How to Write a Job Description

A job description is a clear summary of a role’s key responsibilities, activities, qualifications and skills, along with important information about an organisation’s culture, values and working environment.

Effective job descriptions provide enough detail for candidates to assess their suitability early in the recruitment process. They serve as a recruitment tool, a way to identify competencies and a guide for successful performance, once a role is filled.

Your job title is often the first thing candidates read, so it’s important to clearly reflect the role and level of responsibility, while matching the terms job seekers are most likely to search for.

• Make your job title clear and specific. Targeted job titles are more engaging than generic ones. They can help your job ad appear in relevant searches and can enable candidates to quickly understand the role.
• Use industry-standard language. Choose wording that aligns with what candidates are likely searching for. Avoid jargon or creative titles that may confuse job seekers.
• Reflect the level of the role. Specify seniority or scope using standard levels like ‘Junior’ or ‘Senior’ to attract candidates with the appropriate background.

A job summary gives candidates a brief snapshot of the role and your organisation, which can help them assess their suitability and determine whether to keep reading.

• Open with a strong, engaging introduction. Highlight the purpose of the role and why it matters to your team and organisation, giving candidates a reason to read on.
• Include key responsibilities. Outline the main duties, without overwhelming detail, so candidates can quickly assess whether they’re a good fit.
• Showcase what makes your employer brand stand out. Include information about your values, team environment or mission to give candidates insight into what it’s like to work for your organisation.
• Include the job location. Provide a job location (including any information about remote, hybrid or other flexible working arrangements) to optimise your job listing in search results.

This section outlines what the role involves on a day-to-day basis, giving candidates a clear understanding of expectations, priorities and how the position contributes to your organisation.

• List core responsibilities clearly. Break down essential tasks for the role concisely, but with enough relevant details, as well as any duties that may be unique to your organisation. For instance, if you’re seeking a ‘Marketing Officer’, but the role requires data analytics capabilities, be sure to include this detail, so applicants can understand the requisite skills.
• Be specific. Use short, direct statements rather than long paragraphs. Avoid vague phrasing like ‘assist with production’ and instead clearly detail what ‘assisting’ entails, including tasks, tools and expected outcomes.
• Explain the role’s relevance to your organisation. Include information about who candidates will work with and report to, expected outcomes or results, and how the position contributes to your wider organisation. This can help candidates understand their overall contribution and understand how the role can have an impact.

Here, you can highlight the skills and capabilities required to perform the role successfully, differentiating between essential and desirable requirements.

• List which hard and soft skills are most valuable. Specify if education, certifications, technical skills or previous experience are required for the role. Consider including transferable and soft skills, such as communication, teamwork and time management.
• Distinguish between essential and desirable. Clearly indicate which qualifications, certificates or skills are non-negotiable, versus those that are nice-to-have, such as previous industry experience or familiarity with certain software, workflows, machinery, etc. Consider if skills-first or traditional hiring can help you identify the strongest candidates.
• Highlight role-specific competencies. Emphasise skills directly relevant to the position, like precision in repetitive tasks, attention to detail, working safely or the ability to follow set procedures.
• Be concise. While it may be tempting to list all the requirements you envision for your ideal hire, including too many qualifications and skills can make potential candidates opt out too early.

A well-crafted job description can set the tone for your entire hiring process. Once you refine your title, summary, responsibilities and skills, review your ad for accuracy and clarity. Check the ad uses inclusive language, sets realistic expectations and properly represents the role. A clear, targeted job description is a powerful recruitment tool for attracting strong candidates.

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