraphs or compound sentences. The point of the job description is to clearly disseminate information, not to impress anyone with your creative writing skills. Keep it simple.
Remember to sell the job
It is even more important for your job description to attract than to inform. The more enticing it sounds to work at the job you’re posting, the higher quality of applicants you’ll receive. Candidates are turned off by job descriptions that are nothing but a list of duties and demands, with no information on why they should want to work there in the first place.
Be realistic with the ‘essential’ qualifications
While some qualifications really are absolutely necessary for the job, some hiring managers list every skill and experience that an absolute dream candidate might possibly have as being necessary for the role. This exaggerated wish list can intimidate many perfectly qualified, talented performers from even applying. Focus on what you really need.
A recent study of job postings found that the majority of ‘entry-level’ jobs now require an average of three years of experience. Be reasonable.
Feel free to copy from other postings
Do a job search for similar roles, and read the way the job descriptions are written. Many requirements and duties will be common for the position across employers. The more standard these credentials are – and the more similarly they’re worded – the easier it will be for candidates and employers to connect with each other. So borrow away.