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The importance of a well-written job description often goes underappreciated. But when done well, writing good job descriptions has a huge impact on your organization’s growth, productivity, inclusivity, and employee engagement.
On the other hand, inaccurate job descriptions, pose negative consequences for your organization. For instance, because of a lack of detailed job description responsibilities, employees become disengaged at work. This is because their daily duties don’t reflect the content in the job description.
So in this article, we’ll discuss the impacts of writing good job descriptions to help you know what your organization gains from investing in good job description practices.
The Impacts of Writing Good Job Descriptions
The benefits of writing good job descriptions are several.
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Here are 8 key impacts:
1. Writing Good Job Descriptions Contribute to a Stronger Recruitment Process
A well-written job description positively influences your entire recruitment process in several ways. Here are some of the ways:
HELPS RECRUIT QUALIFIED CANDIDATES
Writing a detailed JD helps potential job seekers assess their fit for the position. The more descriptive and detailed the job description is, the better it is at attracting top talent. So once the new employee starts their work, they’ll start achieving their set targets.
IMPROVES THE CANDIDATES’ EXPERIENCE
A descriptive job description serves as the foundation for a good candidate experience. Unclear job descriptions result in dissatisfaction for the candidates by setting expectations for an open position that doesn’t align with reality.
For instance, if from your job description, you say you’re looking for a software engineer with Javascript skills, and in the interview, you change it to Python skills, it becomes confusing.
HELPS THE HIRING TEAM TO FILTER APPLICANTS
A badly written job description leads to unsuitable applicants applying to your job openings, leading to wastage of valuable hiring resources. For instance, 42% of resumes received don’t meet the roles’ requirements. And an average job ad will receive 250 resumes, while you may only want to hire 2 or 3 candidates.
So a well-written job description simplifies the selection process by providing a clear understanding of the role. And stating the minimum requirements for any candidate to pass the interview.
2. Writing Good Job Descriptions Enhance Better Performance Management Evaluation
The performance of your employees is connected to the clarity provided by writing good job descriptions. Here’s how:
SETTING EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS
A detailed job description gives managers a good understanding of the important key responsibilities and duties of a role.
So this allows them to create SMART performance expectations to evaluate the employee (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound). And this guideline helps ensure the employee knows what is expected of them after a particular period.
ASSESSING EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE
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Job descriptions act as tools for assessing employee performance. So by comparing the worker’s performance to the requirements in the job description, the leadership team can decide whether the worker is meeting goals or failing. After that, the organization can take measures to help the employee grow.
IDENTIFYING TRAINING NEEDS
Descriptive job descriptions provide detailed information on the abilities, skills, and knowledge required to perform the job well. So after the performance evaluation process, the manager can identify any required training the employee needs to improve their skills for increased job performance.
3. Writing Good Job Descriptions Lead to a Fair Compensation Process
Writing good job descriptions helps establish the appropriate compensation levels for all employees Here’s how:
PRECISE ROLE EVALUATION
Organizations without an effective job description management process put themselves at risk of running into unfair pay challenges.
For instance, let’s say a recruiter writes a job description without collaborating with the other employees on the hiring team and stakeholders in the organization. Chances are high that the JD will raise pay conflicts with a similar role. Because of this, a pay equity gap rises, leaving the organization with challenges.
But accurate JDs provide a comprehensive understanding of the open position. Because there’s a working process for creating the JD. So because of this good JD writing process, it’s easy for the hiring team to research and set a fair salary range.
Plus with an accurate JD, it’s easy to price the job using third-party compensation data such as salary surveys. And remember that 61% of candidates consider compensation as an important factor in job descriptions. So imagine if your JD contains a salary range that’s below the market’s rate for that role, candidates won’t apply.
