Applicants in the modern job market expect timely and frequent communication. In a survey conducted by CareerBuilder, results showed that 84 percent of candidates expect an email confirmation that they received an application or resume, and 36 percent expect to receive communication throughout the process. Yet the survey revealed that only 26 percent of companies meet these expectations.
For small businesses especially, it’s understandable how these things may unwittingly fall through the cracks. If multiple employees are contributing to the hiring process, it can be difficult to keep track of who is meant to send responses. Read on for some tips to help improve your communication with eager applicants.
Why Is Responsive Communication Important?
In a competitive job market, timely communication can set your company apart. Imagine being known across job boards and forums as the company who always responds, who keeps candidates apprised of their place in the process, and shows prospective employees they are valued at every step along the way.
The communication worst-case scenario is ghosting, when a company or an applicant abruptly stops communication without explanation. This industry trend is on the rise, with 77 percent of job applicants reporting being ghosted by a prospective employer since March 2020. Even if you believe that your company stays far on the other side of the ghosting line, everyone can benefit from examining company practices to improve communication with applicants.
Along with showing respect and building trust, effective communication techniques can save you time and money. Here are some tangible benefits:
Shorter Time to Hire. This important metric is affected by every stage of the hiring process. Every day that passes between application and onboarding costs the company money. Speeding it along involves participation by both the company and the applicant.
Higher Acceptance Rates. Effective communication not only can foster a positive personal connection but it can give your company the edge with an applicant who is weighing multiple offers. Losing a perfect candidate because of tardy communication forces you to start the search again, wasting valuable company time.
Methods of Communication
The world has moved to almost an entirely electronic form of communication vs. telephone calls and paper mail. Video messaging took the world by storm after the pandemic cut off in-person communication. In the application stage, email and text messaging are most frequently used, and interviews may be conducted by phone, video, or in-person.
The sheer volume of wanted and unwanted messages in the modern world means what you send ought to stand out in the sea of data. It’s become more common for hiring managers to use both email and text messaging to communicate, but it’s still important to observe some etiquette.
Email Etiquette Tips
Email has long been considered the most formal and appropriate method of communication by most businesses and job applicants. It’s still important to consider some of the following ways to use it best:
Craft your email subject to be noticed in a quick scan by the recipient. Make sure it’s descriptive but not too long and avoids being perceived as spam.
Use salutations like first name or Mr./Ms. and full-name signatures with your job title.
Use correct grammar, appropriate capitalization, complete sentences, and extremely judicious insertion of emojis. Third-party services that offer grammar suggestions as you write can be extremely helpful.
Make sure the tone matches the level of your relationship. Don’t try to be overly familiar or jokey in initial contact.
Be concise and use formatting like bullets or short paragraphs, especially when sharing a large volume of information.
Inform the recipient the days or hours you will respond to emails. For example, let them know no one will respond on the weekend or after 5 p.m. if that’s applicable. You can also let them know what to expect in terms of response time if replies are received within working hours.
Text Message Etiquette Tips
Text messaging is the most used form of communication in the modern world, and it’s possible to use texts effectively for hiring purposes. Younger job applicants especially may prefer it to email. ApplicantStack has a built-in “Text-to-Hire” feature that keeps your messages organized, allows for batch sending, and allows tracking within the ATS.
Consider some of the following to effectively use text messages:
Obtain a candidate’s permission to communicate via text message before sending anything.
Start with a greeting and identify yourself. Don’t assume the person has saved you in their contacts.
Use professional language. Imagine you’re writing an email and meet that level of speech.
Use capital letters, pronunciation, and good grammar. Proofread before sending; you could even paste into a document to double-check with a third-party editing plug-in.
Avoid long strings of information in text messages; use them for acknowledgements, follow-ups, or reminders. Make sure the language sounds human even if you’re using a prepared script.
Only send and reply to text messages roughly within your company’s business hours. This can be an important signal to the recipient that you value work-life balance.
Points in the Hiring Process that Require Outreach
When scrutinizing how your company communicates at all phases of the hiring process, consider the following touchpoints and how effectively you’re keeping in touch:
Pre-Application Phase. This would cover anyone who has signed up for a company newsletter or information about open jobs. This is an opportunity to sell yourself to prospective applicants.
Application or Résumé Received. This first contact establishes the tone for future communication. Automated responses through ApplicantStack can save time and avoid mistakes. The contents should sound like it came from a human.
Personal Contact. Once a candidate makes it past the initial review, a personal and professional email is warranted to set up plans for the interview process.
Scheduling the Interview(s). The relative urgency of scheduling and confirming appointments makes it a prime candidate for text messaging if the applicant consents.
