Your job description is your ticket to determining whether or not candidates are going to pay attention to your open position. You need to provide enough information to catch the attention of interested candidates: something that will set your open position apart from the crowd of other, similar positions in your industry. Stuck on how to write a great job description? Make sure you keep some of these tips in mind.
Know What You Really Need
The last person to fill this job had a specific set of qualifications: certifications, skills, and degrees that made it possible for them to complete the job. That doesn’t mean, however, that the next person to fill that job must have identical skills. Instead, take the time to figure out what you really need in order to fill your open position.
What skills does the candidate really need to have? Are there certain certifications that would be helpful? If you’re having trouble filling an open position, you may discover that you’re asking for too much out of your candidates. Talk with others in the industry, especially those already filling similar positions, to discover more about what’s really needed.
Make Sure Your Job is Realistic
You want your new programmer to be able to create new apps on a regular basis, figure out errors in old apps, and take care of any security challenges that might hit: hackers, malware, and ransomware, to name a few. Oh, and if they could, it would be great if they provided tech support to your users.
Wait—what?
Your job description may be accurate if you’re looking for someone who can handle all of those tasks, but it’s probably not realistic. If you want to attract people to your open position, make sure that your expectations for them are realistic—and that you’re compensating them correctly for the skills they’re bringing to the table.
Share the Details
Want people to apply for your open job? Tell them what they’re really going to be doing! A good job description is between 700-2000 words long, not a short, paragraph-long blurb that barely covers the essentials. Job candidates want to know what you’re offering: the work environment they’re coming into, the skills and certifications required in order to get a job offer, and the duties they’ll be completing every day, as well as information about your company.
What makes your company a great place to work? Is there something that sets you apart in the industry? All of these are key details that a potential employee needs to know.
Tell Your Candidates Why They’ll Want to Work for You
This isn’t the time to paint a “too good to be true” picture of what it’s like to work for your company, but it is a great time to share with candidates how working for your company can provide long-term benefits in their lives. Do you have a great benefits package? Flexible hours? Work from home options? What about stock options? Make sure candidates have a good picture of what your company is offering them if they come to work for you.
Writing a great job description can make all the difference when you’re trying to fill an open position in your company. By following these key tips, you’ll find that it’s easier to let candidates know exactly what you expect of them. You’ll also be more likely to get the kinds of candidates that you genuinely want for the position.
Atlantic Group Recruiters is a staffing agency with locations in New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Stamford CT and Morristown NJ.