Writing a job description - not rocket science right? This might sound like a no-brainer, but the job description can be the make-or-break moment in any recruitment process. Not only are candidate standards high, but considerations such as SEO mean that the job description may require a little more thought than you might think. So what are our top tricks and tips for making your job specification pop?
Understand The Role
When we say understand the role, we don’t mean make sure you have a snappy title and a to-do list. Being clear on how this role is going to fit into the broader context of your team is vital. Who will the candidate be working with, what are the day-to-day tasks, what is the long term strategy for this role are all useful bits of information to have firmly cemented before you put pen to paper (or let’s be honest, fingers to keys).
Tick All The Boxes
You would be surprised how easy it is to forget components of a job description and in fact, how often this happens! So what’s the checklist?
1) A clear and specific job title
2) A topline job summary
3) A company overview
4) A detailed list of the key responsibilities
5) An extensive list of the qualifications and skills required, including a note of which are essentials and what are just useful
6) The work environment and culture
7) Salary and benefits
8) Clear instructions on how to apply, including deadlines and interview dates
9) Contact information
It can be easy to fall into the trap of missing off elements that you perceive as potentially unattractive but rest assured, candidates will often smell a rat if a job spec is too good to be true. And please - no ‘Competitive Salary’!!
Make It Engaging And Approachable
This is likely the first contact that your candidate will have with you, so it’s a really good opportunity to set the tone. Of course, be clear and concise but also be approachable. What makes your company a unique place to work? It doesn’t have to be ‘we have a pool table and free coffee’ and for many companies, work doesn’t look like that! But maybe you have a really fun team, really good role flexibility or just a transparent culture. Every company has something to recommend.
Avoid The Pitfalls
There are a few factors that can make a job description really off putting. One of those is being too vague OR too detailed. Candidates want to have all the details they need, but don’t want to feel like they could get through a J.R. Tolkien in the time it takes them to read your spec. Similarly, avoid jargon and pay attention to the formatting and readability - you don’t want to lose them at the first hurdle. Finally, do check over for unintentional discriminatory language. It’s likely a good idea to get a few pairs of eyes over the final version before it goes live - even copywriting pros can get blind to errors on the 10th read.
So, it’s true, writing a job description really isn’t rocket science, but it also shouldn’t be underestimated as a 5-minute job. It’s important to make sure that you work to sell your company and the role and to be as transparent as possible. Top candidates expect to be treated with respect, which they will then return. If you’re looking for support with anything recruitment, please do get in touch. We’ll do what we can to help!
Jackson Sims Recruitment is a property recruitment company operating in the UK and APAC region. Should you be a candidate or client working in property management we have a multitude of recruitment services that can be tailored to you. Please visit www.JacksonSimsRecruitment.com for more information.
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