4. Writing Good Job Descriptions Promote Inclusivity
Writing good job descriptions encourages inclusivity in different areas. Here’s how:
IT PREVENTS DIFFERENT FORMS OF DISCRIMINATORY LANGUAGE
Accurate JDs help prevent any unintentional hiring practices. For example, the JD description ensures it’s free from:
- Unconscious gender bias: A great job description uses gender-inclusive language for both men and women. For instance, it avoids words such as “aggressive” “assertive” and “competitive” because they prevent female candidates from applying to a job posting.
- Racial bias: An effective job description avoids excluding potential candidates based on race, nationality, and culture. For example, it avoids using words such as “brown bag session”, “Cakewalk”, and “grandfather clause” because they are discriminative towards black candidates.
- Unconscious age bias: A well-crafted job description uses age-inclusive language that accepts candidates of any age. For instance, it avoids using terms such as “recent college graduates” because it signals that you’re not looking for older candidates.
- Disability bias: A well-written job description ensures it carefully removes any kind of bias towards people with disability. For instance, the JD employs a skills-based job writing process because of how easily disability bias creeps in. For example, it avoids using physical attribute terms such as “walk”, and “see” because not all candidates have those abilities. Instead, it uses inclusive terms such as “move” and “perceive”.
Plus it avoids discrimination against former felons, immigrants, and LGBTQIA+ people.
Read also: How to Write an Inclusive Job Description [Tips & Examples]
5. Writing Good Job Descriptions Improve Employee Engagement
Incorrect job descriptions lead to employee dissatisfaction when they start their new job, leading to disengagement, and high employee turnover rates.
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So here’s how a detailed job description leads to high employee engagement:
DEFINED ROLES, SPECIFIC SKILLS, AND RESPONSIBILITIES
A well-crafted job description sets the expectations for ideal candidates. So once they begin the job, they don’t get surprised by the daily duties. And this leads to satisfaction with the work they are doing. For instance, if the job describes that the organization needs an API engineer, and once the employee starts working and finds everything they’re doing is about APIs, they’ll be more engaged with their work.
Plus, 84% of workers who received clarity are 84% more likely to continue working with their current organization for a long time.
WELL-OUTLINED PURPOSE
A good job description includes the important sections that prospective candidates look out for such as the mission statement.
And once every employee understands how their role contributes to the engaged purpose of the organization, they get emotionally attached to achieving the purpose. Which is what being engaged at work is all about.
6. Writing Good Job Descriptions Help Resolve Employment Disputes
Job descriptions serve as a defense during legal disputes with employee work disputes. They can serve as a significant tool during cases related to work practices by providing clear evidence of the job description responsibilities and details communicated to the prospective employees.
Detailed job descriptions can also resolve employee disagreements without discrimination and bias. Some possible scenarios include resource management problems, task conflicts, and misinterpreted policies.
Plus they are an important tool in ensuring compliance with different labor laws. Such as laws related to accommodations for people living with disabilities and equal employment chances. Overall this leads to a company culture that values equity and integrity.
7. Writing Good Job Descriptions Help Attract a Diverse Set of Candidates
A good job description uses inclusive language. And because of this, it’s easy to encourage prospective diverse candidates to apply to your job ads. For instance, you’ll manage to attract more female candidates, LGBTQ+ individuals, people living with disabilities, and people of different ethnicities.
Research from LinkedIn shows that female candidates apply for 20% fewer job openings than men because they feel they must possess 100% qualifications. But if a job description gets written inclusively, it becomes appealing to all genders and people from different backgrounds.
To ensure the language in your JDs is bias-free, use software like Ongig’s Text Analyzer to help you create inclusive job descriptions. The software can detect biases such as gender, LGBTQ+, disability, ethnicity, and race that prevents a diverse group of candidates from applying.
8. Writing Good Job Descriptions Provide Structure
Writing good job descriptions works well by ensuring the needs of an organization get fulfilled on a wide basis. The job description does this by providing the structure an organization needs to ensure all responsibilities and duties get assigned to the right candidates.
For instance, with the help of a job description, the CEO and hiring managers can know who they need to approach when a specific department isn’t performing.
