Hiring the wrong employee can cost your business thousands of dollars, which is why it is essential that you give yourself the best chance possible to find the right person. Whilst there is no surety that you will find the right person (oh but we wish that there was), starting the hunt with a good job description will give you a more than fighting chance.
Before we go on however, let's look at the key parts of what a job description should do. In summary a good job description will:
- Set out the name of the role, and who the role reports to
- Detail the duties and responsibilities of the hired individual
- Identify required qualifications and experience
- Describe the persona of the ideal candidate
- Be written objectively
- Explain how the role fits into the organisation and explain why it is of importance to the organisation
- Remember, every role in the company is important in some way, and everyone likes to know that their contribution will be noted
- Be easy to read and well written
- Detail information about the company itself
- Be accurate
So where to begin hey? In the first instance we would advocate that you take a step back from the role you are trying to fill. Chances are you looking to replace someone who was/is currently in the role. In this case many people make the mistake of writing a job description based on the everyday activities that person undertook. Whilst this makes sense, it is also a short cut that can backfire. If the person in the role has stopped doing something they were originally meant to do, or if the work has been delegated to someone else, then by designing the role around what they do, you risk leaving key elements out which should be included.
A good job description will instead be written to include not only the synopsis of what the incumbent employee tells you, but also include the summaries of other key individuals who will be reliant upon or working with the person filling the role. These key people can provide insights into what is expected of the role, what core competencies are required to succeed and also provide different perspective on what is needed.
What you should also remember is that, as important as it is to detail the technical components of the role so a candidate can determine their suitability, it is equally important to describe the type of person you need for the role and for the company. Remember, it is important that not only can they perform the tasks of the job, but that they assimilate with the others in the team and that they have the required personal attributes to survive in the job. It is therefore important that when you are writing the description that you also describe the type of environment they will be working in, and that you give an accurate description of the company, it's goals, its successes and why the current role is looking to be filled.
Lastly, with these points in mind, there is one item to remember which is of paramount importance. Make sure the description is accurate and not embellished. Why sugar coat the role for the sake of it. You want to portray the role and the company for what they are, not as an image of what you would like them to be. If you are not 100% accurate in your description as you want to attract a certain type of person, then you will never be 100% happy with the candidates you get as they will be meeting the requirements you detail in your job description, but not what the role requires.
If you have any other pointers you would like to share with others, or have any anecdotes about the importance of a good job description, please tell us, we would love to hear and share these thoughts with others.