15 HR Pros Share Their Tips for Writing Job Descriptions

Harrison Mbuvi
Latest posts by Harrison Mbuvi (see all)

Writing JDs can feel like yelling into the void. Tons of effort, but not much return if you don’t have a job description creation strategy in place. But because only a few organizations invest resources, effort, and time in writing effective job descriptions, you have an advantage to stand out.

So I asked 15 HR professionals to share their tips for writing effective job descriptions. Read on.

3 Steps to Take Before you Write your Job Description

Before you start writing your job description, consider these factors first:

  • Understand the “why” of the role: Research to know what the needs of the role are and how it will support your organization’s strategy and growth.
  • Define the role’s structure: Now, come up with a clear title for the role you’ve seen you need. After that, decide on the seniority level of the role using clear language. For instance, write senior frontend engineer, instead of rockstar senior frontend engineer.
  • Perform the roles’ need analysis: Next, identify the critical responsibilities of the role. Also, understand the must-have and nice-to-have requirements for the open position. And the success metrics for the job opening. For instance, if it’s a frontend engineer’s role, your success metric to determine the capability of the employee could be,“ minimize customers’ UI challenges by 10% in the next 3 months”.

The above three steps will help you dive deeper into creating an effective JD. 

Now let’s get into the HR Pros tips:

1. Clarity is Everything

Clarity is the engine of job descriptions. Without clarity, neither you nor your future employees will know what to expect from each other. Every phrase in your job description should add value. This way, you attract any qualified candidate who reads your job description.

On the other hand, ambiguity gives you unqualified candidates.

So, instead of vague communication, be specific to allow for improved clarity. For instance, instead of saying that it’s the applicant’s responsibility to oversee the content marketing department, add specificity by stating that it’s their responsibility to oversee content writing, creating content strategy, and managing freelance writers.

For instance, Matt Bowman, CEO of Thrive Internet Marketing Agency, has developed a framework for maintaining JD clarity. He says,

“I focus on what I call ‘growth hooks’ for improved JD clarity. These are the clear points in the role where a candidate can see how their responsibilities expand over time. For example, instead of just saying “manage the sales pipeline”, I’ll write that in the first few months, they’re learning our sales system, by the second quarter, they’re refining the sales process, and by the end of the year, they’re coaching others on it. 

He adds,

“Applicants want to know what they’ll do today and the duties they’ll be trusted with tomorrow. I’ve learned that growth hooks give candidates a reason to lean in. A vague job description feels like a box. A growth-oriented one feels like a path. When I clearly define how the open position develops, it attracts applicants who are motivated by progression rather than just a job title.”

So here’s a step-by-step guide audit checklist for clarity:

  • Does your JD have a job description summary?
  • Are your responsibilities clear and action-oriented?
  • Is the job title free from jargon?
  • Have you included must-have and nice-to-have requirements?
  • Is the language free from any jargon?
  • Have you included the salary range and benefits?
  • Can your candidates scan and quickly find the section they’re looking for?
  • Have you explained why this job opening matters?

By having this checklist, you can be confident that you’re not publishing a vague job description.

2. Don’t Skip the Salary Range

Whether to include or exclude a salary in a job description remains a debate with differing views. But stating the salary range in your JDs is a good move because it builds transparency by ensuring the applicants get clear details for what the role pays. Instead of doing different interview cycles and finally finding that the salary is below what they want. 

Studies also show that job seekers consider salary before applying for a role.

Plus, pay transparency also saves you hiring resources because you won’t interview different candidates and then not manage to hire them at the end because you both can’t agree on a fair pay. 

Some states in the United States have also passed employment laws requiring employers to provide the salary in their job descriptions. Check to ensure you comply with your state’s employment laws.

Caspar Matthews, director at Electcomm Group Electrical & Data, adds,

“I have always been as transparent as possible on pay. And I’m always specific that my company’s role pays between $42 and $48 per hour. You have to be specific when stating your salary range. For instance, stating a salary range of between $20 per hour and $60 per hour for a role doesn’t make sense to candidates. I have had instances where many candidates say they appreciated having the pay stated on the JD and that even motivated them to apply for the role.”

So, to determine a realistic and fair salary range for any open position, implement this:

  • Analyze the salary for your current employees and base your salary range on that information.
  • Base the salary range on the experience of the candidate you’re hiring.
  • Do an industry benchmark to know the fair pay for that role.

Do this and you’ll realize you’re getting a pool of qualified applicants.

3. Use Real Language, Not Corporate-Speak

Imagine yourself reading a job description with terms such as “ninja”, “rockstar”, “strong”, “IRL”, and “guru”. You’ll get confused trying to understand what that job description is looking for. Because those terms are confusing and sound like the job description is looking for a musician. 

And the abbreviation IRl is probably an internal organization term that an outsider wouldn’t understand.