Plus, it helps organizations with succession planning. This way, the company knows who needs to head which department when a specified period arrives. And the organization can also know which areas need more employees.
The job descriptions also enable organizations to know the amount of resources to allocate for the training and development of their employees. And due to this job description, the profitability and customer service of the organization rise.
Practical Tips for Writing Good Job Descriptions
Now that you’re aware of the impacts of creating a great description, here are a few tips to guide you:
Define daily responsibilities: When creating job descriptions, provide a clear overview of the daily tasks the candidate will perform. This helps candidates gauge their fit for the position.
Outline important skills: Highlight the skills the candidate will need to succeed in their job. By doing this, your job ad will also get visibility to the people who have those skills. Plus you’ll save your hiring resources because you’ll end up with the right fit for the job.
Highlight benefits and perks: Outline the benefits that candidates will get by working at your organization. For instance, if it’s 4 day work week which many companies don’t offer yet, highlight that. This will help you get candidates who want those benefits from an organization.
Outline the “Nice-to-have and “Must-Have” Skills: Write the skills that are a must for the candidate to have to succeed. For example, if Python skills are mandatory, outline that. Then you can list the nice-to-have skills that aren’t mandatory but helpful for the candidate.
Also Read: How to Write a Job Description — Best Practices & Examples (2024 Update)
Aligning Job Descriptions with Employer Branding
Reflecting Your Company’s Culture
Your job descriptions are often the first impression potential employees have of your company. So, that’s why it’s a good idea to align them with your employer branding. A clear job description that reflects your company’s culture helps attract the right people and sets expectations from the start.
Highlight Core Values
Part of the job description should include your company’s core values. These give potential applicants a clear idea of what your business stands for and whether they would be a good fit. For example, if teamwork is a core value, mention how team members collaborate to achieve goals. This is a great opportunity to highlight what makes your workplace unique.
Use Clear and Consistent Language
Writing job descriptions with consistent language helps showcase your culture while setting clear expectations. Avoid grammatical errors and use specific terms that reflect the type of work involved. So, instead of vague phrases like “must be detail-oriented,” describe the essential functions or job responsibilities in detail. Bullet points can also help potential applicants quickly grasp the key responsibilities of the position.
Show Your Personality
The tone of your job listings can say a lot about your company. A fun and engaging tone may attract creative professionals, while a formal tone could appeal to candidates looking for a structured environment. Therefore, tailoring the tone to the open roles ensures you attract the best candidates for your company.
Collaborate with Your Team
It’s a good idea to involve your marketing team or current employees when writing job descriptions. They can offer insights into how to showcase your brand’s personality and help ensure enough information is included. Human resources can also assist in making sure the descriptions meet legal requirements and align with the hiring process.
Share Success Stories
Including examples of previous experience from current employees can help target candidates envision themselves in similar jobs. A short job summary that showcases what makes the position a great opportunity can attract the most qualified candidates and highlight why they should apply.
Focus on the Right Talent
Using a job description template that includes an overview of the role, job requirements, and minimum qualifications can save time during the application process. So, by doing a job analysis beforehand, you’ll have a better idea of what’s needed to attract the best talent. Whether it’s a full-time or part-time position, this process ensures you’re connecting with the right person for the role.
WHY I WROTE THIS
The benefits of writing good job descriptions impact your organization from top to bottom. Not only do you fulfill your employees’ needs but you also give your customers a good experience.
Our focus at Ongig is to help you achieve your diverse hiring goals by writing inclusive job descriptions. Book a demo today to simplify your entire job description writing process.
SHOUT-OUTS
- New Report: Women Apply to Fewer Jobs Than Men, But Are More Likely to Get Hired by (Linkedin)
- HR analytics: role clarity impacts performance by (Effectory)
- 6 Stats That Will Change the Way You Write Job Posts by (Linkedin)
- Survey: 42 Percent Of Job Applicants Don’t Meet Skills Requirements, But Companies Are Willing To Train Up by (PR Newswire)
