Another Take on Job Descriptions

Many times when employers post job descriptions, for one reason or another they end up wide of the mark. They don’t really get at the essentials of the job, or give the applicant a good idea of what the job entails.
To help remedy that situation, business consultant Janine Truitt has a few suggestions.
First, she says, it is important to remember that a job description needs to be informative, giving the job seeker an accurate idea of what the day-to-day requirements of the job are.
Another item that the job description should contain is an explanation to the job seeker of why the company is such a good place to work. The job description needs to sell the company.
The job description should also contain a list of the specific skills, abilities and knowledge a person should have for the job.
These are pretty straightforward elements that a good job description should include. But too often, Truitt says, job descriptions are not organized well, are vague explaining the requirements for the job, there is no compelling reason given as to why anyone would want to work for the company, and, to top it all off, the job title is often misleading.
All of these missteps can have a big impact when you consider that the average job seeker spends at most 30 seconds looking at a job description.
To ensure that your job descriptions are up to standards, there are several procedures that can help, Truitt says.
First, make sure that the appropriate people review your job descriptions every three to six months to make sure that they are current.
You also should make every attempt to provide an accurate description and try to avoid anything that might mislead the applicant. For example, saying that the job requires a college degree when someone with a high school degree can do the job will affect your ability to find the right person.
You should also make sure that your description is geared toward the type of talent pool you are trying to attract. In other words, know your audience.
If you don’t have the expertise within your company to write accurate, compelling job descriptions, it may be worth your while to hire someone with expertise in this area.
Speaking of writing job descriptions, if you’d like experienced recruiters to look over yours or help you write them, then contact the Opti Staffing Group. We can help your Portland, Seattle, Anchorage, Lake Oswego, Tacoma, and Chicago company craft job descriptions that engage candidates and sell your position as well as your company as the go-to employer in your city. Contact us today.

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