In the age of quiet quitting and The Great Resignation, writing outstanding job descriptions is a must. It’s the first touchpoint with the team members you want to recruit. And it’s an important one for building your culture. 

“Job descriptions are one of the first steps in your retention strategy, and your opportunity to make a fantastic first impression. They also offer you a chance to live and breathe your company values and lead with your commitments, whether it’s to be more inclusive, diverse, authentic and so on,” says Pemac, Human Resources Business Partner at Altis Recruitment. 

“These days, candidates for roles that can be performed remotely have more choices than ever before. They can work for an employer on the other side of the globe—why should they choose you? A well-crafted job description is your first opportunity to attract top talent and make it clear that you want them to stay and grow with you. With an effective job description, you will highlight why your organization is a great place to work for the long term.” 

Here are five things that should be in every job description you put out there. 

1. Employer value proposition 

First, think of your job description as an employer value proposition. Dennis Tupper, Talent Attraction & Engagement Lead at Wells Fargo, says you can approach this as the answer to the question “Why work at this company?”. 

“What does your company do to make the employee experience a great one? What benefits, programs and career pathing do you offer? Give people a reason to believe they should want to work for you, paint the picture, compel them to want to work there and ultimately apply for the job,” he says. “The more reasons you give, bonus points for them being unique or robust, will garner you more candidates who click ‘Apply’ on your open roles.” 

Make sure to include key elements of your organization’s mission, vision, values and culture, says Evaski-McLean: “By doing so, you are more likely to attract not only the most qualified candidates but also those whose values best align with the organization and who are excited about and motivated by your company’s purpose and future path.” 

Don’t underestimate the impact of community and connection as a value proposition. “I also think, with studies pointing to the countless benefits of having positive social connections in the workplace (higher retention, boosted productivity and better business outcomes) and a workforce that is increasingly disconnected, it’s important to highlight in your job descriptions that you value collaboration and foster connections at work, even when it’s a remote-first model,” adds Evaski-McLean. 

2. Clear role and responsibilities 

It sounds obvious to provide information on roles and responsibilities in a job description, but you want to be as clear and transparent as possible on that front. “Provide transparency on what the day-to-day duties of the position entail. Be as specific as possible so candidates are crystal clear on what the deliverables are, and how they match up to their experience and skill set,” says Tupper.

“The clearer you are, the better the understanding of your candidate audience. When this happens, candidate quality will skyrocket as you will vet out more often than not those without the skill sets.” For example, if a job description is for a graphic designer, it will include responsibilities like designing website wireframes, coming up with brand colors and creating a company logo free of clutter and distractions. While there are many challenging aspects to being a graphic designer, creating a logo design is often the trickiest.

“It’s also critical that employers paint an honest picture of both the opportunity and the organizational mission and values, so candidates have full clarity and are less likely to experience ‘buyer’s remorse after they start. For example, if it requires long hours, say so. And be upfront about the work location, reporting structure, opportunities for advancement, etc.” says Evaski-McLean. 

3. Info on flexibility and location 

Remote and hybrid work models are here to stay – and applicants look for them. Evaski-McLean recommends including information about any flexible arrangements a job entails. “Not all jobs can be performed offsite, but if you can offer remote or hybrid work,I encourage you to emphasize this in your job descriptions. Many candidates today are searching only by work location, so it’s a good idea to highlight what is available right off the bat,” she says. 

4. A human tone 

Tone also matters. According to Tupper, it’s important to author your job description from a human point of view. “Ask yourself this question: ‘Does my job description sound like it was written by someone doing the job, or does it sound like it was written by a lawyer?’ Tone is everything. If you speak to the candidates in the language they use, not corporate speak, they will connect with your job and be more apt to apply,” he says. 

5. A focus on diversity, equity and inclusion 

Finally, it’s crucial to focus on diversity, equity and inclusion in your recruitment efforts – and job descriptions should reflect that focus. This also informs what not to include. 

“I find, when we commit to diversity, equity and inclusion starting right from the recruitment and selection process, our job descriptions actually shrink in size. For example, when drafting job descriptions through the lens of inclusivity and thinking about the ‘need to haves’ and ‘nice to haves,’ the ‘role requirements’ section is often much smaller since we’re only focusing on skills or experience that directly relate to the needs of the role,” according to Evaski-McLean. 

“Gone are the days of framing personality characteristics and traits as necessary to fulfill job duties since they’re not quantifiable and are largely subjective. We’re also intentional about the impact of gendered, biased or another indirectly discriminatory language, and how it can act as a barrier to clicking that ‘Apply’ button.”