Jason Rowe, the Director and Founder of Hello Electrical, says,

“What has worked for me is writing the role in simple language that demonstrates what a day actually looks like. I avoid jargon, corporate speak, and acronyms in my JDs. Instead, I opt for easy-to-understand action-oriented language. Passive voice tends to bore people, and they might not finish reading your JD. Active voice makes the JD exciting and engaging. And often suggesting a sense of urgency to convey the importance of the job opening.”

For instance:

Instead of: “We’re looking for a rockstart ninja frontend engineer”

Write: “We’re looking for a skilled frontend engineer to improve the UI experience for our customers.”

With clear language, no potential candidate will abandon your job description.

Read also: How to Write the Most Readable Job Descriptions (8 Tips)

4. Start with “Why This Job Matters”

Candidates no longer want to read just a job description filled with endless responsibilities. They are looking to see if your open role is purpose-driven. 

And, they want to learn how the role connects to a greater mission. 

It doesn’t matter whether it’s eliminating a global challenge, helping the company achieve a meaningful objective, or boosting a client’s life.

Dr. Chad Walding, co-founder at NativePath, says,

“The best job descriptions I’ve created start with the ‘why’, they don’t jump straight into responsibilities. Instead, they begin with a few lines to explain what the team is building. And why the role matters. For instance, my job posting for content strategist started with the following line: Help 2.3 million monthly readers rethink food and health. Outcome: 73% increase in qualified applications and 3 great hires who particularly said that opening line in interviews.”

To use this tip strategically, write it near the top of your JD, after writing your short introductory paragraph. And use an inspirational tone and language. 

For instance, an example of a customer success manager role:

Instead of saying: Why Your Role Matters: You’ll manage customers’ enquiries.

Try: Why Your Role Matters: As the primary contact for our clients, you won’t be answering texts and phone calls. You’ll be creating long-term trust, reliability, and loyalty. Your knowledge will directly ensure that our product is known to solve clients’ email marketing challenges globally. You’ll be the voice for our clients in this region.

5. Highlight the Must-Have and Nice-to-Have Requirements

Not having a good explanation between your must-have and nice-to-have requirements creates a process where even qualified candidates disqualify themselves. Studies have also shown that women apply to job openings they feel they have 100% qualifications for, while men apply to all jobs.

And because of this requirement confusion, you’ll end up hiring unqualified candidates. Because probably the candidate you think is a good fit only possesses what are supposed to be your nice-to-have requirements. 

                  

To create an efficient requirements balance, Lucas Botzen, CEO at Rivermate, says,

“One of my most important JD tips is to have three sections: Must-Haves, Nice-to-Haves, and Success Metrics for the First 6 Months. Not only does it enable the candidates to self-qualify, but it also sets expectations upfront. For instance, instead of saying “must be able to communicate well,” I say, “must clearly communicate technical ideas to nontechnical and technical audiences, as you will be reporting to management every month.” 

To add to Lucas’ points, use clear headings so candidates can immediately see those sections as they skim through the JD document.

Read Also: Mini Experiments: What If Your Job Description Requirements Are the Problem?

6. Define Duties and Responsibilities

A critical component of a successful job description is clearly outlined responsibilities and job duties. 

This section must show potential applicants what the day-to-day, weekly, and monthly duties look like for the open position. Without a full clarity of the responsibilities, you’ll attract no candidates or get unqualified applicants. 

To successfully implement this tip, do this:

  • List the core responsibilities: Focus on the tasks the applicant will spend most time on. Plus, clarify how the tasks contribute to the organization’s objectives.
  • Use Action words/ verbs: Action words add clarity to the responsibilities. For instance, instead of using weak verbs such as work on, responsible for, and help with. Try strong verbs such as collaborated, negotiated, and resolved.
  • Emphasize outcomes: Connect your day-to-day tasks to the desired outcomes and mission. For example, instead of “Create a content strategy”. Write, “Create a 6-month content strategy to help create optimized content to drive growth in the coming months.”
  • Don’t be overly detailed: “Provide comprehensive details to show the scope of the duties and responsibilities without writing every minor task. Doing this overwhelms potential candidates”. Says Peter Barnett, VP of product strategy at Action1

By clearly writing the responsibilities, you set good expectations for the candidates with the company’s needs.

Also Read: Action Verbs for Job Descriptions: A Comprehensive List for 2024

7. Make it Inclusive

Bias in job descriptions remains a complicated area that gets overlooked. 

Some examples of JD biases are usually obvious. 

However, it becomes more challenging to identify unconscious JD biases that might offend candidates from different backgrounds. And because of this, you might find your organization publishing JDs biased towards people living with a disability, people of color, gender, and people of all ages.

