A job description can either make or break your recruitment efforts. After all, it is their first look at your company and the open position, and poorly written descriptions can turn potentially good employees away or attract the wrong kind of applicants. This is why it’s important to make the best impression possible with a standout job description that covers what the role entails and what type of candidates you are looking for.
However, all this is easier said than done, and too many recruiters fall into common traps when preparing job descriptions. Read on to find out how you can construct a stellar one by avoiding these common mistakes:
Overcomplicating Job Titles
The job title is the first thing a potential candidate reads in a job description. Some recruiters might add jargon to the mix in an effort to inject more personality and attract more candidates. For example, the position of a content writer can be rebranded as a ‘web wordsmith’. While this may sound cool and interesting, it’s ultimately confusing for a candidate who could abandon their application because they’re unfamiliar with the rebranded job title. When it comes to this portion, it’s best to skip the jargon in favour of clarity, and stick with the specific job title instead.
Not Being Sensitive with the Language You’re Using
Did you know that the tone of your job description can influence the application of female candidates? The Independent reveals how an Australian software company boosted the number of female hires for technical positions by 80% with some thoughtful tweaks to their job postings. This goes to show that you need to be mindful of the language used in your job description, as you’ll want to cater to both male and female audiences. Opt for general adjectives, and stay away from words that are too masculine, such as ‘aggressive,’ ‘fearless,’ and ‘superior.’ Meanwhile, ‘dependable,’ ‘nurturing,’ and ‘transparent’ have all been deemed as too feminine.
Ignoring Formatting
Another major aspect of the job description is the way it is formatted. It’s important that you capture the candidate’s attention in the first few minutes, even at a glance. But if it’s written in short bullets, they might think the company doesn’t value the position they’re recruiting for. If it’s too long, on the other hand, they might be too intimidated to apply. The trick is here to have short paragraphs that consist of concise sentences. For formatting, brevity is your best friend.
Overdoing the List of Responsibilities
Since the list of responsibilities is a crucial component in constructing a job description, it’s easy to write one that’s too long. After all, as we’ve previously shared in our tips for ‘Attracting More Candidates with Better Job Descriptions‘, it’s important that you cover all bases about the position so that future employees enter with the right expectations. But if yours comprises more than 10 bullet points, a candidate might be overwhelmed with the numerous duties listed. Instead, Comeet recommends telling a story about a day in the job. By illustrating what they would be doing on a regular basis, you allow candidates to picture themselves in the position they’re applying for.
Forgetting to Use Keywords for Optimisation
Gone are the days when jobseekers would wake up early in the morning to see the latest job postings in the newspaper. Today, people can find numerous opportunities online with just a few clicks. This is why you need to be careful with your keywords, as certain ones can put you ahead of other companies on a search engine. Company Bug recommends creating a careers page for your website and using keywords in the descriptions there. Work with your company’s IT department to create short URLs that include information like the job title, location, and company name to boost your SEO. Lastly, pay attention to the page titles, meta-titles, and descriptions as well to make sure that your job description goes a long way.
