The foundation of the hiring process is the job description. They facilitate the recruitment process and help in attracting top talent. Comprehensive job descriptions also help set expectations for qualified candidates. A strong job description written in good job description templates also gives you a chance to make an excellent first impression.
When done effectively, it paints a true picture of the work involved and answers the query, "What does the person in this position truly do?"
What is a job description?
A job description template not only outlines the duties of the position, but also lays the groundwork for attracting, fostering, and retaining talent. It also creates the conditions for the best possible work output by clarifying duties, anticipated outcomes, and performance evaluation criteria. It is crucial for establishing a fair pay system and guaranteeing legal compliance. The document needs to be reviewed and updated per the cycle of annual performance evaluations.
The job description offers enough details to outline the main duties and necessary duties as they currently exist. They are "incumbent neutral" and not based on any particular characteristic of an incumbent because they give the information required to categorize the position, not the individual (such as knowledge, abilities, dedication, loyalty, or degree).
What makes job description templates good or bad?
Do’s | Don’ts |
Use an impersonal style as it should be formal | Use of vague terms or jargon |
Concise and complete sentences should be used | Narrative style of writing |
Be objective and use accurate adjectives | Using subjective terms, words that show discrimination, derogatory words or acronyms
Do not be gender-specific |
Clarify difficult and complex things | Mentioning the names of employees |
Crisp title | Lofty title |
Summary of job | Summary of incumbent |
Inclusive and transparent | One-sided and vague |
Sections in good job description templates
1. Job title
Search engine optimization (SEO) strategies are used by job sites where 43% of job seekers explore employment prospects. Don't deviate from the usual job titles based on industry-standard terminology because job seekers usually search using keywords they are acquainted with. Include precise language, such as the programs necessary for the position.
Lead Front End AngularJS Engineer is the job title that will draw in more qualified candidates rather than 'Developers', which is far less detailed. Remember! if a job is not listed, it cannot be applied for.
Interior designers, Wedding Planners, Technical Content Writers, Risk Analysts, Food Bloggers, Instructional Designers, and Digital Marketing experts are some examples of good titles.
2. Job summary/Job profile template
Write a small and precise, three- to-five sentence explanation of the applicant's responsibilities, the people they'll collaborate with, and any general attributes your team is specifically searching for. A good job profile template includes;
- Specific qualities required to perform the job
- Nature of the job i.e whether it is full-time or part-time
- Teams or designations of people the candidate will collaborate with
Your job summary or job profile template should be comprehensive but crisp.
3. Qualifications
This section outlines the amount of understanding needed to perform the work, including education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities. This section concentrates on the "minimum" set of skills needed for a person to perform this job successfully.
1. Educational qualifications
Determine the educational requirements that a worker has to hold to perform the tasks and responsibilities of the position effectively. Describe the educational requirements for this position, including the study areas, degree type, and/or concentration that would be needed to possess the necessary knowledge.
2. Experience
Specify the minimum of full-time experience needed for the position as well as the kind of work experience that an applicant must have. It must be made clear whether levels of experience such as internships, undergraduate work experience, and graduate assistantships are acceptable.
4. Skills
Required knowledge, skills, and abilities.
Include the amount or depth of knowledge necessary for admittance into the position when stating the required knowledge. The following explanations ought to be useful:
- Working knowledge
Having a working knowledge of a subject means being familiar enough with it to understand and solve minor problems and be aware of basic concepts and terminology.
- General knowledge
It is the ability to execute the majority of tasks in a field under usual circumstances. Understanding common scenarios is required for the work, which also includes the understanding of the majority of the important parts of the subject.
- Thorough understanding
Advanced expertise in the subject. The job requires enough knowledge of the subject matter to solve both unique and typical work difficulties, to be able to give technical advice, and to be a subject matter expert for other employees of the company.
- Comprehensive knowledge
Complete command and understanding of the subject are necessary for comprehensive knowledge. Use this phrase sparingly and only when referring to roles that are especially demanding or accountable and necessitate the creation of theories, concepts, or methodologies.
Include any necessary licenses or certifications in your list of the specific talents and/or abilities the incumbent needs to succeed in this position.
Analytical skills, exposure to budgets, internal and external communication, computer skills, creative thinking, customer service, decision-making, diversity, logical thinking, multitasking, negotiating, problem-solving, project management, supervision, teamwork, etc. are a few factors to take into account.
Also read: Job posting: A comprehensive guide 2022
5. Roles and responsibilities template
Describe the position's primary duties in detail
The first thing to consider in your roles and responsibilities template is that your list of duties is thorough but concise. Also, stress any responsibilities that might be specific to your company. Include this information to make sure candidates are aware of the qualifications and can decide if they are suitable, for instance, if you are looking for an "Event Management" role and the position requires social media expertise, then do mention it.
- Include details that explain why, how, where, or how frequently the tasks and duties are carried out.
- Think about the results of tasks.
- Refer to decision-making domains that one will impact or influence.
- Determine the places where there are direct or indirect accountabilities.
- Describe the scope and nature of the financial or budgetary duties.
- Describe the kind of contact made, who was contacted, and how much the incumbent will engage in social interaction both inside and outside the university.
- List the work responsibilities that correspond to the position's requirements and check that they are not depending on any one person's ability.
Describe day-to-day duties
Describe the daily duties of the position in your roles and responsibilities template. Candidates will gain a better understanding of the working environment and the everyday tasks they will perform. This degree of information will aid the candidate in determining whether the position and organization are a good fit for them, and it will aid you in luring the most qualified applicants to your position.
Describe the position's role within the company.
To assist candidates in seeing the big picture and comprehending how the role affects the business, specify the position of the manager the candidate will report to as well as how they will function inside your firm.
Incorporating all of the tree sections will make the perfect roles and responsibilities template.
Things to include to enhance job description templates
1. Benefits
According to State of the American Workplace Gallup 2017, 61% of job applicants believe health insurance would make them quit their jobs.
Job description templates should include the following:
- Plans for fitness and health insurance
- Offerings for retirement and stock options
- Options for childcare and parental leave
- PTO and vacation policies
2. Perks
Keep in mind that benefits and perks are not the same things. The organization provides perks as nice extras to assist employees to live happier, more productive lives and achieving a better work-life balance.
3. Location
Assist candidates in identifying commute duration and relocation requirements. Adding a Google Map or precise address to your website is fairly easy and highly helpful.
4. Word limit
For job description templates, the average word count and average duration on the page are correlated. The average time spent on a page for job descriptions with a word length of 251 to 500 words is 1 minute and 39 seconds, which is similar to the average time spent reading a job description, which is 1 minute and 41 seconds. It is evident that job descriptions that follow best practices for word count are far more interesting than their inferior counterparts.
Also read: Top 15 job posting sites in India
1. Creative sample job description templates
Job title
Who we are (Company introduction)
What you’ll be doing
- Job summary
- Roles and responsibilities template
What we need from you
- Qualifications and skills required
What you’ll bring to the table
- Experience; if required
Why work with us?
- Perks and benefits
How to apply
2. Straight-forward sample job description templates
Job title
Location
Salary
About the role
- Job summary
Responsibilities
- Roles and responsibilities template
Candidate Requirements
- Qualifications and skills required
Why work with us?
- Perks and benefits
How to apply
For more free job description templates, click here.
