Are your company’s job descriptions more boring than reading your local phone book out loud (remember phone books?)?
Or do they read like desperate pleas for help?
The challenge with many job descriptions is that they focus primarily on the company hiring, and very little on what job candidates want or need.
If you want to attract top talent, you must know how to write a good job description that engages your job seekers and compels the right candidates to act.
Before going into all of the pieces that should go into your next job description, here’s an overview of three essential elements that should be a part of all of your job descriptions:
Element #1 – Position The Job Seeker As The Hero
Many organizations go right into the job requirements without addressing what the potential job candidates are looking for.
You should start by seeking buy-in from your job seekers by showing how their life could be better by working for you.
They may want flexible hours, higher pay, or a position that values their skills. But it’s also essential to focus on the emotions behind these requirements. How will having these job attributes make them feel?
For example, they likely want better hours and flexibility to spend more time with loved ones or for activities they enjoy. This could help them relax and feel more joyful in their work and personal lives. Be sure to emphasize these positive emotions.
If you aren’t sure what candidates want, ask your employees what their situation looked like before they worked with you.
- How did they feel about their previous job?
- What were their struggles?
- Why did they want to move on?
- How do they feel now in their current position?
- What do they enjoy about working with your company?
Your job seekers probably have the same issues and desires as your employees before working for your company.
Use your employee’s answers to craft a story of transformation that explains what your organization can offer (besides good pay & benefits) to potential employees.
Element #2 – Be sure to include testimonials from current employees.
Including testimonials is an element I rarely see in job descriptions. And yet it’s such a simple and effective motivator.
Testimonials are an excellent method to show real-life examples of what it’s like to work for your company. They also help validate your claims about why job prospects should consider working for your company.
And testimonials help candidates imagine what it would be like to ‘be in their shoes’ and work for a well-run organization with a company culture they would be proud to be a part of.
Element #3 – Provide your step-by-step hiring process.
I’ll bet you know how applying for most job applications work. Once you apply, you never hear from the company again – unless they contact you for an interview.
Job seekers don’t enjoy being ghosted by a company’s HR Department!
Here are a few areas to inform them about:
- How soon they will hear from you
- What your company’s hiring process looks like
- How quickly you plan to fill the role
It’s best to create a three or 4-step hiring process plan for your job seekers, so they will know what to expect in their hiring journey with your team.
Here’s A Detailed Job Description Template
Now that you’ve learned the essentials of a winning job description let’s look at how to put those essentials together to write job ads that attract the best candidates:
1. Start with a clear, concise job title.
2. To generate interest right from the start, ask 3 or more questions about what the employer wants…but are qualities that job seekers wish to have too! These should cause a “Yes – that’s me!” response from potential employees. And even better if they are out-of-the-box or humorous questions.
Examples:
- Are you looking for an employer that exemplifies the same values that you appreciate? (like rewarding hard work and taking the initiative?)
- Would you enjoy having the option of having Friday afternoons off – or not…every week?
3. Give a high-level summary of the job’s responsibilities in a paragraph or two. It’s good to reveal how the job relates to the larger company picture in this section.
4. List the job’s specific duties and responsibilities. This can be in the form of:
As a part of your job, you will:
- <verb> task
- <verb> task
- <verb> task, etc.
If this is an extensive list of tasks, you can reassuringly say, “This looks like a long list – and it is! But our supportive team environment will be with you all the way!”
5. List the qualities and characteristics of people who thrive in your organization. The list could look like this:
The people who love this job and do well in this position are:
Characteristic #1. (approx. 100 words)
Characteristic #2. (approx. 100 words), etc.
6. This is a good place for testimonials from current employees.
7. Include your specific job requirements. This can include “What you’ll do every day, and how quickly you’ll need to be good at it”.
8. A listing of education, job skills, and experience either required, preferred, or “is a plus”.
9. Next is a paragraph about the company. This can be a synopsis of their brand narrative (what some call their brandscript), plus three company values from their mission statement.
10. A brief statement about the job’s compensation and a list of company benefits.
11. Explain your hiring process in three clear steps.
12. Finally, invite job seekers to apply! (Call to action)
I know this seems like many items to put into a job description. But since this system focuses more on the job seekers and what they want, they are more than likely to read (or at least scan) the job description to the end.
Of course, you can leave out some of these steps – especially if it’s for a job requiring lower skills.
If you don’t have the time to write a compelling job description that will attract the right applicants, contact Craig at Fabulous Copy today. I will write custom content for you (based on the information you provide) so that you can fill your open positions… and get back to work!
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