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Jobs evolve with time, and because of this, job descriptions need to be updated to reflect the changing responsibilities and duties. And today the fancy, long titles and never-ending lists of job requirements that worked 10 years ago don’t work anymore. So pay keen attention when doing job description updates.
Plus a poorly written job description might prevent you from attracting qualified candidates. For instance, according to research, 52% of candidates say the quality of a job description influences their decision when it comes to applying for a job.
So if you want to hire top talent, consider updating your job descriptions. This article will help you understand the problems that must be solved in your job description update process.
Image Source: Jason Goodman on Unsplash
Why you Should Prioritize the Job Description Update Process
There are various reasons why organizations decide to do job description updates. For instance:
- To improve the accuracy and clarity of the job descriptions because sometimes JDs can be unclear and confusing to candidates.
- To update the changes in the job role because the role evolves into something more complex and bigger with time. And even the market demands, technological advances, and changes in company strategy lead to new responsibilities not previously included in the job description.
- To improve the diversity of language used in the job description because unconscious bias creeps into job descriptions unknowingly.
- Optimize the job description by including relevant keywords to boost the job post’s online visibility.
So in your job description update process, look out for these problems, and solve them:
1. Outdated Job Description Information
Compare your organization today with what it was even 4 years ago. Chances are a lot has changed. The work your employees are doing in running your organization has also changed.
Plus technology is changing the way work gets done.
Because of this, it’s a good practice to review and update your job descriptions to match what your employees are doing. And the skills you’re looking for from future employees. To succeed at this step:
- Update your job description titles to match the role
- Revise the list of roles and responsibilities
- Update your benefits and perks if they’ve also changed
- Revise the location to match the current locations for the role whether hybrid, remote, or physical
- Update the team or departments the role belongs to
- Define the reporting structure to clarify who the role reports to
- List the important skills or experience for the role
Updating the job description information ensures you attract top talent with the right skills.
2. A Vague Job Title
Research shows that 36% of job seekers search for jobs using the job title of the job they’re looking for.
A job title gets the candidates’ attention before they read the rest of the job description. Plus with a descriptive job title, you get to increase your application rates and provide clarity to the candidates.
But most job titles are full of jargon and use unnecessary words. For example, you’ll find job titles with terms such as “Network Guru”, and “SEO Ninja”. So while editing your job description title do this:
- Include relevant keywords to help potential candidates come across the job ad easily.
- Avoid biased language in your job title. Use gender-neutral titles that attract candidates of all genders.
- Write a short job title. Punchy and short titles perform better than long ones. Use 1 to 3 words and less than 20 syllables in your job titles.
- Be specific and avoid jargon language. For instance, if you’re hiring for a “social media manager” write that instead of “content marketing manager”.
3. Job Description Updates for Biased Job Descriptions
The words and phrases in your job descriptions might prevent some candidates from applying. Especially if the words contain bias on gender, race, age, disability, sexual orientation, and more.
So updating job descriptions to remove bias is key to sourcing, attracting, and hiring diverse talent.
But this process can get pretty tiring. So, create a diversity style guide or use diversity tools to automatically flag any biased words that might deter or offend candidates from different backgrounds.
For instance, you can use Ongig’s Text Analyzer to help you highlight any non-inclusive language and get more diverse replacements.
Our tool helps you find gender-coded words and other types of biased language( age, physical disability, race, mental health, sexual orientation, and more.) in your JDs.
For instance, below is a screenshot of a Database Engineer job description. Our Text Analyzer highlights the non-inclusive language. It also provides inclusive replacements for masculine-coded words such as “leader, and “strong”.
4. Job Description Compliance Issues
Image Source: Memento Media on Unsplash
Your JD may need to be edited/modified to comply with the latest employment regulations and laws. Most times, non-compliance can lead to lawsuits.
Compliance in job descriptions is important for some of these reasons:
- Americans with Disabilities (ADA): job descriptions should not exclude anybody with disabilities from applying to a job opening. Non-compliance can lead to legal lawsuits
- Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Compliance: JDs should follow EEO regulations to avoid discrimination against applicants based on protected characteristics such as religion, race, age, gender, and disability. Failure can lead to penalties.
- Fair Labor Standards Act(FLSA): a job description must reflect the responsibilities and classification (exempt, non-exempt status) of the job opening defined by the FLSA. Non-compliance will result in legal problems.
- Data Protection and Privacy Laws: JDs usually contain sensitive employee and candidate information, such as skills, educational background, and employment history. So compliance is important to ensure this data doesn’t fall into the wrong hands.
- Immigration Laws: If your JD requirements are related to visa sponsorship and work authorization, you should comply with immigration regulations and rules. Non-compliance leads to difficulty in recruiting applicants from other countries, legal challenges, and penalties.
5. Job Description Updates for Unreadable Job Descriptions
Candidates spend only a few seconds reading job descriptions. So if you want to attract top talent, you must consistently do job description updates for clarity.
Your JDs should ideally be between 300 to 650 words. So, you need to find a balance to ensure the job description is neither long nor short.
