You’ve authored a good number of job descriptions in your capacity as a recruiter. Most likely, you’ve been asked to write the “ideal” description. The one that distinguishes your business from the competitors and draws in the top talent.
The thrill that comes with starting something new and the goal-setting we do during that excitement is its best features (ER, 2020). We’ll go over all you need to know about creating the best job description, including impact descriptions, in this tutorial. You will leave with advice, best practices, and the resources you need to create job descriptions that draw in the top candidates, whether you’re a recruiter, talent acquisition leader, or hiring manager.
A job description is what?
A job description, at its most basic level, lists the obligations and responsibilities of a position for which a candidate is applying for example it could be for a marketing assignment writer. Historically, these descriptions have adhered to a straightforward formula:
- A quick overview of the business and its history
- a description of the open position, including a standard set of duties or responsibilities
- a set of prerequisites (like education, work experience, and hard skills)
To offer applicants a sense of the business and culture of the organization to which they are applying, many recruitment teams now use a narrative or storytelling approach to job descriptions.
It’s critical to keep in mind that applicants are still people, even though the majority of job application processes are now computerized. Job descriptions can be the first “touchpoint” a candidate receives when researching an available position with a new company, therefore they can make or break your recruiting efforts. Consider the fact that 53% of candidates and 58% of candidates believe that clear expectations are essential for a great applicant experience (Lever.co).
Why conventional job descriptions are ineffective
Organizations suffer more harm than good from outdated job descriptions. Before even starting to source, engage, nurture, and recruit the best prospects for a role, hiring teams must market their organizations and open positions to candidates in expanding talent marketplaces. So far as attracting talent is concerned, a job description is just as important to your employer brand as any other element.
Organizations (especially smaller ones like make my assignment services) run the danger of losing talent that is in great demand among the competition by relying solely on a list of daily chores or to-dos. Hiring teams now need to charm and persuade candidates that their role, their business, and their culture are fantastic opportunities for them. It is no longer sufficient to explain what a role comprises.
What makes job descriptions crucial?
In addition to serving as an essential recruiting “tool,” job descriptions serve as a single source of information for applicants to your organization.
Recruiters and job seekers benefit from job descriptions in two key ways:
- Company: Job descriptions let you express your requirements and expectations for a position, establishing a clear idea of what you want the individual doing the job to be able to do for you.
- Candidate: Job descriptions serve as a source of truth by giving context and insight into what an applicant can expect from the position and the firm.
In particular, if your organization wants to employ with an internal mobility program or plan in mind, job descriptions can assist you to make sure that you’re attracting and fostering the proper talent. Without an effective, significant, and inclusive job description in place, you risk providing a subpar candidate experience in which candidates apply for the wrong reasons, putting pay and benefits before impacts, contributions, and values.
However, there’s still more!
Job descriptions encourage responsibility
An excellent job description will serve as a manager’s source of truth in a variety of situations, including annual performance reviews, planning for your employees’ career mobility, and assessing duties and responsibilities. For instance, a weak or ambiguous job description might make it more challenging for management to assess a worker’s performance, decide how to assist the worker in upskilling or identify areas where the worker can contribute.
Workplace descriptions encourage productivity
Candidate has a better chance of performing better in the position if they are hired if they are fully aware of the requirements, responsibilities, and expectations of that position. Confusing an employee about their daily responsibilities, the influence they can have, or the contributions they can make can quickly result in disengagement and subpar performance, which is expensive for the company as well as the team as a whole. Cangrade points out that to assist candidates to relate to and comprehend a role better, it is essential to be explicit about what a role entails beyond hard skills or core competencies.
After discussing what job descriptions are and the reasons they’re crucial for recruiting, let’s move on to how to create one that is both impactful and inclusive.
How to write inclusive job descriptions
The talent market is something that hiring teams and recruiters are experts in. After all, you are constantly seeking to find, engage, and develop people, including both new and existing personnel. With this information, you may offer insights on a variety of topics, including pay expectations, rival recruiting, internal mobility, and more.
It’s fair to assume that hiring for diversity may significantly affect a company’s success, and where better to start than with your job descriptions? We’ll go through six guidelines for creating inclusive job descriptions.
1. In your recruiting messaging, begin by addressing gender coding.
Signals that have historically been connected with or attributed to either the male or female gender, such as words, phrases, or qualities, are referred to as gender coding. Gender coding occurs considerably more frequently than you might imagine in recruiting messages and might provide the wrong impression about the kind of person who would be the best fit for a position.
2. Talk in a gender-neutral way.
The language you choose in your descriptions should follow the same principles discussed earlier in this tutorial about humanizing job descriptions. Although each of us has a favorite set of pronouns, using gendered pronouns in job descriptions is a surefire method to eliminate talent pools that may otherwise be qualified for the position. For instance, using wording like, “He will design, write, test, and implement our solutions” when hiring a Senior Developer gives job seekers the idea that the position is mostly for men. You can eliminate gender prejudice by using the phrase “You will design, code, text, and implement our solutions” instead. This also gives the candidate the feeling that you are speaking directly to them.
3. As well, use inclusive wording.
Not just the use of gendered pronouns can swiftly and quietly discourage applicants from applying for a position. The way you word your job description can also have an effect; for instance, it’s common for certain terms or job titles (like the example of a “Rockstar” we used earlier) to signal cultures where men predominate, while seemingly innocent language like “ambitious” or “competitive” can turn off female candidates. You can avoid using language that is biased against particular groups or genders by being aware of how language might imply bias.
4. Avoid necessities and “must-haves”
The idea that there is an “ideal” applicant for every position is out of date and ignores a person’s capacity to pick up new skills, adjust to a new setting, and absorb knowledge as they go. In actuality, the majority of the “must-haves” included in job descriptions are optional or transferable talents. Focusing too heavily on qualifications or necessary skills/experience in the case of inclusivity risks alienating top candidates.
References
Lever.co. Writing effective job descriptions. https://www.lever.co/resources/writing-effective-job-descriptions-complete-guide/
ER (2020). How to Make Progress on Your Goals When You Feel Unmotivated? https://eazyresearch.com/blog/how-to-make-progress-on-your-goals-when-you-feel-unmotivated/