How to Write a Job Description That Will Attract Top Talent

• November 10, 2020
• Nicole Garrison

The most important question for HR managers and employers today is how to attract candidates who are a perfect fit for a particular position..

In recent years, many studies were carried out by multinational corporations who hire the top talent around the world. They showed that there is a lot you can and should do to attract top candidates. However, the initial step you can take in an attempt to hire the best of the best is to start with an awesome job description.

The answer to the issue of acquiring top talent is, therefore, quite straightforward in the beginning. Your job description needs to be top-notch and be worthy of attention for desirable candidates. Most importantly, it should be written from the candidate’s perspective – what will they gain from applying and working at your company? Leave the company’s perspective for the interview phase.

In this guide, we will be looking at all the aspects you can incorporate into your job description to make it more appealing for top candidates.

1. Pick the right title and summary

Generic job descriptions will not help you attract the top talent you are looking for. In order to attract truly qualified people, you need to think outside of the box. In many cases, the best way to achieve that is by using the right keywords. Copying and pasting job descriptions you have created for other job openings are not going to be helpful in this situation.

The summary has to be short, to the point and very descriptive. In many cases, the fewer words you have to say about the position can determine whether a candidate will take a second look. You need to make sure that you explain a few things about the job description and the obligations without making it too long. The more descriptive and short your summary is, the easier it will be for the right candidates to apply for an interview.

2. Discuss work from home (WFH) and remote options

To begin with, each ad should prominently discuss the location for the position. It is important to emphasize whether a certain job can be done from the comfort of your home, which is actually invaluable at this time (2020) of the coronavirus pandemic.

Top candidates will place a lot of importance in these aspects of work, especially in the years to come. As an employer, this is your chance to differentiate from other companies and offer favourable working conditions and attract talent who sees remote work as a must- have, before they join a company. However, some industries simply cannot function in WFH environments. If your company belongs to this group, make sure you accentuate other, similar flexibility features that you can offer to new employees.

3. Be very clear about your expectations

Furthermore, each advertisement should contain information about what the employer expects from its employee. For example, whether the job requires teamwork or independent work, what responsibilities the future employee will have - what the working hours are, whether they work in shifts or not and what responsibility to have the selected candidate.

If you are finding it difficult to find the words that would accurately describe the position and its requirements, you can ask help from professional writers and editors. You can use services such as Supreme Dissertations (a website with professional writers) or TrustMyPaper (where you can hire expert essay writers for your job description).

4. Promote the positive sides of your company culture

Top candidates are looking for a lot more than just a high salary and benefits. If they decide to dedicate a third of their day to a company, it has to be an atmosphere of positivity, teamwork and ambition.

Describe what your company does to nurture all of these things. List special events and traditions you have as a team, such as team-building events, parties, happy hours and more. Also, try to really describe what the “vibe” in your team is like and don't just use cliches that will sound like you are presenting the good sides. A fun idea for this is to include, for example, quotes or little stories from your team members about what they like about working in your company.

5. Outline the requirements, but leave room for exceptions

It is very important to emphasize what position in the company is in question and what level of education is required for a particular job. You should also mention the skills and qualifications that an employee should have. However, make sure to add a footnote that explains that a candidate can apply if they feel like they would be a good fit, even if they do not fulfill all the requirements.

Outlining detailed requirements can drive you away from many desirable candidates. You might have a clear picture of the type of employee you want, but you might end up driving them away with requirements they do not fulfill. So make sure to leave room for other applications as well.

It’s best to ask candidates to supply a letter of motivation that would have the same writing structure as a college essay. This can also tell you a lot about how serious they are about your position. If they take the time to write and edit a lengthy essay, it means they are really dedicated to working at your company.

6. Share your blog page

Many big companies have specialized blog pages where they discuss everything from the company culture to the hiring process. For potential candidates, these pages are a great source of information, and they can use them for prepping for job interviews. If you don’t have a page like this for your company, you should definitely create one. These types of employer branding work wonder when it comes to attracting top talent.

7. Describe the company, but keep it short and sweet

The employer should certainly provide a brief description of the company, and what it does, how successful they are in their work and what they expect from their employee. It is also recommended to discuss whether there is room for improvement, whether the company may pay for the course or training the employee will need.

Company descriptions should be short and succinct – the rest will be discussed in more detail in the later stages of the hiring process. Ultimately, you can use the scarcity of information to determine which candidates dedicated more time to researching the company. This will tell you a lot about their motivation to work at your company and how passionate they are about getting work done the right way.

8. Money talks

The question that arises for every person who reads a job advertisement is definitely salary. It is important to emphasize what the salary is, whether there are contributions for overtime work, possibly night work and how much they are, as well as whether there is a possibility of fieldwork and whether it is paid more.

No less important is the information on whether the travel cost is paid in full, in part or not at all. Most people travel to work by either their own or public transport, which is certainly not cheap. Few actually have the privilege of working not far from their place of residence.

9. Discuss the next steps

Once we have stated what is expected of the employer, by applying to the ad, he is given the task of making a selection of candidates. It would be desirable to conduct a test with each candidate to see if he or she is competent enough to do a particular job, as well as to interview each candidate individually.

What may be contradictory to everything already mentioned is that the ad must definitely be short and clear. It would be desirable to state what would be of interest to the candidate, and we have stated in previous sections.

Conclusion

Finally, let’s rehash some of the items that should be emphasized in each job advertisement to make it as attractive as possible to the person reading it:

• The job for which the person is applying.
• The name of the company for which he is applying.
• The place where he will work and whether he has the opportunity to work from home.
• What are the expectations of the employer, but also what the employer expects from the future employee.
• What is the salary and whether there is room for improvement.
• How to conduct testing and inform the candidate about possible future work.

If you enjoyed this Mod, you might like to read more about how to recruit the best developers for your startup! Please share this Mod using the social links below. Any questions or comments? Let us know on Twitter!

Tagged in : CareersJobs