Post-Interview Follow-up. Even if the company isn’t ready to make a formal offer, a “thank you” message is usually well-received. Some companies take this opportunity to solicit feedback or questions on the interview process.
Status Updates. Some companies leave application periods open for a set length of time no matter how many qualified applications they receive. If there’s a gap between initial contact, interviews, and when you can make an offer, check-ins and status updates will likely be welcome and keep communication open between you and preferred candidates.
Job Offers. Even if a verbal offer is part of your company style, a follow-up with a written offer makes sure everyone knows the particulars of salary, job requirements, company policies, and other vital details.
Start Details and Onboarding. This communication is vital to a new employee. As soon as someone has accepted an offer, prompt attention to their next steps will help them immediately feel a part of the company.
Hiring managers don’t have control over every detail of the job process, but communication is an area where you can always improve. It’s important to identify weak points in how your company communicates and set up policies and procedures to save time and money. ApplicantStack is a perfect solution for centralized tracking and messaging so nobody slips through the cracks.
What is an Applicant Tracking System? Attract, Manage and Hire Your Next Great Employee An Applicant Tracking System (ATS) helps you sift through candidates more efficiently and keep track of all your applications, requirement and notes—helping you find and hire the...
The importance of the onboarding process cannot be overstated. The steps your company takes will set the tone for the overall employment experience for each new hire. A positive onboarding experience can also lead to improved job performance, increased efficiency, and better satisfaction, which all play a role in engagement and retention. If you’ve been using an unstructured approach and want to improve it, this post is for you.
What is Employee Onboarding?
Employee onboarding is the process of assimilating the new hire into your organization. It includes transactional operations and person-to-person engagement. When building onboarding process steps, include the following:
Paperwork – gather tax forms, contact details, direct deposit, benefits, eligibility online, certifications and licensing such as CDL
Planning – create a plan that’s organized and deliberate with frequent check-ins
Introductions – connect new hire with team and broader workforce
Questions – make it easy to ask questions via virtual channels
Shadowing – video conferencing or other means for live but not necessarily in-person, on-the-job training
Team building – offer formal and informal ways to build rapport and common cause
Office equipment and software – procure and set up equipment
Meeting participation – set up Slack, Teams, calendars, video conferencing, etc.
Face-to-face – meet regularly but not necessarily in person
How Onboarding Can Make or Break the Employee Experience
The quality of onboarding influences everything that comes next! If your hiring process was effective, your new hire starts with high expectations. They are eager to dive in. Effective onboarding meets the expectations of an employee who had a great recruiting process. It continues to shape the employee experience.
Best practices for onboarding include creating a process that:
Is structured
Is personal and tailored to the new employee
Establishes brand loyalty
Helps the new hire be successful
Improves collective team morale
Unstructured employee onboarding can dampen employee engagement quickly. A too-short onboarding process can leave the new hire unprepared to perform their job.
The purpose of onboarding should be setting new hires up for success and decreasing the time it takes for them to become comfortable in their new roles. This only works if onboarding processes are designed strategically with the end goal in mind. But onboarding has become even more challenging with the rise of remote and hybrid work.
The Aberdeen Group (a market research firm) reports sobering statistics about the state of onboarding:
31 percent of new employees have quit a job after less than six months
53 percent of employees said they could do their job better with improved training
Only 32 percent of employers have a formal onboarding program
6 percent of self-labeled “disengaged” employees said they got poor training or no training at all
5 percent of new employees said they didn’t understand what was expected of them until they had worked 90 days or more
In 2019, Gallup reported that only 12 percent of employees strongly agreed that their employer does a great job of onboarding. In the study, researchers identified five common onboarding problems:
No one takes ownership of the process
Onboarding is too short
Onboarding doesn’t reflect the company culture
New hires don’t see a future at the organization
The onboarding process is unremarkable
Employee Onboarding Begins Before the Hire
Well before you can onboard a new employee, you need to create a position listing that generates interest and encourages top talent to apply. Think about what a potential new hire would want when creating job descriptions and establishing parameters.
Consider Benefits and Pay Scale
Compensation and benefits are two of the top priorities among jobseekers. If your organization’s benefits are lackluster, you could lose out on talented individuals who seek employment elsewhere. Low pay is also a reason to walk away from a potential position or offer. Make sure your positions are competitive in terms of what employees receive and how those benefits compare to what they could get working elsewhere.
Review Interviewing and Hiring Practices
Consider how your company will conduct interviews with top candidates and handle other steps in the hiring process.
In-office vs. Virtual Interviews
Interviewing is a key step in the hiring process, as it allows those involved to get to know the potential employee and what they would bring to the role. Similarly, an interview offers the candidate the opportunity to understand the expectations, culture and work atmosphere. You may choose to conduct interviews in person, especially if you’re hiring for an in-person role. But if you’re seeking candidates from various locations or hiring for a remote position, a video interview can certainly suffice.
