The importance of a job description
January 2, 2019

A job description is a crucial document in the recruitment process. It helps both employers and candidates to understand the role, attract the right people and set clear expectations.

Understand the role

It may sound obvious, but a job description should actually outline what the role is. This isn’t always as easy as it sounds, but the process can help hiring managers really articulate what they need the position to do. Describing the role may include outlining where it sits in the organisational structure, who the role reports to, who reports to the role, and what its primary purpose is. If the role requires specific qualifications or is expected to use particular software packages, this should also be outlined in the role description to give candidates an understanding of what the role involves.

Attract the right candidates

A well-written job description may help attract the right candidates, but to achieve this it’s all about finding the right balance. If the job description is too vague it might be difficult for a candidate to know if they’re suitable, while a job description that is too prescriptive employers may miss out on some people who may have been suitably qualified.

To attract the right people, a job description should outline the skills and competencies that the right candidate should have. This may also include a description of the type of experience that is expected and describe what level of seniority the role is. Some job descriptions may also include some things that are nice to have but not essential. These help employers to cast a wider net and attract people who may fall just outside the desired competencies. It also helps candidates understand if they’re right for the role or perhaps over or under-qualified for the role.

Set clear expectations

Aside from describing the role and what is expected of the candidate, the job description should also outline what the role will be expected to achieve. This may include a list of primary and secondary tasks, and the key performance criteria for each. This helps both the candidate and the employer understand what expectations the hiring manager has of the successful candidate, what their key deliverables will be and potentially what the measures of success for the role are. These could then form the basis for the employee’s KPIs once they commence the role.

To help you find the right candidates for your next role, partner with an agency who will help set you up for success.

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