A job description may seem like a dull necessity… When you are looking to recruit new staff, the description you include in your advert is essential to attracting the right candidates. So, what can you do to make your job stand out from the rest and ensure you get the best quality applicants? We tell you how, with these tips for creating a memorable job description.
Potential candidates are looking to understand what the company does and why it’s different. They also want to know how the advertised role fits into the organisation, what the day-to-day duties are, and what the role can offer in terms of career development, plus of course, salary and other benefits.
1. Know your audience
When writing your description, think about who would be the best person for the role, what drives them and what goals they are likely to have. Keep all of this in mind when fine-tuning the description so that you aim it at a particular persona. Think beyond the skills needed for the job to the type of individual you want to fill it.
2. Company culture
Try to get across the personality and culture of your company in your description. Use an easy style, even throw in a little humour if it’s appropriate. Consider including a photo of the team or even a short video to allow applicants to build up an idea as to the workplace and their prospective co-workers.
3. Keep it simple
A dense block of text in a job description can be off-putting. Try to keep things simple and use bullet points where appropriate. Make sure there’s some white space around the text. At this stage, you want to get the reader interested; you can always give them more detail later as part of the application process. Focus here on getting across the key points in an easy-to-understand format.
4. It’s all about the candidate
When people read job adverts, they inevitably picture themselves in the role. When you are writing the description, therefore, try to focus on them in outlining the qualities, goals and capabilities your candidates will need. Think about what a typical working day would be like for someone in this role. Talk to the line manager or others in similar positions in the business for inspiration.
5. One to one
Finally, try to give your advert a personal touch. Write it as though you were talking to the candidate face to face. Be friendly and conversational. Perhaps even include a picture of yourself so that they can picture who they’re dealing with. Try to add a unique call to action at the end, instead of ‘apply now,’ try ‘get in touch’ or ‘why not talk to us?’ to give your advert a de-formalised feel.
You put a lot of time and effort into selecting the right candidate, so it’s important to jump-start the process through the best possible job description. Do this properly and it will ensure you attract more of the right applicants, improving the chance of finding that perfect fit.
