If you’re recruiting for the first time, getting the job description right is a crucial element in not only finding the right candidate, but making sure they stay at your business.
Job Title
- Make your job title clear and simple – avoid jargon so that candidates know exactly what the job is. If it’s a junior role, make sure this is reflected in the title – the same goes for senior positions. This will save you lots of time sifting through irrelevant applicants and CVs.
Roles and responsibilities
- Create a great summary – try and sum up the role in a paragraph that sells the position immediately. You can go into specifics later in the document, but you need a ‘headline grabber’ to get the attention of your ideal candidate.
- Include the day to day responsibilities – setting out exactly what is expected and how this will be measured. It’s also good to communicate how the role fits into the overall organisation.
Job specifics
- Include specifics – such as location of the job, hours of work, lunch breaks, holiday entitlement, salary plus details of any bonuses or additional remuneration. Ensure expectations are managed on by including as much detail as required.
Qualifications and requirements
- Include education, previous experiences and any other requirements for the role. If you have any other skills that you think would be useful for the potential employee to have (such as good customer service or communication skills) include them here too.
Sell your company
- A job description is as much about selling your business to the potential applicant, as it is about explaining the specifics of the role. Be sure to include details about your business which set you apart from the competition, plus any benefits or perks you can offer. Introduce your company, your values and your ways of working. This is a great place to include any credentials that you may have, such as B Corp or Living Wage Foundation.
Application process
- Be transparent about your application process. Include your expected interview dates, if possible.
For more support your writing your job descriptions from our team of outsourced HR Consultants, you can find out more about working with Bespoke HR here.