How To Get Specific and Write Effective Job Descriptions
Setting clear expectations to accurately convey a role’s responsibilities to help both recruiters and job seekers.
How Clear Job Descriptions Avoid Misunderstandings
Writing a job description that is engaging while conveying all of the information necessary is a difficult task. If you write too much, it could scare away candidates with endless lists, but if you write too little, it could be uninteresting to job seekers. All engaging job descriptions have similar qualities. They all have clear, concise language to make the responsibilities of the role obvious as well as highlight meaningful benefits that may come with it. It does not contain any buzzwords like ninja or guru because while it may seem funny to you, candidates may be turned off by it.
In addition, make sure you are including information about company culture so a prospective candidate understands what type of an organization you are and if they think they could be a good fit. According to an Indeed study, 72% of job seekers say it is extremely or very important to see details about company culture in job descriptions.
Crafting a Concise and Accurate Job Title to Attract Relevant Candidates
Having a clear job title is an incredibly important part of the job description. It has an impact on whether qualified candidates will be interested and apply for your role. It will also help recruiters in searching for a candidate that properly matches the title you have. Using a string of terms that you think will make a job sound more exciting may do the opposite. For example, a job description titled: Dynamic Solar Engineering Executive Associate is not going to be as clear as saying, Associate Solar Engineer.
According to a study conducted by BITC – a business-led nonprofit organization, 66% of the job seekers they interviewed felt they didn’t understand the role they would be applying for due to the use of jargon, or other confusing language in the title. Even if you work in a niche industry, make sure you are only using terms easily understood by those working in it.
Because more and more people look at job descriptions on their mobile devices, or very quickly on their computers, the shorter and more concise your job description, the better. A new study by Microsoft found that people now lose concentration after eight seconds because of our increased reliance on digital technology. This means that job descriptions need to capture attention quicker than ever.
Providing a Clear Understanding of Expected Performance Goals
Being specific about tasks and having a clear understanding of the expected performance goals of the role you are trying to fill is important for the job seeker. Having a clear bullet-pointed list of requirements will help optimize your job description and help specify who exactly you are looking for. Avoid generic phrasing to really hone in on the skills a candidate should have.
An Indeed survey found that 63% of candidates said they chose not to apply for a job because they felt like they didn’t know the specific tools or skills listed in the job description. Understand that no candidate is perfect, and not everyone will check absolutely every box, but it is good to add keywords to your job descriptions to filter out job seekers who do not meet your core requirements.
Final Thoughts
Understand that in creating a job description you are essentially selling that role to job seekers, so you have to engage them quickly and keep their attention long enough to be interested in applying. Creating a job title and description with the candidate in mind is an important aspect of finding diverse individuals who would like to find out more. If you would like to find out more about this topic or how working with Peak Demand can help you achieve the next steps in your hiring process contact our Managing Partner Jon Semingson at jon@inpeakdemand.com.