Hiring top talent can be challenging. You may have a great culture, benefits and perks, and a fantastic L&D program– but the first step is getting talent through the door. Job descriptions matter more than ever given the recent enhanced focus on diversity and inclusion.
Writing a job description that is inclusive, succinct, and clearly communicates the responsibilities and goals of a position is key. Having some flair and creativity doesn’t hurt either.
Here are 5 Tips for writing a better job description to help increase top of funnel job applicants for your organization:
1. Nail the Job Title- If you are having a hard time filling specific roles at your company, reevaluate the job title. Using banal words such as “ninja,” “guru,” or “rockstar,” can turn people off from applying. By not having a clear job title, individuals are unsure of what role they are actually applying to and whether they meet the job qualifications.
2. Align the Role to the Company Mission- After developing your employee value proposition and employer branding strategy, it’s important to align various roles to the mission and values of the company. Individuals are seeking jobs that are meaningful and fulfilling- how does your job description reflect that? In today’s job market, individuals are looking beyond compensation– candidates want the opportunity for career growth, development, and learning opportunities. Make those qualities apparent in the job description.
3. Be Open to Job Requirements- While some technical roles do require vast knowledge of platforms or languages, be open to those who are willing to learn the skills necessary for a role. You want to attract driven and smart individuals. By being open with your job requirements you can also attract a more diverse pool of talent who can help challenge your team or business unit with a fresh perspective on a problem they are trying to solve.
4. Culture, Culture, Culture- Before applying to a job people want to know what working at the organization is like. Many times during interviews, applicants will ask, “what is the culture like?” Be transparent about your organization’s culture to help applicants determine whether it fits with their work style. Highlight benefits and perks in your job descriptions such as healthcare, gym discounts, snacks, or dog-friendly office. Do be mindful to avoid gender-specific descriptions and terms as this can be off-putting for applicants and deter diverse talent from applying.
5. It’s All in the Details- Short and vague job descriptions won’t cut it. A sweet spot for job descriptions is between 700-2,000 words. Include details and bulleted out descriptions and be sure to include: the day-to-day responsibilities, how the role functions within the organization as a whole, who the role reports to, the salary range, and an emphasis on what makes the organization unique.
While it might seem hard to keep all these factors in mind when writing a job description- improving your posts will increase the diverse and talented applicants in your job pool. Want more, check out text.io for guidance writing job descriptions and Pymetrics which uses AI to help improve your candidate pool.
