Writing the Job Description
What should you include when writing a job description?
The key to writing an engaging job description is to find a sufficient balance between having a
candidate understand your company in depth, whilst keeping it concise enough that it’s highly
focused on deliverable and tangible results.
"30% of job descriptions that strike the balance are delivered with between 700 to 2000
characters."
Below are the best practices for writing a job description.
1. 'Title & Summary' - Outline the job title, where it will be based and sell it
This is the mandatory information that should be at the very top of the job description: What is the
job title, where will the position be based, is it full-time, permanent employment or a contract role?
Use a specific job title as you will be more likely to attract the right kind of job seeker, but drop the
internal abbreviations that people are less likely to search for when they are conducting their job
search.
Bear in mind that, as with anything, the opening section is crucial to attracting attention and
captivating the viewer or reader’s interest. Try and include a few key details about the role or your
organisation that stand out and will catch their eye.
Note: Have you done your research on the type of search terms people are using when trawling
the internet for similar jobs to the one you are advertising? SEO is an important consideration for
the job search, so you should use recognisable and keyword friendly phrases in your job ad.
2. 'Who We Are' - Tell them about your organisation
In today’s market it’s more important than ever to portray your company in the right way, to let the
jobseeker know more about your organisation and what it is you do. This doesn’t need to be
long. For example...
Our Vision:
We help organisations build their talent capability. Connecting people with opportunities.
Our Purpose:
Improving lives - Our People. Our Clients. Our Candidates.
Our Values:
1. Always embracing change
2. Always committed
3. Always communicating
4. Always building trust
3. 'The Role' - Tell them what the main purpose of the role is
Are there specific projects that you have in mind that you want them to lead? Will they be slotting
into a role within an already existing team or is their position in a new department? This is your
chance to highlight how the position fits within the team, as well as in the wider business.
This part does not need to be long either.
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4. 'Their Benefits' - Describe the benefits they will receive
The concise description of the role and your company should be complemented by a summary of
the benefits they can expect to receive on an individual level should they be successful, as well as
the job’s big-picture benefits.
A key piece of writing advice here is to help the reader envision themselves truly benefiting from
what you are offering them. This can make your job description stand out against others, even if
the benefits mentioned are similar.
Instead of simply '4:30pm finishes every Friday', why not go for 'Finish your week an hour
early, allowing you to beat the hometime rush and make the most of your Friday evenings'.
5. 'Their Team' - Let them know who they will be working alongside
This might be the easiest part of the job description. You will already have a clear picture of who
the new employee will be reporting into based on their responsibilities and the purpose of the
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position, but it is always best practice to outline the other team members they will be working
closely with on a daily basis, as well as other key interactions (i.e. stakeholder management).
6. 'Their Responsibilities' - Give them more detail about what they will be doing
In this part of the job description, it is often useful to use a list of bullet points for the individual,
day-to-day responsibilities of the role. It’s important to be thorough and let the candidate know
exactly what it is they will be responsible for, followed by the deliverables that you anticipate as a
result of their actions.
When writing this section of the job description, use strong verbs to generate excitement and
promise.
Be precise and let them know what system or software they will be working with or what projects
they will be working on and what their exact responsibilities are within that context.
As a seamless follow-on from responsibilities, you can also highlight the short, medium and long-
term objectives of the role. This then becomes your prime opportunity to mention the scope for
progression and promotion that’s on offer.
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7. 'About Them' - Explain what you are looking for in your ideal candidate
This is your opportunity to set out a checklist of the skills, both technical and interpersonal, and the
experience you expect applicants to possess.
• Define essential skills and (desired) qualifications.
• How many years of experience would you want the person to have?
• Should they have experience working with a certain program?
• Personality traits and soft, interpersonal skills that would help them succeed.
It should be clear enough that anyone reading the job specification who is considering applying
can easily work out whether or not they are suitably experienced or the right type of person to carry
out the job.
