Writing a job description can be a daunting process, especially in a job seeker market. I heard this morning on the radio that unemployment is down to 3.9%, a 50 year low. It is a good time to be a job seeker in our economy, it is a bad time to be an employer with jobs open and not enough skilled workers to fill them.
You, my dear recruiter, are in a market where job seekers get to be choosy. So you better be choosing your words carefully to attract, entice and bag that star-studded application that makes you weep openly with joy.
Ok, I may have gone to far. But seriously, shitty applications can leave you feeling like you are losing faith in humanity.
Why You Should Look at How You are Writing Your Job Descriptions
Did you ever consider it isn’t them, it’s you. More particularly, it is how you are writing a job description to entice the right kind of people to apply. Are you using appropriate words, are you considering your audience, are you making them feel part of a valued team? are you using the right keywords to get the folks you want seeing the application in the first place.
I love writing job descriptions (no joke) because its the perfect opportunity for a company to put there best foot forward and tell their story, so you better make sure you get it right the first time. The Job description is the first handshake with that future employee, so you better be making as good of an impression as their cover letter makes to you.
Have I convinced you yet?
On to the bit about the nuts and bolts of a good application. These are what I consider to be essentials to a good job description. I’m sure others will disagree, or have things to add. I’m after all, a content writer and SEO specialist, not an HR manager. To me, storytelling is storytelling, no matter what you are trying to sell/market.
Example: I went on google and typed in “Jobs Near Me.” The second job that came up is literally one of the most boring jobs I have ever read:
The successful candidate is an experienced Regulatory Affairs management professional who is capable of managing all facets of RA for products. This includes authoring regulatory submissions, managing departmental projects, creating and reviewing labeling, providing guidance and consultation for domestic and international regulations, and interacting with governmental agencies. The position reports to the President/CEO.”
-Found on Careerbuilder.com
Now ask yourself, would you want this job? Would you be excited for it? The pay is good, but it isn’t very inspiring and it doesn’t really convince someone about what they are contributing to the company or society in general.
Looking at a Poorly Written Job Description
After doing a little research about the company and trying to increase the transparency of this position. Here is how I’d reapproach this.
Regulatory Affairs Manager for Medical Supplier
About Our Company {Taken Directly From Their Website}Launched in 2001, Medix was built on the principle of becoming a leading provider of workforce solutions for clients and candidates across the Healthcare, Scientific and Information Technology industries. As we grow and evolve, we recognize our differentiation lies not just in traditional staffing, but in true partnerships and collaboration on hiring solutions.
We bring value to our talent by helping them identify their individual skills and aptitudes, matching them with opportunities to excel and creating communities where they can foster their skills and always have a trusted partner in their career.
If you’d like to become part of the Medix family, consider becoming a Manager in Regulator Affairs on staff.
If you’ve got a background in management with an it for Regulatory Affairs related to product development then you will be a perfect fit for our company. You would be responsible for important communication and organization within the company. Regularly you’ll be asked to author regulatory submissions, manage projects, create labeling and guide the company through complex domestic and international regulations. Your skills in interacting with various government agencies and help relate this information directly to the President and CEO will make you a good fit for this full-time position. You will, in essence, be in charge of making sure the products we spend our time developing will meet the federal and international regulations.
BA degree + Five plus years of experience in medical device Regulatory Affairs, including preparation of submissions to the FDA/EUIt is the policy of Medix not to discriminate against any applicant for employment, or any employee because of age, color, sex, disability, national origin, race, religion, or veteran status.
Things I focused on in the rewrite:
Keep title short and descriptive. 10-20 Characters is ideal. 60 Characters it too long.
Struggling to shorten your title. Consider excluding company name, location, internal language (i.e. Level IV GIS Expert etc.) Exceptions to this would be Federal positions where this “insider knowledge” is well known across the whole job ecosystem. Also, it isn’t necessary to list of the job is full or part-time, that will self-select within the job description. Lastly, don’t try to be to cute or creative in the job listing. The only exception to this would be if you’ve found a relevant keyword that you are using in drafting the job description.
Show Your Company’s Values in Your Company Description Biography.
Don’t just stick in your company mission that a bunch of stiffs sitting around a table came up with at a visioning session. Show us who you really are, show us what it is like to work for your company, show how your employees have value to the company. Most importantly, establish your corporate culture and what you value.
Use “You” Statements.
Second person is commonly used in marketing language. It is generally considered a persuasive style. Using “You, Your, and Yours” helps to connect to your reader and identifies with them directly.
Example of you using “you” statements relates more to the candidate.
Third Person Impersonal: The ideal candidate will be intelligent, thoughtful and process oriented.
Second Person Person: If you are intelligent with thoughtful things to say and love adhering to a process that you help create, you are ideal for the job.
Avoid “must” and other command languages and negative words.
Commands are typically used to direct people in how to do an operation. Typically this type of language is good for instruction manuals, but should be avoided in job descriptions as it is off-putting. For potential job-seekers, its like saying “hey there, you aren’t even hired yet and we are already telling you what to do.”
Other negative and command words to avoid:
- always
- will
- will be able to
- must comply
- must have
- cannot
- Can’t
- do not
- didn’t
- always
- not
- refuse
- unable
- never
- strict
- difficulties
- extremely
- damage
- error
- fail
- impossible
- little value
- loss
- mistake
- problem
- refuse
- stop
- unable to
- unfortunately
Keep Job Descriptions between 500-600 words
For many listing sites, you’ll pay for words. Because folks reading your post will drop off it it is too long consider cutting out repetitive or mundane pieces. Hit that sweet spot of 500-600 words to keep the content concise and compelling.
Include an EEO statement.
Candidates are looking to be valued based on the merits of their skills. More folks are looking at companies corporate responsibility for equal employement opportunity as a position statement for your company.
Google’s EEO is one of my favorites.
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