Is it once again time to write a job description for a recently vacated or created position in your organization? Regardless, you may be exploring ways to maximize your job posting to attract the most-qualified candidate as effectively and quickly as possible.

By blending the facts you know about the position with some new strategies for conveying that information to awaiting candidates, you can certainly streamline the job description writing process.

First, Determine What You Want Your Job Posting to Accomplish

Following are five key points that you want your job post to accomplish, regardless of the nature of the position:

1. It sells the position and your organization by sharing key information about both.
2. It provides a list of technical requirements, soft skills and personality traits candidates need to prove they obtain.
3. It homes in on candidates who will quickly adjust to their position and corporate culture by providing details about their respective nature. For example, more introverted job candidates may skip applying for the position if they see your company prides itself on its highly interactive culture.
4. It is friendly and welcoming to anyone considering the role, whether a particular ad reader is ultimately the right candidate or not.
5. It offers clear instructions on how and where to apply, along with the application deadline.

4 Steps to Writing an Effective Job Description

Review these four tips to see if they might help you enhance, debug or fully revamp your job description writing process to get the results you want:

1. Define and summarize the position. In this step, you will gather the most vital information about the position. Set up a meeting with the department manager, requesting that he or she provides as much overarching information about the job as possible, as well as five or six day-to-day functions of the role. Here, you have the chance to paint a vivid portrait of the position for prospective candidates.
2. List and clarify all experience and qualifications needed. It is important to let candidates know your requirements for a position early in the description, so they can either move on to the next posting or settle in to learn more about your organization and the job. List necessary qualifications — which may include the level of education completed, previous experience in the field, required certifications obtained and maintained, computer languages, data entry proficiency, writing and editing, and anything else crucial to performing the position and adding value to your business.
3. Provide a detailed list of responsibilities and duties. Expanding on the overview of daily functions you provided in the summary, give potential candidates a more precise idea of what the job entails. For example, let candidates know whether their job is more teamwork-focused, or if they will regularly work independently. Additionally, let readers know how their position works within the larger framework of their department and the organization. This context informs prospects of the value that your organization places on their responsibilities.
4. Use bullet points, numerical lists and strategic keywords for easy eye-scanning. Just like you end up reviewing multiple resumes and applications, your potential candidates spend countless hours reading through job boards, social media posts and employment forums. Putting the same volume of information into a tidy list is easier on the eyes for you and candidates. Also, make sure to use keywords germane to the position and the prospective candidates’ possible qualifications. For example, if you are a recruiter with an accounting firm and need a new accounting professional, season your job description with keywords such as “CPA”, “financial professional”, “certified public accountant” and “auditor”.

Would you like additional tips to tackle a particularly tricky job description in your queue? No matter what you need, our recruiting team at Whitman Associates features nearly five decades of collective recruiting success to help streamline your process and connect you with well-suited candidates.

Take the next step by calling (202) 659-2111 or filling out our staffing request form.

Whitman Associates, Inc. (WAI) would like to thank you for all of your hard work and continued support. With that being said, if you know of anyone who is looking for work, please let them know about Whitman! Whether they are between jobs, trying to get their foot in the door, new to the area or wanting to try out a company before committing, WAI would love to help them find that perfect job!

To show our appreciation for your thinking of us and referring your friend, WAI will treat you and your referral to a free coffee from Starbucks once your referral starts working! In addition, you have the opportunity to receive a $50 Amazon Gift Card!

The entire WAI team is immensely grateful for your outstanding efforts and we look forward to meeting your referrals!

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Some assignments require more training than others, so if you cannot provide one full week’s notice, we ask that you provide at least three day’s notice. If you have any questions regarding this policy update or are not able to give any notice prior to leaving due to special circumstances, please call Julie or Lindsey at 202-659-2111.