A long job description might make candidates lose interest halfway and a short JD might appear unprofessional, forcing your candidates to move on.
So to make effective job description updates for readability do this:
- Find unnecessary words in the JD: Most job descriptions have words that don’t add any value. Examples are “complex words” and adverbs such as ‘acquire”, “in order to” and more.
- Fix the long sentences: Break the longer sentences to 1 or 2, they’re easier to read.
- Bullet points: Highlight the important details and sections using bullets. This way, potential candidates can easily scan the job description.
- Use subheadings and headings: This will divide the job description into easy-to-read organized sections.
- Use plain language: Avoid boring technical terms and jargon that confuses applicants. For instance, avoid using words such as “ninja” Rockstar”
Lastly, leave enough whitespace to improve the job description’s visual flow.
6. Poorly Outlined Expectations
Poor outlined job descriptions write confusing requirements and responsibilities for a role. So whether it’s academic qualifications, competency, job experiences, or duties, check that the requirements are clear.
To edit your job descriptions to outline your expectations well, do this:
Involve the right people in updating job descriptions. This can include managers, external partners, or anyone important in your company’s job description writing process.
By getting their input, you ensure the JD captures the preferences, expectations, and needs of each group. This way, candidates won’t apply for a job and once they start working, they start being told to do work outside their job description.
7. Lack of SEO Optimization
Image Source: Sumaid pal Singh Bakshi on Unsplash
Candidates search for an open role using keywords depending on the skills they have, roles, and industries. So making job description updates to make them SEO-friendly can help them rank on search engines and become more visible.
While making job description updates, find the keywords applicants use when searching for your position. Plus you must consider the job title variations, industry, and locations while doing keyword research, (for example, “remote customer success manager”).
Once you’ve narrowed down your list of keywords, include them in the headings, job titles, qualifications, responsibilities, and benefits section. But avoid the unnatural keyword stuffing of words in your JDs.
Plus link your job posting to the relevant links such as company culture information, employee testimonials, and company culture details.
Lastly, optimize your job posting for mobile devices. Most candidates search for jobs using their phones.
Why You Should Integrate Job Description Updates with Performance Management
Updated job descriptions can be a valuable tool for performance management. They help set clear expectations and goals for both new hires and current employees.
How the Job Description Update Process Supports Performance Reviews
When job descriptions are accurate and up-to-date, performance reviews also become much more effective. In effect, HR professionals and managers can use these job descriptions to assess how well employees meet their job duties. So, clear job descriptions make it easier to identify strengths and areas for improvement during performance evaluations.
Setting Clear Expectations and Goals
A well-written job description sets clear expectations for team members. It outlines the responsibilities of the position, the essential functions, and the minimum requirements. This clarity helps new employees understand their roles from the start. Thus, making the onboarding process smoother.
In addition, for current employees, keeping job descriptions current ensures they know what is expected of them. So, regular reviews and updates to job descriptions can help in setting performance standards and goals that align with the organization’s mission and business needs.
Aligning Job Descriptions with Performance Management
To alignn job descriptions with performance management, start integrating these descriptions into the hiring process, performance evaluations, and succession planning. HR departments should use job description templates to create position descriptions that reflect actual duties and responsibilities.
Also, during the annual review is a good time to revisit and update job descriptions. So, this process ensures they remain relevant and reflect any significant changes in the job roles, such as new skills required or new technologies used.
Benefits for Employees and Employers
For employees, a clear and updated job description clarifies the essential tasks and physical requirements of their role. It also aids in their career development plans by outlining potential career paths within the organization.
For employers, accurate job descriptions help with hiring the right candidate and ensuring a good fit for new roles. They also help maintain compliance with federal law and state laws, such as the Disabilities Act, by outlining reasonable accommodation needs.
Best Practices for Keeping Job Descriptions Updates Consistent
HR professionals should follow best practices for job description development, such as conducting job description reviews on an annual basis. This practice helps capture any job changes to update the job specifications accordingly.
In addition, gathering information from various sources, including the hiring manager and current employees, can provide a thorough understanding of the position requirements and essential duties. This approach helps create detailed and effective job descriptions.
Use Job Description Management Software To Simplify Your Job Description Update Process
Using job description management software can help simplify your job description update process this way:
- Enhanced Collaboration: Job description tools make it easy for the hiring team to work together and approve updates. This way, everyone can edit the job description together. On the other hand, if you edit the job description by hand, it takes longer because it has to go to everyone in the office.
- Version Control: With version control features from job description management tools, you easily track and review any version of the job description you are editing. So you can “undo” any unwanted edits and even return to the edited version you want.
- Easily integrate style guides to ensure consistency across all your job descriptions.
Using the job description software, you visualize the whole editing process of a job description. And everyone on the hiring team can understand the reasons behind any specific edit
WHY I WROTE THIS:
Updating your job descriptions is crucial to finding the right talent. With updated JDs you’ll remove biased language, improve the job title, and clearly state your expectations from candidates.
Ongig’s mission is to help you write and update your JDs for inclusivity. Book a demo today to learn how we can take your job description update process to the next level.
