Hello! We are excited to hear you are looking to take the next step in growing your business. We have created this guide to help set you up for success when writing your job descriptions by using thought provoking questions and a few best practices along the way. This guide will also walk you through posting your newly open role on different job boards.

Job postings are usually the very first impression candidates have of your organization. With thousands of postings on job sites, you need your organization to stand out. 

Now keep in mind that this guide isn’t the definitive approach to writing a job description, but a strong foundation to get you started. Depending on your company and each individual role within your organization, there may be considerations you have to take into account when posting any given role. Use this guide to help get your mind thinking a little differently about your open roles.

Writing a job description is something that may take a little time and creativity. If you start today and things aren’t jiving, that’s totally normal and you shouldn’t get frustrated. Sometimes you need to step away and come back at a later time. Let your brain take a break, and you will come back refreshed with a clear mind.

Any information you have already prepared is great to bring to this process, but it is not necessary! As long as you have a rough idea of what this person will be doing, we can work with it! This guide will indepthly walk you through each step. That said, we want you to have an open mind when going through the process!

Before we jump into each area of the job description, I have one thing I want you to keep in mind when you are writing it: Don’t be afraid to put the personality of your company into it. If your company has an upbeat and bubbly energy, write the job description that way! Just because historically they have been “stuffy” does not mean it needs to stay that way.

So when you are ready, let’s do this!

Job Title

The Job Title will be the quick snapshot of the role you are hiring for. When deciding the title for your new role, you’ll want to keep in mind any internal naming conventions and leveling you may have in place, but also look outside of your organization. If you are not sure of the title, you can come back to this step. 

• Ask yourself:
  • Is the title accurate and reflective of the role responsibilities? 
  • Does it align with industry standards?
  • Does it align with internal structuring?

• Tips:
  • Ensure the job title is clear and searchable for candidates looking for similar roles. Think about what candidates will be searching for on job sites.
  • Search this title on LinkedIn Jobs. Are these roles similar to the one you are filling?
  • Search this title via LinkedIn search bar. Are people with this title similar to what you are looking for?
  • It’s okay to use a different, more concise title for posting the role externally, but it should still reflect the internal name.

Job Summary

Here you will want to provide a concise, high-level overview of the role. It should be an extension of the title. It is important to include how this role will play into the success of your organization and a brief overview of responsibilities. In an ideal world, the summary should help the candidate decide if the role is a possible fit before they spend the time reading the full job description.

• Ask yourself:
  • What is the overarching purpose of this role within the company? 
  • How does this role contribute to the company’s goals?

• Tips:
  • Provide a concise overview of the job’s main function and its importance to the organizational structure.
  • You may add if this person is a people manager, and who they report to. 
  • Companies use different titles for the same role. This is a way to specify what the role is.
    • In one organization a Marketing Coordinator may be responsible for the same duties of a Marketing Manager at another organization.
  • This paragraph should be around 3-6 sentences.

Responsibilities and Duties

Time to move into the meat and potatoes of the Job Description. This section, along with the qualifications, are typically the determining factors on if candidates want to apply. Here is where we want to dive into what this person will largely be responsible for.

• Ask yourself:
  • What are the daily, weekly, and monthly tasks this person will be responsible for? 
  • What long-term responsibilities or large impact projects will they be incharge of? 
  • Will this role interact with other departments? Outside clients?
  • Is there any travel in this role? If yes, is it local, regional, nationally? Roughly how much?
  • Are your expectations clear and realistic?

• Tips:
  • Avoid using company or industry specific jargon.
  • This should be a bulleted list, that is easy to digest and understand.
  • If you found another company’s posting for a role similar to yours, don’t be afraid to repurpose some of the bullets. Just be sure to make them reflect your role and company.
  • Be specific to avoid ambiguity and set clear expectations.

Qualifications and Skills

This strong list of qualifications will help in attracting candidates who truly fit the role. These should be things the candidate should walk in with on day one. Some companies opt to create two lists: Required and Preferred. This is an optional approach, however, I would steer against it as the Preferred Qualifications are not your non-negotiable requirements. If you would hire someone without them, why make the posting even longer by adding them?

• Ask yourself:
  • What specific skills and knowledge are essential for success in this role? 
  • Are there any industry qualifications or certifications required?
  • Are there any tools or technologies that this person will need to know how to use coming into the role?
  • Are any of these skills teachable? If yes, would you be willing to teach it if a candidate did not have the skill?

• Tips:
  • This should be a bulleted list that is easy to digest and understand.
  • Years of experience can rule out some great candidates. We recommend leaving this out and instead include a bullet around the role being entry, junior, mid, advanced, senior, etc. This gives an idea on the level of experience you are looking for.
  • Experience can more than make up for a degree, so unless a degree is absolutely required (lawyer, medical, etc) I would encourage you to leave this out of the posting. 
  • If you are adding a Preferred list, distinguish between required skills and those that are preferred.

About Your Comapny

This is an opportunity to sell your company to a prospective employee. You will want to explain in simple terms what it is your company does, as well as the work environment.

• Ask yourself:
  • How would you quickly explain your company without using industry jargon?
  • What is the physical and social environment like?
  • Is there anything that makes your company unique?

• Tips:
  • Include if this role is remote, in-person, or hybrid. If hybrid list number of days and office location(s).
  • This can be a short paragraph (2-5 sentences) or a bulleted list.

Salary and Benefits

Oh the hot topic on what to include. We believe best practice is to include a salary range, as well as high-level benefits. Finding a new role should be a two-way street, and providing this creates an increased level of transparency for a prospective employee. Sharing your range and benefits will also attract the right candidates to apply.

• Ask yourself:
  • Is the salary competitive within the market and industry? 
  • What benefits are unique to your company?
  • Do you offer any flexible work hours?

• Tips:
  • Certain states require the salary range listed with the job posting, so be sure to check your local state requirements.
  • Salary should be a range, and can be noted that salary will be based upon experience.
  • This should be a bulleted list.

Interview Process & How to Prepare for the Interview

As mentioned in the last section, we believe in a transparent process. Advising how a prospective employee can be successful in your interview process is another way you can provide transparency.  Setting them up for success will increase your chances of finding a strong candidate that aligns with your expectations much sooner. It is also a tangible way to show the candidate a snapshot of what it would be like to work for your organization.

• Ask yourself:
  • What does your interview process look like? How many steps is it?
  • What does success look like in this process?
  • Is there any information the candidate needs to prepare in advance for the interview?

• Tips:
  • Include LinkedIn links to the interviewers profile.
  • Include links to any important information you want to share with a candidate, such as blog posts, industry news, company website, etc.
  • This should be a bulleted list

At the end of the day, your job posting is a reflection of your organization and a sales pitch to potential employees. Taking the time to build out a strong job description will help attract the best candidates to contribute to your long term success.

If you are walking through this guide and still feeling lost, reach out to Crdnl today. We can help on building processes around internal levels and naming conventions, finding salary data, building an interview process, preparing for the interview, and more. We offer solutions for a variety of your people needs.