11 Tips For Writing Job Descriptions That Stand Out (Common Mistakes to Avoid)

Yes, we know writing job descriptions is a chore you want to pass on to someone else.

Or you might take out that copy from last year when you hired someone for the same role. The problem is that it will not attract the right talent for your job.

We have been there often, and the fact is that the job description is where your recruiting efforts fizzle.

Luckily, we have experienced many trials and errors and can provide you with the best tips and mistakes to avoid.

What Is a Job Description?

For those new to writing a job description, it summarizes the essential activities, responsibilities, and qualifications for a specific role. It is a job description describing the work a person must perform.

So, in short, a job post consists of the following:

• Job Title
• Job Summary
• Responsible Duties
• Qualifications and Skills
• Salary and Benefits

So, when writing your job description, you need to keep this in mind. But how do you write a job post to attract the right talent?

11 Tips To Write a Job Post That Stands Out

1. Make The Best First Impression

First impressions count, and it needs to showcase your company. Use this to highlight your successes and culture. Tell your readers what makes your company unique, especially if you participate in inclusion initiatives or sustainability.

Still, if you have not yet reached sustainability, highlight your excellent benefits, travel, growth, and learning opportunities. Employees want to work for companies where they can develop new skills and grow their careers.

2. Lead With The Important Things

One thing we found when writing job descriptions is that applicants browse through an aggregator or job board site and only read postings that have a title and a few sentences pulling them in.

Be concise with your job title to reflect the position, as it helps to attract candidates with the required experience and skills. When your headline stands out to a person, you lure them in with the first paragraph to join your team.

You must start with a compelling summary that is a brief and catchy introduction to your company and the role the applicant is applying for. The summary must include details about the job and why the applicant should apply.

In this section, we found that you can showcase your remote, learning-forward culture, generous life/work perks, and why you love the company. All of this goes into this summary. After an applicant reads this, you can start to get technical.

However, ensure that they are ranked in order of importance so that you do not lose a person early because of the skills that they must have.

3. Look At Your Posting Through a Lens

One thing is that you must make your posting as inclusive as possible. It helps to look at your benefit packages or consider how to make your application more accessible.

Go through your job description, examining the metaphors and words, skills list, and training to see how you phrase things and what you ask for. We found that exclusionary language puts off prospective candidates.

Using inclusive language helps promote diversity and conveys that your company is committed to inclusion. However, we recommend avoiding gender-specific terminology.

4. Avoid Using Cliches

Never use words like ninja, rockstar, or other cliches, as they are layered with problems. You are posting to skilled, intelligent professionals who want to know what the position requires. Even the word "requirements" is a cliche and sometimes does not convey the intended meaning.

For example, if you are an engineering company, you must be more inclusive and use words like preferred qualifications. The problem is that many people, most of them women, take the word "required" literally.

This is because women feel they must meet the criteria 100% and will not apply even if they miss one small item not found on the list.

5. Keep Your Requirement List Short

Even if your list includes preferred qualifications, you need to weed out expectations that are not skills and instead include advanced or specific degrees not required for the role.

Also, be realistic about the experience requirements and background. Stipulating degrees might prevent you from attracting talent who can do the job well.

Mentioning specific graduate degrees and years of experience does not refresh your job description.

So, take a hard look at your qualification list before posting it.

6. Get Another Person to Look at Your Job Posting

Always do a bias check, get another person to check it, and get a second opinion.

Ask different people to look at it, not only those who graduated from university. Choose people with different backgrounds, places, and education.

Be honest with them about what you are looking for; they need to be honest.

7. Be Clear About Your Location

We also found that you must be 100% sure whether the role is in an office, telecommuting, or hybrid. Also, advise the applicant on the hybrid schedule.

For IT positions, you must be prepared to offer the person remote options and not just say it, but mean it.

People often ask questions like, "Must I move?" "Is it remote or hybrid?" and "How many days will I work a week?"

8. Never Be Vague

Always be specific about the role and never be vague about who would like to take it on.

Tell the applicant how they can succeed in the job and how you evaluate their success.

What are the benefits, and how will they be compensated? Being specific attracts the right candidates.

9. Highlight Your Business Culture and Tech Availabilities

Do not only lean on what you want the candidate to bring to the job, but also include what you will consider and want them to bring.

Also, bring your cool tech stack to the table that your other employees enjoy.

So, advertise that you seek technical creatives who are looking to solve problems, communicate, create collaborative tools, and learn.

10. Do Not Forget About SEO

A new job seeker is browsing through a job board and relying on search engines to find the right job, so SEO is essential.

You want your job post seen and not lost among all the other pages. Use keywords that work with the job or the industry in your job post to stand out when searched.

11. Use Active Voice

Never use passive voice; it will put off your applicant from the start. It will make your job description exciting and engaging.

Use an engaging tone reflecting your culture and voice. We recommend using a language that is comfortable for you, whether you work with cutting-edge technology or are a banker.

Also, avoid acronyms or jargon, as they will not be translated outside your culture.

Avoid These Common Mistakes in Writing Job Descriptions

Now that you know how to write a great job description, there are some mistakes you should avoid:

• Using Euphemisms, things like having a positive attitude and being enthusiastic do not belong on your list of requirements.
• Avoid describing your ideal candidate, as there is no such thing. Describe only the minimum profile. Even if you are looking for someone with four years of experience, never write four in your requirements.
• Do not write unrealistic expectations when describing the position needed.
• Never ask for things a candidate cannot self-assess. Instead, use objective criteria in your proxy by asking things your candidate can understand.
• Do not hesitate to ask directly to ensure your chosen candidate matches the job.

Wrap-Up: Writing Job Descriptions

Writing job descriptions is tedious, but it does not have to be. By following the above tips and avoiding common mistakes, you can write a job post that stands out from the rest and help you find a perfect candidate for the job.

Or you can simplify things by completing a form with the needed information and allowing our microapp tool to take care of the rest. This will result in an enticing, engaging, and SEO-optimized job description that grabs the attention of job seekers online.