Steven Rodemer, owner at Law Office of Rodemer & Kane, adds,

“Effective job descriptions aren’t simply hiring tools. They also serve as a compliance function. Good descriptions can help defend employers if there is a disagreement over job responsibilities or expectations. They are a written account of what was said at the beginning. So they must be free from language that can indirectly discriminate. A legally compliant job description not only brings in the appropriate applicant but also mitigates risk for the company in the long run.”

To produce a bias-free job description, do this:

  • Check the language: Carefully study your job description with your team to identify any obvious and unconscious bias that might offend some candidates. For instance, if your job description states that you’re looking for recent college graduates, just know you’re discriminating against older working people.
  • Use a tool to identify and flag biased language: Manually checking if your job description contains any type of bias takes a long time. And you won’t manage to identify all biased phrases. This is where a tool like Ongig’s Text Analyzer comes in. Ongig detects all types of biases that creep in JDs, such as gender, age, race, disability, elitism, and more.

Plus, Ongig not only flags the biased phrases but also helps you rewrite the JD section by removing problematic words.

8. Bullet Points Beat Paragraphs

If your job description is a wall of text with no proper structure, no one will read it. 

Most job seekers typically scan key job description details to identify if there’s a fit.  For instance, Lacey Jarvis, COO at AAA State of Play, adds,

“People read job descriptions the same way they scan a product review. Fast, looking for red flags, and making quick decisions. We once performed an experiment with two job descriptions to determine which one would get higher views. And the one which was skimmable performed well”.

So to make your job descriptions skimmable, do this:

  • Use headings and subheadings: Breaking the job description into descriptive headings enables applicants to see the sections they want without struggle.
  • Use bullet points: Instead of a dense wall of paragraphs, use bullet points to communicate your information well. This is especially important when you’re writing the job description responsibilities
  • Use white space: Ensure there’s enough spacing between all your JD sections, such as headings. This way, you don’t produce a scattered JD.

Lastly, if you must use paragraphs, keep them short. That is between 2 and 3 lines.

Read also: 7 Best Practices for Using Bullets in Job Descriptions

9. Add a Personal Touch

Candidates want to read a job description and feel an authentic connection to the particular organization. And this is where implementing a personal touch throughout the JD comes in. 

For instance, a personal tone can create an immediate company culture connection with the employee. They can sense if the culture is supportive, collaborative, or friendly. And this helps you get qualified applicants who can succeed in that culture.

Tsvetelina Nasteva, the human resources manager at Casino Reviews, says,

“When I write a JD, I picture myself speaking to a single person who might apply. That makes the tone warmer and less stiff. I also use “you” instead of long organization phrases. I also try to write in a way that makes the candidate picture what their day would really look like. For instance, instead of a dry list of “responsibilities,” I might write “You’ll Own,” and then explain how they will shape part of the organization”.

To add a personal touch to your JDs, follow these two more tips:

  • Add a personalized note: Have the manager talk about the role to the candidates and describe the day-to-day activities. For instance, you can caption the note as, “A message from Frank, your future manager.”
  • Show your organization’s culture: Don’t say the type of working culture that is in your organization. Instead, show it through photos and videos. This way, the candidates will get a visual description of how it is working for you.

This personal touch will also end up attracting potential qualified passive candidates.

10. Highlight Meaningful Benefits (Not Just the Job)

“One mistake with job descriptions is listing only the salary range and forgetting to include any other benefits the job will offer. 

Including the benefits motivates potential candidates to apply for your job openings because they can see how the job will enhance their lives. Plus, detailed benefits also motivate qualified passive candidates to apply for your job openings,” says Christopher Pappas, founder of eLearning Industry.

So, list the benefits your organization manages to offer. Examples can include:

  • Monetary perks: Include monetary perks beyond salary, such as bonuses and stock options.
  • Work-life balance: Job seekers prefer work flexibility so they get to lead a normal life while still working. Include perks such as unlimited paid time off (PTO) and flexible remote and hybrid working options.
  • Professional growth: Candidates love organizations that invest in their career growth. Mention how you’ll help them achieve those goals. And don’t be generic by saying, “We support career growth”. Instead, you could say,” We provide a $3000 annual learning and development stipend for any courses and certifications you want to enroll in”.
  • Healthcare and wellness: A comprehensive healthcare insurance is a critical priority for any job seeker. So highlight the health-related benefits your organization offers.

Plus, include any additional benefits that highlight the uniqueness of your organization and culture.

11. Avoid Internal Titles

As crucial as they are, job titles are often overlooked. 

A job title is like your email subject line. If you write it well, you have the attention of your audience. But if you get the title wrong, your audience won’t bother.

Plus, the wrong job title won’t appear in search engines. So, the title needs to represent what the open position describes. And it shouldn’t involve the internal titles you have in your organization. And your title also has to match what other organizations in your industry are calling it. 

