Developing a high-level job description that companies can use to attract a robust and diverse pool of qualified candidates may seem like a relatively straightforward task, but it requires a thoughtful, deliberate, and team-oriented approach to get it right.
A well-crafted job description tells a compelling story – about the position, the company, and its unique and important mission. Slone Partners provides support to its client partners to ensure that positions are represented in ways that are attractive, substantive, and inclusive, but also free from unnecessarily overwhelming and non-essential details. The goal is to pique the interest of qualified candidates so that they are inclined to pursue the opportunity. In this blog post, we will discuss the best practices for crafting a job description that will attract a wide pool of talented candidates.
- Tell a Compelling Story: A great job description should do more than just list a set of roles and responsibilities. It should tell a compelling story about the position and the organization. Be sure to highlight the unique attributes and culture of the company. Share the company’s mission, vision, and values. Explain how the position fits into the company’s overall strategic plan and how it contributes to the organization’s goals. This storytelling will help attract candidates who understand and share your organization’s core values and mission.
- Discern the Must-Haves from the Nice-to-Haves: It’s critical to accurately describe the contours of the position, including the most important responsibilities, reporting structure, and the requisite skills – both hard and soft skills – and qualifications necessary to succeed in the role. Make sure to specify the essential functions of the position and any mandatory requirements. Clearly articulate the differences between the “must-haves” from the “nice-to- haves” when describing the desired qualifications so that highly qualified candidates don’t ever feel like the role is not right for them. Include the required professional certifications, licenses, and academic qualifications to ensure that the candidates considering the position are clear on the necessary criteria.
- Avoid Unnecessary Details: A compelling job description will include the necessary information without overwhelming the reader with trivial details. Avoid using jargon or “internal” language that might not resonate with potential candidates. Instead, prioritize the most important nuggets of information that truly define the position and how it fits into the fabric of the organization and its mission.
- Use Inclusive Language: It is important to create inclusive job descriptions to attract the widest pool of interested talent, including diverse candidates. Avoid using gendered language or any language that might create barriers for underrepresented groups. Use a sincere and positive tone while emphasizing the company’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.
- Use a Team Approach: Ensure that the key internal stakeholders are involved in the drafting of the job description and are in alignment with how the position is described, why certain skills and qualifications are being required, and how the hiring process will proceed. Many of these key stakeholders will be included in the candidate interviews when they occur.
- Be Forward-Looking: When describing the position, consider how the role might evolve over time. Include information about how the position may grow or change as it will help the candidates envision a clear path forward within the company. Ensure that the potential candidates have a vision of how they can and will contribute to the company’s future success.
Crafting an attractive job description is both an art and a science. It requires a team effort involving the key stakeholders who together build a compelling story about the position, the skills and qualifications required, and the organization and its mission. The desired outcome is a document that is straightforward, inclusive, and future-looking. It is a critically essential component for organizations that want to attract and secure the most highly qualified candidates for their most important executive roles.