- Compelling Job Descriptions: 5 Tips to Engage Top Talent - July 13, 2023
Crafting a compelling job description is crucial to attracting ideal candidates and setting the tone for the hiring process. After all, it’s their first impression of your company.
In this article, we’ll explore some of the less obvious practices for writing job descriptions that captivate and engage the right candidates so you can build an efficient (and happy) team.
1. Highlight the company culture
An effective job description isn’t just about listing the duties and requirements of the role. It should also give candidates a sense of the company culture. Employees who feel comfortable and happy in their work environment are likelier to stay with a company long-term and be more productive.
Highlighting your company culture is the secret ingredient to attracting top talent who share your values and work ethic.
Candidates want more than just a paycheck. They want to be part of a community that supports their personal and professional growth. So, if you’re going to attract the best of the best, build a culture that speaks to their hearts and minds – and let it shine through it in your job descriptions.
Emphasize values & benefits
Your organization already has clear and meaningful values reflected in your daily operations, policies, and decision-making processes. By listing these values, benefits, and work-life balance practices in the job description, you can give candidates a clear understanding of your organization’s mission and vision.
When writing your job descriptions, list the company core values that drive everything you do in your organization. Write them in a tone of voice that reflects your company’s personality to give potential candidates a sense of the atmosphere in the office.
Include special benefits like healthcare, parental leave, and retirement plans. People want these things!
Finally, explaining how your organization encourages a healthy work-life balance can help potential candidates feel at ease when applying for the job.
2. Describe the role
A job description is the first step in understanding how the listed role contributes to the organization. It’s also a tool to help recruit, hire, and retain top talent. Here’s how to approach it.
Highlight the impact of the role on the company’s goals
Candidates want to know what their work means in terms of impact on the company. A well-crafted job description will explain how the role impacts the company’s goals so everyone involved understands where their efforts fit within the big picture.
The result? Employees feel motivated by their daily tasks because they see how their efforts contribute directly toward achieving organizational goals.
List specific tasks and responsibilities
When it comes to job descriptions, specificity is key. That’s why it’s important to list the specific tasks and responsibilities of the position you’re hiring for.
By breaking down the tasks and responsibilities in the job description, you can ensure everyone is on the same page and avoid confusion or disputes about expectations or job duties.
Mention the required skills and software tools knowledge
Many jobs today require a combination of technical skills, say data security or process automation, and knowledge of specific software like project management or CRM.
For instance, if you are hiring for a marketing role, list essential experience candidates would need, like email automation. What are the tools you’re using for email campaigns? Is there other essential software on the team or company level? Make sure to mention them, especially if you’re hiring for a senior role that requires a high level of technical proficiency.
Specify the salary range
Money talks, so being upfront about the salary range in a job description is essential. It helps manage candidate expectations and prevents misunderstandings in the hiring process.
Not only does including the salary range save time and resources by filtering out candidates who may not be interested in the position based on the salary, but it also shows your candidates you value their time and respect their needs.
3. Conduct job interviews
Job interviews help companies find the ideal candidate and ensure a successful hire. They provide an opportunity to assess candidates’ qualifications, work experience, and personality, determine whether they’re right for the role, and add to the company culture.
Preparation for a job interview is also a good sign to look for. If a candidate is well-prepared, it shows they care about landing a job with your company.
Even though it can be time-consuming and resource-heavy, conducting job interviews is crucial in making informed hiring decisions. It’s a chance for companies to get to know the candidate beyond their resume and evaluate their potential contribution to the team.
Ask relevant questions
Asking the right questions during a job interview is about evaluating candidates’ qualifications and assessing how they add to the company culture and core values.
It’s important to ask questions specific to the role and the company. Relevant questions can provide valuable insights into a candidate’s work style, problem-solving abilities, and communication skills.
When listening to the candidate’s responses, pay attention to their body language and tone of voice, aside from their words. Also, learn to read between the lines – candidates often say what they think you want to hear rather than replying truthfully.
Ask about KPIs and metrics
Asking about measurable KPIs and metrics, like conversion rate, website traffic, revenue growth, or customer acquisition rate, can help the interviewer to assess the candidate’s expertise and skill in accomplishing particular targets and goals.
Let’s say you need to hire a PPC specialist. Ask them about a previous PPC optimization campaign they’ve worked on and the KPIs they used to track progress. When candidates share measurable achievements, these can serve as evidence for their qualifications and a value to compare them against internal KPIs or other candidates.
4. Apply clear formatting
The best candidates will be attracted by a well-written job description that needs to be simple to read and comprehend.
Make job descriptions more appealing using white space, bullet points, and easy-to-read formatting. This makes it easier for the applicants to quickly skim the job description to determine whether the role suits them. The job description should also be devoid of typos and errors.
5. Be inclusive and avoid bias
To attract a diverse range of candidates and create an inclusive and equitable workplace, it’s important to write job descriptions free from unintentional racial and gender biases.
By doing so, you’ll send a message that your company values diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive culture. You’ll set your organization up for success by bringing in a broader range of perspectives and experiences.
Give candidates a fair chance and create a welcoming environment for them to apply for the position. By including a statement about the company’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, you can show what you value and stand for.
Why I wrote this:
If you want to snag the best candidates for the job, you’ve got to make your job description shine. It’s the first thing applicants will see and sets the tone for the hiring process. That’s why ensuring your job description is on point and engaging is essential.
By following the practices mentioned in this article and making your description stand out, you can attract top talent and start a successful hiring process. If you want help automating your JD writing process, request a demo to learn more about Ongig’s Text Analyzer.
This is a guest post from Radostin Anastasov…
Radostin is the Content and Digital PR Manager of ThriveMyWay. He has acquired marketing and PR experience across various industries, such as AI, finance, and communications. When he’s not busy writing, he plays basketball to rock music.
