This is a guest post written for us by John Dyson of www.frazerjohn.com.
Writing a dynamic and standout job description is an essential step towards attracting the right candidates; too little information and you risk candidates that are not right for the role applying, and too much information and you risk significantly reducing the number of candidates that apply – getting the balance right is key.
With demand for talented individuals on the rise it is now more important than ever to not only sell the job in its entirety for the benefit of the candidate, but to successfully convey what is wanted by the company from the ideal candidate. So, here are our top tips for writing a dynamic and enticing job description.
Here’s How to Do It!
• Job Title: Some would argue that the job title is the most important part of the entire job description. After all, the job title is what the candidate first sees. The title and level i.e. director, assistant, executive etc. should accurately reflect the role and the responsibility that comes with it – it is important not to under or over sell.
• Job Overview: A standalone paragraph that clearly but briefly outlines the main purpose of the job is all that is needed here. Follow this with a list detailing the location, job type i.e. contract or perm and salary – it will allow the candidate to immediately see if the role is right for them. You’re not wasting their time and their not wasting yours.
• Key Responsibilities: Here, use bullet points to list the key responsibilities that are associated with the role – I would advise no more than 10, you wouldn’t want to overwhelm candidates. Keep your bullet points short and sweet and begin each with an action verb i.e. research this, produce that and try and deliver what a typical working day looks like.
• Required Qualifications, Skills and Experience: Again, keep this section short and use bullet points. List all mandatory and preferred skills/qualifications/experience. If the candidate needs 2 years’ experience, tell them. If the candidate needs a degree, tell them.
• Company Overview: This is your chance to convey the company’s requirements and what they are looking for in a candidate – again giving the candidate a good indication if the role is right for them. Including information about the company’s products and/or services, size, location, goals and culture is a great way to do this.
• Recruiter Contact Information: Include the name of the recruitment agency and the leading consultant’s full name and contact information. It is also wise to include the name and contact information of another consultant within the same division, just in case the leading consultant is otherwise occupied.
When creating a job description, it is important to create it for the benefit of both parties; the company and the candidate. If you can accurately reflect the company’s culture whilst also providing as much information as possible for the candidate, then you have created an effective job post and should soon see the benefits.
John Dyson, Founder of www.frazerjohn.com, has been in the recruitment industry for 17 years. A renowned author of all things recruitment, John frequently blogs about his experience in the industry and provides great advice for other recruiters. You can connect with John @JD_FrazerJohn.
