As the new year progresses, many hiring managers have noticed an increase in the difficulty of attracting the best talent for their positions. Creating a compelling job description is more important than ever in light of these obstacles. Unfortunately, many businesses sabotage their hiring strategy by publishing job descriptions that prevent them from meeting critical recruitment targets. With so many job postings on online platforms, a detailed job description will help your posting stand out, allowing you to market and advertise a job for which you are looking to hire. By writing clear and relevant job descriptions, you can ensure that you are attracting the right type of talent.Â
The key to writing effective job descriptions is to strike a balance between providing enough detail so that candidates understand both the role and the company to which they are applying and keeping the description concise and easy to understand. At AdvertiseJobUK, we see a wide range of job descriptions for our clients and have developed strategies such as job board advertising to assist your company in creating compelling job listings.
What is a Job Description?
Before delving into the art of writing the perfect job description, it is critical to understand what they are and how candidates use them. A job description summarises a role’s primary responsibilities, activities, qualifications, and skills. A good job description should include important company details such as the company’s mission, culture, and employee benefits. It may also specify who reports to whom and the salary range. A good job description will provide enough information for candidates to determine whether they are qualified for the position. According to an online poll, 52% of job seekers say the quality of a job description influences their decision to apply for a job.
Use these six best practices for writing job descriptions to attract early talent, from using inclusive language to emphasizing skills that can be learned on the job.
Use a relevant job title
Every day, millions of people search for jobs using millions of keywords. Consider how students might find your position and treat potential job titles as keywords. As a result, SEO is critical in the recruitment process, particularly when writing job ads. Be literal—new job seekers desire and require consistency. Ensure that the title in the job description is consistent across all platforms where you post and promote your role. Don’t make up a new, creative name for an established role in your quest to be unique and desired. For example, if you hire for a position commonly referred to as a “Business Development Specialist” in your industry but label it “B2B Corporate Sales” elsewhere, you may miss out on a potential pipeline.
Include the right keywords
Many candidates begin their job search by searching for relevant keywords on Google or a job board. If your post lacks these keywords, talent will be unable to find it via their search engine and will, therefore, not knock on your door. As a result, you should ensure that your job description includes relevant phrases and job titles that correspond to those displayed by the search engine for the position you’re offering. If you’re looking for a JavaScript expert, specify which frameworks, task runners, and collaborative tools they should be familiar with before applying. Make sure to repeat the most relevant keywords in the description so that search engines can easily find them.
Focus more on skills than experience
You should rethink what it takes to be successful in your entry-level roles for your job description to resonate with early talent. Because most recent graduates have less than three years of experience, it could be better to state in the job description that five years of experience is required. Change your emphasis from experience to coursework, skills, and certifications so that the job description applies to someone who is just starting out in their career. Highlight the skills that a student can learn on the job to pique their interest in the opportunity to advance professionally. Also, use bullet points to make it easier for students and job seekers of all backgrounds to understand what soft skills you’re looking for.
Make it easy to read
Cold, impersonal, and detached language may appear professional, but who would want to work for such a lifeless company? Not one of the candidates you’re trying so hard to attract. To make your descriptions more engaging, be honest and inject some life into them. It’s a good idea to have some fun with it and highlight the uniqueness of the company or advertised position. A good job description that engages candidates provides detailed information about the position and the company while remaining written in simple language that reflects the company’s culture and personality.
Brief the company culture
Share the company’s culture and key values. A job description is also an excellent place to demonstrate what it’s like to work for your company. Share some key information about the company culture, such as its central mission, the types of people you’re looking to hire, and what the job entails. Make sure to mention any flexible schedules or other solutions that improve work-life balance. Interactive content and appealing videos are ideal if you want to directly communicate the brand narrative to candidates without making your job description too long.
Loosen the strict requirementsÂ
GPA cutoffs, strict application deadlines, and the requirement of additional documents can deter the best and brightest from pursuing a lengthy application process. Being upfront about the application process is one way to demonstrate to candidates that you understand their competing priorities. When recruiting students, keep in mind that they already have another job—school. Provide a thoughtful timeline that accounts for midterms and final exams to allow them enough time to complete an application. Develop relationships with promising candidates so they feel they can contact you for assistance. Also, men are more likely than women to contact employers about potential opportunities even if they do not meet all requirements. Even if they do not meet all requirements, they should contact employers about potential opportunities. Furthermore, because certain majors can be gender imbalanced, you can broaden your candidate pool by removing a major requirement.
Conclusion
Writing and posting a well-thought-out and successful job description for your open position is difficult – but well worth it, as a job description is an effective means of advertising your company and a marketing opportunity to potential candidates. Finding the best fit can be difficult, which is why working with a company like AdvertiseJobsUK to help you find the best candidate for your team can be extremely beneficial. AdvertiseJobsUK can help you advertise a job and expand your potential candidate base further than ever before by actively sourcing for top-tier talent. Contact us today to learn how we can make your company more efficient and successful than ever before.
