Learn How To Write A Job Description: The Complete Guide
Hiring the right candidates is crucial for every company. No matter what the domain, a company can thrive only when it’s supported by a responsible and hardworking group of people. Job posting sites can be a boon for you if you know how to attract good candidates with a job description.
In this blog, we will walk you through all the pointers you need to know before you write a job description. It will talk descriptively about the importance of descriptions in jobs, the components to form good descriptions, how to write a job description, and provide you with examples of job descriptions.
Why is Writing a Job Description Important?
A job description is the first impression that your company makes on a new candidate. If you do not pay attention to detail, it can deter your chances of being noticed by the right candidates. A suitable candidate can apply without contemplating so much about responsibilities as they will be mentioned in the job description.
Moreover, a good job description sets clear expectations regarding the job, which cuts down on hiring time and prevents any conflicts later. Now that we know the importance of job descriptions, let’s discuss how to write a job description.
Steps to Write a Job Description
A good job description should be between 700 – 2000 words so that it covers detailed information about the job. Here are all the steps that you need to follow to write a job description.
- Mention the Job Title- You should make sure that you highlight the role for which you are hiring. The clarity and conciseness of a job title draw more candidates. If the candidates will get a clear idea about what they are required to do, they will be more likely to get apply for the job.
- Specify The Responsibilities – Try to describe all the responsibilities of the role concisely. It will provide an insight to the candidate for what they should be expecting. For example, the job description for the post of a Software Engineer at GitHub:
Source: GitHub
- Give Details About Day-To-Day Tasks – Always make sure that you have a concrete idea of what the role entails. While writing the description try to break down the tasks in a typical day into a neat list rather than writing a paragraph. Avoid being vague and specify the tasks, do not lurk the sentences with ifs and buts.
- Don’t List All The Skills/Qualifications Under One Category – When writing the description always try to divide the skills section into must-have and nice-to-have skills. This will help the candidates get over the discomfort of not applying because they believe that they do not meet all the requirements.
For example, Slack, a software company, lists these additional requirements:
Source: Slack
- Show What’s in it for the Candidate – Don’t make the job description all about the company’s achievements. Mention what the company can do for the selected candidates. For example, mention if your company offers learning and development opportunities. Perhaps you provide health insurance, flexible work hours, employee discounts, free meals, a good amount of pay, and time off. If you have any such advantages to offer, do not hesitate to add them.
- Include Company Description – A job description will be the first introduction of a candidate to the company. So, never miss out on briefly describing the work that your company does and the work style it follows. You could also describe what the department the candidate is applying for does within the company. This will help the candidates picture the impact of their work.
- Include Cultural Values – Always make sure to give an idea of your company’s cultural values to the candidate. Besides listing the values, you can also include any awards, team diary, or workplace videos. Candidates often look for companies that match their values, so this could help them stand out on their terms.
- Mention the Compensation – According to a survey, compensation is the most important part of a job description for candidates. Although various companies refrain from mentioning the salary, this could help you save time. It can save you the hassle of going through the entire recruitment process only to learn later that you are not on the same page about the compensation with the candidate.
What Not to Do While Writing a Job Description?
Having discussed why writing job descriptions tends to attract more candidates and how to write them let’s move on to the big red flags of job descriptions. Remember the following steps to avoid writing them poorly:
- Using Difficult Words: A job search can be an exhausting affair for most candidates, so unnecessary obstacles like this can dissuade them from applying. If you include difficult words that the candidate struggles to understand then they might just pass on the opportunity. It can also lead to confusion about what the job entails, which can waste employer efforts.
- Not Formatting Properly: Most employers tend to get away with not putting in any effort to format the job description, which can be misleading for the candidates. This can show negligence on your part and hurt the employer’s brand.
- Using Unfamiliar Job Titles – Imagine using the title ‘Wizard of Light Bulb Moments’ instead of ‘Marketing Director’. Most candidates will not understand what it is about, hence skipping the role without reading the whole description. Try to add a logical title that is formal and does its job of attracting the candidates.
- Using Biased Language: Most candidates will not accept a job description with biased use of language, especially the ones who want to work in companies that value diversity and inclusivity. Biased language can include a tone that gives the masculine pronoun ‘he’ preference over ‘she’ or ‘they’. It can also include using job titles such as ‘Salesman’ instead of ‘Salesperson’. Try to avoid such words and keep the tone of your text neutral.
- Competing While Writing Qualifications and Responsibilities: It can be very discouraging for the candidates seeking jobs to go through a job description only to find an unrealistic amount of experience or responsibilities. You can lose out on a lot of potential employees if you don’t remove skills that can be learned or improved while being in the role.
- Writing in a Negative Tone: Sentences like, ‘Candidates with less than 5 years of experience will not be considered,’ can leave a negative impact on the applicants. Always try to replace it with a positive construction and be as friendly with the applicants as you can.
Job Description Examples
Now that you know the essential elements and things to keep in mind about job descriptions. It is important to have a look at what the ideal ones should look like. Following are the two job descriptions that you must go through before writing one of your own:
Job Description For Data Science Jobs
About the Company
Write a brief description of the company and its cultural values.
Job Description
Job Title – Data Scientist
As a Data Scientist, your job will be but not limited to discovering insights from complex data sets, developing predictive models, and implementing data-driven solutions to solve critical business problems. You will collaborate closely with cross-functional teams to gather useful data and promote data-driven decision-making.
Responsibilities
- Collect, clean, and analyze large datasets to uncover actionable insights and drive data-driven decision-making.
- Develop and implement statistical models, machine learning algorithms, and predictive analytics to solve complex business problems.
- Design and execute experiments to test hypotheses and evaluate the performance of models and algorithms.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams to identify and prioritize data science projects that align with business goals.
- Develop data visualizations and dashboards to effectively communicate findings and recommendations to stakeholders.
- Stay up-to-date with the latest advancements in data science techniques and tools and provide recommendations for their implementation.
Qualifications Required
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Statistics, Mathematics, or a related field. Master’s degree preferred but not mandatory.
- Strong experience in data analysis, statistical modeling, and machine learning techniques.
- Solid understanding of SQL and experience working with relational databases.
- Experience with data visualization tools such as Tableau, Power BI, or Matplotlib.
- Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to think critically to derive insights from complex datasets.
- Excellent communication skills to effectively convey findings and recommendations to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
Additional Requirements
- Familiarity with natural language processing (NLP) techniques and text analytics.
- Experience with deep learning frameworks such as TensorFlow or PyTorch.
- Has a minimum experience of 2 years.
Benefits
- INR 12-18 L.P.A
- Flexible Work Schedule
- Health Insurance
- Generous leave policy
- An exceptional growth curve
NOTE – This job description is a general template and can be modified according to the specific requirements of your company.
Conclusion
Now you know the ins and outs of how to write a job description. So what’s next? Go ahead and hire the best fit for your team by posting the right job description on job posting sites. You can also register and post your job on Internshala.