How to Write a Job Description That Finds You Great Candidates

How to Write a Job Description That Finds You Great CandidatesHow to Write a Job Description That Finds You Great CandidatesHow to Write a Job Description That Finds You Great Candidates ConlanYour business is growing, and now its time to hire First, congratulations are in order Every new employee represents a major step forward for a business.You may feel like you know exactly what you need from this new hire, but developing a formal job description will help you mora fully understand what youre looking forand that will help you find the right person to fill that role. A good job description will even do some of the hiring work for you by encouraging candidates who arent a good fit for the job to self-select out of the process.Thats a big plus for time-strapped companies. As small-business owners, we dont necessarily have a big HR department that can run through 400 resumestime is money. The more clarity you have on the front end helps ease the entire process, says Mori Taheripour, principal at MT auf der ganzen welt Strategies, a business consulting group based in Washington, D.C., and a faculty member at the University of Pennsylvanias Wharton School, where she teaches negotiation and conflict resolution.Use these steps to create job descriptions that attract people who will be as committed as you are to taking your business to the next level.Cover the Basics and in the Right OrderMuch like a menu, your job description needs to be simple and clear. This will increase the likelihood that job seekers will read it from top to bottom and come away with a clear understanding of the job. Include some mouth-watering details, and follow a logical format, starting with the job title and ending with a call to action. hiring experts recommend that you structure the information in the following order1. Job TitleAvoid made-up titles that include uncommon words which will negatively impact your jobs ranking in search results. When you post a job on Monster, the job title field will prompt you with recommended titles to help you make the best choice.2. SummaryThis is your opportunity to communicate your companys value prosttte. What exactly does your business do, and what makes you special? Cater your pitch to your ideal candidate so they can imagine what it will be like to work for your company.3. ResponsibilitiesThink of this as a high-level overview of the jobs main responsibilities that will help the job seeker know if the position is right for them. Include relevant keywords to help your posting be found in search results.4. Requirements/PreferencesRequirements are the must-haves for the applicant to get the job preferences are the nice to have qualities. Providing both will help candidates gauge how their own skills and experiences measure up to your vision of a superstar employee. Be specific about the skills and education that are required for the role and where theres some flexibility.5. BenefitsInclude primary benefits (healthcare, 401k, et c.) as well as secondary benefits that are unique to your company (flexible work options, child care support, etc.) These will help set your company apart from the competition.6. Call to ActionMake it super easy to apply to the job by including a direct link to the application. This will encourage users to apply and make it easier for you to track applicants on Monster. With a job posting, the apply button is pinned to your job in both the desktop and mobile view so the seeker always sees it.To get the basics right, check out Sample Job Descriptions, and also search for actual ads on with the same title. Specifically look for ads in the same field or location as yours. That way you can have a sense of what your competitors are seeking.Bring Your Job to LifeAs you write your job description, keep your ideal applicant in mind. Provide enough information and description to help him or her visualize themselves in the position. The better you can articulate the desired characteristics an d experience you want, the more targeted potential candidates will be, Taheripour says. And that will help simplify and potentially shorten your recruiting process.Candidates want to know what they will do from day to day in your job. Why not feed their curiosity with detailed, colorful descriptions? Its important to be as accurate as possible about what the job will entail so the candidate can understand a day in the life, says Christina Boudreaux, owner and senior talent consultant at Talent Made Simple, an HR consulting firm in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Include information about who the position reports to, who they would work with daily, what tools they will be expected to use and what their output should be. If theres a training period, explain how long it will be and what it entails.And if youre looking for someone to wear multiple hats, note that as well. Sometimes with small or startup companies there is a lot that can fall into the other duties as assigned, Boudreaux says. That can be a plus for enterpreneurial-minded Millennials who are hungry to know how business works. If thats the case, be open about this opportunity to let interestedapplicants know that they need to be flexible and adaptable to succeed in this role, she says.Finally, as a small business, you may not be able to compete for talent with larger companies on pay so think about what aspects of your culture might be appealing to a candidate and talk about those in the job description. For example, if your management style is such that you give employees a lot of ownership of their work or you allow for a lot of flexibility in schedules, say so.Define Success at Your OrganizationYour company is a unique community of people and values. Be sure that your job description reflects those unique characteristics to help set seekers expectations, says Jodie Shaw, chief marketing officer at The Alternative Board, a peer advisory board service headquartered in Westminster, Colorado.As you start jo tting down the attributes of the job, Shaw recommends describing your ideal candidate, not just with the experience, education and skills they possess, but also with the behaviors they will need to fit into your culture. For instance, if your companys culture places a value on people who dont take themselves too seriously or have a work-hard/play-hard value, spell that out in the job description.To really make your job description shine, include some details about how the candidate can advance in six months to a year. If applicable, include specific metrics that the person in the role should accomplish, as well as information about potential growth opportunities for greater autonomy or leadership. This schrift of detail is likely to get the attention of career-driven Millennials and Gen Z job seekers and signals to them that your company promotes from within.Stay Ahead of the CompetitionAn engaging job description will go a long way to help you attract the talent you need to grow an d sustain your company, putting you ahead of the competition in your field. But theres an added benefit Besides making a great impression on job seekers, your ad will enhance your companys brand and reputation with potential future customers. Could you use some help refining your hiring process?Sign up for exclusive https//www.youtube.com/ adviceand well send you the latest recruiting tips, hiring trends, management strategies, and even some awesome deals.You can rely on expertise to help you craft compelling job ads toattract top candidates.