7 Things You are Probably Getting Wrong When Writing a Job Description

7 Things You are Probably Getting Wrong When Writing a Job Description

Job descriptions are worth a thousand searches. Yes, because – if done well – they can help you expand your reach and speed up your sourcing strategy like nothing else. Anyway, it’s not all about learning how to leverage the power of words, but also finding a sweet spot with your requests and what your candidates are looking for. Here are a few things you are not doing the right way, and how to make your job description stand out from the pack.

1. Your headline doesn’t match the content

You have written an irresistible headline. Great. But did you make sure that there is actually a correspondence between the title and the content of your job posting? An eye-catching headline is definitely an effective way to to get a candidate’s attention, but it’s a quality content adhering to the expectations created by the headline that will persuade the right candidate to apply.

2. You are talking too much of the job

You are probably wondering what this can possibly mean. Well, painting a picture of what a typical day at your company looks like – including day-to-day tasks, activities and duties – is certainly a clever move. Anyway, an accurate description of the job role’s responsibilities should never steel the spotlight and always leave room for benefits and compensations that your company offer to the employees. That’s because duties and rewards are the two sides of the same coin, and in being so they deserve the same attention (and space) throughout your killer-to-be job description.

7 Things You are Probably Getting Wrong When Writing a Job Description

3. You are not mentioning the bet at stake

With a little bit of imagination, a job description is like a sales pitch to your potential employees. That’s why you should consider everything from the candidate’s point of view. Most of your passionate candidates may want to know if the company will invest in them though concrete opportunities for learning and growth. Remember: they are not just looking for a job, but they want a once-in-a-lifetime chance to make impact on their own lives. If you mention this aspect, be sure you will have higher probabilities to hit home.

4. You are making it too long

Including all these elements doesn’t necessarily mean you need to be lengthy. Quite the contrary, keeping your job description short and easy-to-read is always advisable to hold candidates’ attention and raise genuine interest and excitement about the opening.

5. You are not using keywords

In writing a perfect job description, using keywords is just key. Try to host those your target audience is looking for as much as possible. In this way you are letting candidates understand if the opening is relevant and in line with their specific needs and aspirations. Bayt.com Job Posting provides you an easy-to-fill space for posting your job vacancy and will allow you to reach as many as 25 million qualified jobseekers.

7 Things You are Probably Getting Wrong When Writing a Job Description

6. You have been too much ‘exigent’

Of course, the more detailed you are about the requirements for your job opening the more you will make it easy for jobseekers to understand if they are enough qualified for it. Anyway, ‘overdoing’ with skill requirements can cause the undesired effect of making them run away. Then, you’d better keep a reasonable level of expectations avoiding those requirements that are unrealistic or unnecessary – and let your employees surprise you with their nice-to-have assets once at the interview. Bayt.com is pleased to offer you a wide range of Job Templates for any type of industry to download and customize for your job vacancy accordingly.

7. You are not talking about the company

A job description is not complete without a company overview. If you really want to get your message across and let candidates get to know you more, combine your job description with a well-crafted company profile. Here, you can bolster your employer brand and emphasize what makes your organization truly unique: your core values, your achievements over the years, your people. You can support your sourcing efforts by using Bayt.com Premium Company Profile, a comprehensive solution to position your company as an employer of choice and shorten the distance between you and the best of the best jobseekers in the region.

Did you like this blog post? What did you get wrong while writing your job description? Get in touch with us, we look forward to hearing your stories.

7 Things You are Probably Getting Wrong When Writing a Job Description

Roba Al-Assi
  • Posted by Roba Al-Assi - ‏28/06/2016
  • Last updated: 28/08/2017
  • Posted by Roba Al-Assi - ‏28/06/2016
  • Last updated: 28/08/2017
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