The main purpose of a job description is to provide applicants with a clear, concise description of the duties and responsibilities that would fall to them if they were successful in their application for an open (or soon-to-be open) role.
They often also list the skills, experience, and qualifications that candidates must possess in order to be considered, as well as how performance is measured and who the successful applicant will be expected to report to.
Keep it simple: Start by writing a couple of succinct lines about the role. What is the main purpose of the position? What are the biggest responsibilities?
Keep this to no more than two or three lines — people will likely be reading a lot of these as they hunt for new jobs, so the longer your opening gambit, the higher the chances that readers will switch off.
Detail the main duties & responsibilities: This next section is where you can get into more detail. The language you use should continue to be concise to help readers scan through quickly (list formats work better than paragraphs of prose), but include everything that applicants need to know about what they’ll be doing day to day.
It’s usually a good idea to list these duties in order of importance, from the top down.
Avoid the oversell: It’s important to be honest about what the job is and its role in your business. Try to avoid overzealous language or making grand claims about either the job or your business — you’re wasting both your time and the time of your applicants.
We all want the best possible applicants, but be realistic about what the role entails and what you can actually offer to your successful applicant.
Keep it jargon-free: Using technical terms that are commonplace in your industry is fine, but take care not to include any terms that are overly niche or complicated. Ask yourself: “Is it essential that applicants know what this means?”
If the answer is “no”, then opt for a description that anyone, regardless of experience, will be able to understand.
Use gender-neutral language: Keep descriptions and language neutral, and be aware of any terms that might betray — or appear to betray — unconscious bias. If in doubt, ask a third party to look over what you’ve written to double check.