There are a lot of people that I talk to who think that there is a secret formula to writing a job description. They read lots of books and study other people’s job descriptions for many hours. Then they strategize about how to game the recruiters who will interpret their jobs and the candidates, all in one job description. What they don’t realize is that the job description is not the same as a job ad. People often confuse the two and much to their disadvantage. You want your job description to carve out what the role entails, but you want your job ad to sell your company, job and team. These are two different things. I think that this is one of the reasons why the big traditional job boards are falling out of favor with job seekers.
To get yourself on the right track if you are in this strategic job description writing camp here are a few simple tips:
Think about your team’s narrative and the audience who you want to attract. Your job ad should spell out what you are about. If your team works really hard and earns big rewards (or expects to upon IPO or acquisition) then talk about it. If your team emphasizes fun and likes to play network games then talk about the games that your team plays and the things that you do for fun. If your team is more likely to have people leave for Harvard Business School then spell this out in your narrative.
Provide visual clues that substantiate your narrative. If your office is a dive, but there are lots of great neighborhood amenities nearby then show the neighborhood in a photo album. If the opposite is true then emphasize what you have going for you on the inside of the office. If you have a lounge with Foosball, Ping Pong, Rock Band, Arcade Games, etc. then put photos of these things in your job ad.
Tie the job ad into your company career website and provide a more detailed job description there. You should expand on the narrative and visual clues that you provide in your job ad on your company website.