For instance, if people in your industry are looking for a customer success manager, you won’t succeed in hiring for that position by calling it a ” rockstar customer manager”. 

This advice from Deepak Shukla, CEO of Pearl Lemon, sums up everything. He says,

“Keep your titles simple. Skip the funny stuff like ‘growth marketing ninja’ and stick to clear titles like ‘growth marketing manager’. People are searching for straightforward roles, not titles that sound like superhero jobs.”

12. Use SEO-Friendly Keywords

Applicants use specific keywords to find the job opening they’re searching for. So, using keywords related to your job opening and industry will help potential qualified applicants find your job ad easily.

To increase your job description’s SEO reach, consider some of these tips:

  • Maintain mobile friendliness: Many applicants use their phones to apply and search for job postings. Implement clear formatting, bullet points, and short paragraphs to boost mobile application readability.
  • Use SEO-friendly terms: Incorporate relevant keywords and phrases for your job ads to rank on search engines and job boards.
  • “Have a strong call to action: Encourage your applicants to apply by using CTAs such as ‘Apply Now’, and ‘Apply Today’ at the end of your job post,” explains Mariana Cherepanyn, head of recruitment at Euristiq.
  • Utilize job board functionalities:  Job board platforms, such as Indeed, provide features to boost the readability of your job openings. So check the SEO features your preferred job board offers and take advantage of that.

13. Ask Your Current Employees

“Gaining insights from your current employees can help transform your job description from a generic one to a compelling one. Because from their viewpoint, you’ll get to understand more details of what’s needed for the open position. So, if they read the JD and say it doesn’t sound like their job, then you have to rewrite it”.

Explains  Dirk Alshuth, CMO at emma. 

The detailed information from your employees will help you prevent common pitfalls and build a JD that’s effective and fair. For instance, you’ll get to understand details such as the critical skills you’ve overlooked, the crucial responsibilities, and day-to-day activities.

14. Test, Tweak, and Rewrite

“Creating good JDs isn’t a one-time task. It’s a continuous process. Especially if your organization repeatedly recruits for the same job opening. So, track the performance of your JDs. And this means you’ll have to continually test, tweak, and rewrite your job descriptions. This way, you optimize the JDs for a diverse candidate pool, and more qualified job seekers”,

explains Nicolas Breedlove, CEO at PlaygroundEquipment.com.

To monitor your JD’s effectiveness, do this:

  • Determine your key metrics to measure: For instance, do you want to track the metrics of your job ads based on ad views, applicant acceptance, or demographic data? Having these metrics, you’re sure you aren’t testing what you don’t need.
  • Do JD A/B Tests: Create two job descriptions with some differences in key areas to identify which one is performing better. For instance, you might decide to create the same job description with two different titles to identify which one is performing better.
  • Get feedback: Create a survey and get feedback from the applicants to know what they didn’t like or liked about the JD.

Now with that data, you can test, tweak, and rewrite the problematic areas with your JDs.

15. How To Apply

The ‘how to apply’ step is often treated as a minor detail. 

But it’s a critical component that, when ignored, leads to abandoned JDs. Because the candidate has read the JD, but there’s no information on where to apply and what they’re supposed to submit.

“So, clearly write the application process to make it easy for potential qualified applicants to apply. Do this by providing the instructions on where and how they’re supposed to submit their applications. Plus specify all the important required materials such as portfolios, LinkedIn page, and resumes,”

says  Daniel Vasilevski, Director at  Pro Electrical.

Lastly, confirm that all the links you provide are correct. 

And let the candidates know the different interview timelines. For instance, you could say,” We review all applications after two weeks. If you don’t hear from us, and you think we’ve made a mistake, contact the hiring manager for this role.”

FAQs: HR Pros Share Their Tips for Writing Job Descriptions

  • What Makes a Good Job Description?

Different factors contribute to a good job description, but clarity, inclusiveness, and showing the “why” behind the role are key.

  • Can I Automate Job Description Writing?

Yes. Tools like Ongig Text Analyzer help you write, standardize, optimize, and speed up the JD process.

  • Is It Important to Include a Salary Range?

Yes. It improves candidate trust and transparency. Plus, in some states, it may be legally required.

  • How Do I Remove Bias from Job Descriptions?

Use job description software that flags gendered, exclusionary terms and problematic words. And suggests a neutral language.

  • Can I Involve Hiring Managers in the JD Process?

Yes. Their knowledge and input help ensure the JD reflects the role and the team’s needs

Why I Wrote This

If you’re struggling to write good job descriptions. Or if you’re not seeing any results with the JDs you’ve been writing, I’m sure you’ll find the above tips helpful.

Our mission at Ongig is to simplify your job description creation process. So, if you want a partner to help you in this job description journey, book a demo with us today.

by in Job Descriptions