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The Anatomy of a Good Job Description {Infographic}

Looking to hire some new talent? Have an empty cubicle in on your floor? The first thing you need is a solid job description. If you don't have a talented staffing agency or HR department to create one for you, you'll have to get to work. Here's how.

The Anatomy of a Good Job Description

All good job descriptions answer the five main "W" questions in life: Who, What, Where, When, and Why. To help make sure you provide all these answers, take a look at the main elements you need to nail when creating a good job description.

1. Job Title

Make sure you research what the industry standard for the position is called. Your company may call the roll a Social Media Manager, but if you're really looking for a Digital Strategist, the right candidate might not apply. Need a Web Designer? Are you sure…you might actually need a Graphic Designer.

Other things to keep in mind when it comes to titles:

  • Use broad, commonly searched for titles
  • Be Descriptive
  • Include the desired level, Jr., Sr., Mid-Level, etc.

2. Layout

Having a clean, mobile optimized website will up the odds of job seekers spending time looking at your available positions. But don't trust your own website alone. Hosting a job description on a site like Monster.com or Indeed? That's the first impression a job seeker has of your company. In fact, according to Glassdoor nearly 50% candidates go right to a job description – not to your company page.

An even more unsettling statistic, according to Jobvite, only 5% of site visitors apply to a particular job after looking at it. So making your job posting easy to read is key when it comes to increased application conversion. Use bullets and bold type faces when needed.

3. Description

The most important thing to remember when writing a job description is: Make sure the job description answers the question, "What do you need this person to do on a daily basis?" 

Don't forget to list physical requirements, software proficiency, and any other details applicants might need to know. For example, 94% of Sales reps say base salary is the most important element of any compensation plan. In general, people want to know the...

  • Location
  • Salary
  • Company Values

Don't forget to keep SEO in mind when you write as well. Up your SEO juice by including the job title three times in the post.

4. Social Media

Make sure your company's social media profiles are complete and up to date. Many job seekers check out LinkedIn, Glassdoor, and Yelp when looking for information on companies.

5. Call To Action

Last but not least, don't forget to include a call to action at the end of your job post. Make it short and sweet and in the same tone of voice as your description, but let the reader know what you'd like them to do next.

Sample Call To Action's

  • Apply Now
  • Send Us Your Resume
  • Visit Our Website
  • Learn More
  • Contact Us

The Job Description Bottom Line

The goal is to attract the right candidates and deter the wrong ones.

Writing a job description can be a lot of work. Take a look at some of these standard job descriptions to jump-start your process.

Or, if you want to skip the hassle, let a qualified staffing agency (like us!) help you out. Wondering what the benefits of using a staffing agency are? Click here or contact us today for help hiring your next staff member.

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