Please note: This article currently reflects the Selection Manager experience and will be updated on 6/9 to incorporate the new candidate pipeline being rolled out to customers. To review the candidate pipeline and how to process candidates through the stages, click here.
In today's competitive hiring landscape, a well-written job description is more than just a list of duties. It's a powerful tool that helps you attract the right candidates and get your job posting seen by more people. Job boards like Indeed use sophisticated algorithms to rank job postings, prioritizing those that are relevant, unique, and trustworthy.
To give your job the best chance of being seen by top talent, follow these best practices for crafting a high-quality job description.
In this article we will cover:
Recommended Job Description Format
To create a comprehensive and engaging job description that attracts top talent and ranks well on job boards, use the following structure:
Company Blurb
Start with a brief, compelling introduction to your company. Share what makes your organization a great place to work. Highlight your mission, company culture, and what sets you apart from the competition. This is your chance to sell the company to a prospective employee.
Benefits
Clearly list the benefits you offer. Use bullet points to make this information easy to scan and digest. Be specific about what a new hire can expect, such as:
- Health, dental, and vision insurance
- Paid time off and holidays
- 401(k) matching
- Flexible work schedule
- Professional development opportunities
Also consider non-traditional benefits like:
- Professional development fund
- Employee assistance programs
- Company sponsored events
Responsibilities
Use this section to outline the core duties and expectations of the role. Write in full sentences to describe the day-to-day tasks. Be specific and realistic about what the job entails. Focus on the key responsibilities rather than creating an exhaustive list of every possible task.
Qualifications
End your job description with a clear list of qualifications. Be realistic about what is truly required for the job. Separate "must-have" qualifications from "nice-to-have" skills to avoid deterring qualified candidates who might not meet every single criterion.
Job Board Visibility Best Practices
Offer a Real, Specific Job: Your job description should be for one specific, legitimate job. Avoid using generic recruitment language or creating a single post to fill multiple roles.
- Be specific. Your job title should be the actual name of the position, just as it would appear on a business card. Don't add extra information like "needed now," "full-time," or a signing bonus. For example, use Certified Nursing Assistant instead of "Part-time CNA Certified Nursing Assistant NEEDED in Chicago - $200 Bonus!!!"
- One job, one title. Don't combine multiple roles in a single job title, like "Caregiver/CNA." Instead, create separate postings for each role.
- Use proper capitalization. Stick to title case (e.g., "Certified Nursing Assistant") rather than all capital letters.
Create Unique, Non-Duplicate Content: Job boards want to provide a positive experience for job seekers, and seeing the same job posted multiple times is confusing.
- Avoid duplicate postings. Don't post the same job within your account. If you need to update a job, close the old posting before creating a new one.
- Don't "location blast." Only list the city where the job is physically located. Job search engines will automatically show your job to candidates within a specific radius (typically 25 miles). Posting the same job in different cities to extend your reach is a quick way to get your job flagged as spam.
Write a Detailed, High-Quality Description: Once a candidate clicks on your job posting, a detailed description helps them decide if they're a good fit. A high-quality description also signals to the search algorithm that your job is legitimate and well-thought-out.
- Give a complete picture. Your description should include a company overview, a list of benefits and perks, the day-to-day responsibilities of the role, and the required qualifications.
- Tell a story. Use full sentences and paragraphs to describe the job. Avoid simply listing keywords or terms.
- Include location details. You can mention additional cities in the body of the job description if the role serves a larger geographic area. However, never include relocation information in the title or description.
Don't Try to Game the System: Algorithms are designed to find the most relevant and recent jobs for a search. Trying to manipulate this system will likely get your post flagged as spam.
- Post once and leave it. Reposting a job frequently to get it to the top of the search results is not an effective strategy and can get your post flagged.
- Keep it accessible. The application process should be straightforward and transparent. Job seekers shouldn't have to navigate a maze of steps just to apply.
Following these guidelines will help ensure your job descriptions are picked up by major job boards and get the organic visibility they deserve, meaning they are ranked highly based on relevance and quality. If a job starts to see a significant decrease in traffic, consider sponsoring the job for a boost in search results rather than reposting it.
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