How to write a job description
It is vital when looking to employ a new member of the team to understand the difference between a job description and a job advert. Before advertising the role you need to focus on the job description.
A job description is a formal account of an employee's responsibilities. It will be used when assessing an employee’s performance once within the company. Going into detail about the expectations and responsibilities. Once you have created the job description and understand what is required from the position, you can go on to create the job advert.
What is a job description?
A job description is designed to tell the employee what their job/role entails. It’s there to inform them. You can go into detail, focusing on the basic tasks required alongside their larger goals and responsibilities.
“A broad, general, and written statement of a specific job, based on the findings of a job analysis. It generally includes duties, purpose, responsibilities, scope, and working conditions of a job along with the job’s title, and the name or designation of the person to whom the employee reports.” – Business Dictionary
Consider the below when creating your next job description
The job description may already have been created by your HR team if the role is being replaced.
If it is a new role you will probably need to involve your HR team in the creation of a job description.
Who will the employee report to?
Will they be line managing anyone?
Essentially, job descriptions define the results and impact of a given role, as well as highlighting:
What the job entails
What success looks like
Fit within the wider company
Emphasise the company’s culture, mission, and values.
Culture is key and so important to anyone considering joining a company.
82% of job seekers in the UK rated employee benefits as key information in a job description.
For example, flexible hours, dog-friendly office, in house café, team sporting activities (see the top sort after perks pf 2021).
68% of employers have introduced new wellbeing benefits during the coronavirus pandemic to support their employees. Every organisation surveyed offered an employee assistance programme (Info-According to analyst company, Gartner)
Highlight how the job will contribute to business objectives, the potential for advancement, and how candidates' achievements can contribute to that.
Avoid using cliches/jargon that only apply internally, we all love an anagram but it takes time to learn what they stand for in different companies.
When should you use a job description
Creating a job description should be the starting point for any new hire. Building a full understanding of the role and candidate persona before approaching the job advert.
Simply put, no role should ever be advertised without a job description. If you haven’t taken the time to spell out exactly what the role entails, the impact it will have – in other words, goals and objectives – and how it fits into the wider company, you can’t:
Truly understand the calibre of individual you’re seeking
Rely on your description to entice top candidates
Appropriately evaluate applications
Expect third party recruitment agencies to appropriately sell the role to potential candidates
Understand what success looks like
Once the job description has been created not only can it be the starting point for your job advert, it will also be used once the successful candidate has started within the company.