Summary: Great job descriptions and ads can help you find the right fit for your company. Identify essential functions, accurately describe the job, and convey your company’s tone. Streamline your hiring process with HR software solutions like StarGarden.
Whether you’re hiring as a matter of course (like seasonal employees or employees on a per-project basis), replacing a valuable team member, or expanding your workforce, the key to adequate staffing is starting off right. Creating a great job description and crafting a great job ad will jumpstart your hiring process and make finding the perfect employee(s) for your company easier.
Create a great job description
You must start the hiring process by identifying the essential functions and responsibilities for the position(s) you’re trying to fill.
If you’re replacing an outgoing employee, get feedback from them; if you’re hiring additional employees, get input from managers the position will report to, employees the position will supervise, and others who will work closely or dependently with the position.
- What does this position do all day? Which of those things are most important?
- Is the job full-time or part-time, and where is it performed? Is this set in stone, or would it be possible to work remotely for some or all the time?
- What would you like this position to accomplish to better the company? What defines “success” for the position?
- What skills does the position routinely employ? Do you have the time, resources, and/or ability to teach these to a good candidate, or must a candidate already have them?
- What’s the appropriate pay scale for the position, looking at industry standards? Suppose your company can’t afford to pay competitive wages. Could you make up for it with reduced hours or perks like extra vacation?
Think hard about “must-haves” and “wishful thinking” – things you hope your company could gain with a new hire.
Workflows can help you keep up-to-date job descriptions on hand for each position in your company, so you don’t have to “reinvent the wheel” every time you hire.
TIP: It’s beneficial to periodically ensure that each ongoing employee’s job description is up-to-date and accurately reflects their job duties, requirements, and responsibilities. This makes hiring easier, keeps you on top of any redundancies or deficiencies in your staffing, and streamlines employee evaluations and assessments.
Craft a great job advertisement
A job posting shouldn’t be just a job description! Like a personal ad, a job ad should make great candidates want to meet you and work for your company.
- Use a position title and description that are standard in your industry. Titles like “Receptionist” or “Administrative Assistant to the CFO” are more helpful to job searchers than clever titles like “Director of First Impressions.”
- Include an accurate description of the job, including its essential functions. If a position requires being able to lift 50 pounds regularly, say so. You should also list any non-negotiable requirements – like language fluency and the ability to relocate for an overseas position.
- Say it with personality. A great description should also convey the tone and atmosphere of your company; if you’re a more laid-back workplace, reflecting that in your ad can help you attract like-minded candidates. Include a brief description of your company that communicates your corporate ethos – e.g., “Hip startup making shoes that will shatter how the world looks at your fancy feet.”
- Explain the benefits – salary and beyond. Giving a salary range can eliminate candidates who would be unwilling to take the position based on its compensation and also helps set expectations of what kind of experience you expect. If you’re paying an under-market salary and worry about attracting talent, emphasize non-monetary perks in your ad – whether those are intangible qualities like a great work environment or career-building experience or tangible benefits like extra vacation time or flexible work hours or working arrangements.
- Ask for more than a resume. Have the candidates answer a few questions and list their achievements and qualifications. This will limit the applicant pool to those sincerely interested and make selecting candidates for interviews easier.
Customized workflows can help you organize and choose what extra information you’d like applicants to provide, so you don’t have to think up new ones (or find those from last time) every time you hire.