Offer and Acceptance Letters
When you find your ideal candidate, the final step is making an offer. It’s best to provide an offer letter that outlines pertinent details in writing, such as the position title, expected work schedule, compensation, and benefits. Your offer letter template should include next steps and a place for the individual to indicate their acceptance of the offer and include their signature.
Your Employee Onboarding Checklist
Proper onboarding doesn’t happen by accident. Like any HR workflow, you need a list of tasks and a way to make sure everything gets done. With the right steps in your process, you can ensure the onboarding process checks all the boxes.
Preparing for a New Employee’s First Day
After the offer is accepted, you can start the onboarding process to help your new hire feel prepared for their first day. A digital new hire portal is key for this step. A two-way system allows the manager and HR team to share documents, which the new hire can review, sign and return.
Carefully Plan the Schedule
Your next step in the onboarding process is creating a schedule for the new hire. This plan should outline who the new employee will meet with and how they will spend their time over the first few days on the job. Provide the schedule digitally and, if the new hire will work in person, print a copy and place it at their workspace.
What Equipment and Supplies will be Needed?
It’s also essential to plan ahead to ensure your new hire has what they need to succeed from day one. This step demonstrates the importance of every employee and their needs while allowing them to get up and running upon arrival.
Prepare the computer, mouse, monitor, workspace, and any other equipment and supplies they might need in advance of the first day. You should also prep any tech-related must haves, such as a mobile or desk phone, tablet, and access to shared devices and drives.
How Can You Go Above and Beyond on the First Day?
If you want to really make your new hire feel excited about their new role, go above and beyond to make the first day more meaningful. Produce a company-branded welcome kit that outlines key information about the organization and their team, along with details about benefits, protocols, and expectations. In-person employees may also feel extra special if you host a team lunch, where members of the department can get to know each other in a more laid-back setting.
What Communications Should Occur Between Acceptance and Start Date?
As soon as a new hire accepts an offer, communication can begin. Create a letter that welcomes them to the organization and directs them to a point of contact for questions or concerns. If your new hire does have questions, follow up with a phone call to make sure they got answers. You could even put together a video that welcomes the new hire to the team or collect encouraging, positive messages from their co-workers to share prior to their start date.
New Hire Orientation
The next phase of onboarding involves orienting the employee in their role and with the organization overall. Explore the steps involved in new hire orientation.
Welcoming a New Employee
Help your new hire feel welcome by having their workspace ready for their arrival. If you’re welcoming a remote hire, greet them with a video or phone call. Make sure their team knows when they’ll be arriving so they can say hello and help them feel excited about the new role. It may be worth assigning an onboarding buddy to serve as a companion, guide and go-to for questions during their first week.
It’s also helpful to keep your new hire informed about any in-person needs, such as where to park, any dress code requirements, and how to access the building. Establish their logins and credentials so they can get up and running right away.
Essential Paperwork and Documents
Of course, part of the onboarding process is taking care of business in the form of new-hire paperwork and documents. If possible, send these to the new hire in advance of the first day so they can complete them on their own time. Filling out a huge stack of hand-cramping forms can put a crimp in the flow of onboarding.
Some of the key documents to complete often include:
Tax forms
WOTC forms
ACA forms
Benefits enrollment
Direct deposit and payroll details
Emergency contact information
Safety instructions
Timekeeping instructions
Employee Handbook: Policies and Procedure Orientation
An employee handbook is a key element of any onboarding process, as it outlines the information covered and allows employees to reference it when needed. Take a few minutes to orient the employee to the handbook, focusing on where to find specific topics and details. You may choose to go through the entire document together, depending on time and how you want the meeting to flow.
Your company’s employee handbook should outline business objectives, expectations, and policies and procedures that apply to all team members. It can also include logistics of employment, such as pay periods and paydays, work hours and scheduling details, and any timekeeping requirements.
Team Orientation
Orienting a new hire to their team is just as important as orienting them to the organization, if not more so. After all, their team members will be the people they interact and collaborate with on a daily basis. Think about how you could help the new hire feel welcome in a positive and exciting way. You might schedule a team lunch or outing to help everyone feel comfortable and relaxed outside the office.
Orientation Checklist
Here’s a quick wrap-up of what to include in your orientation process:
Greet the employee (in person: in the office lobby or at the front door, remote: video or phone call)
Provide an office tour, pointing out key spaces: workspace, break room, restrooms
Review key documents (if you provided new hire paperwork in advance, you can collect the completed documents)
Review policies and procedures (employee handbook, benefits and enrollment options, safety regulations, rules around technology and equipment usage)
Answer questions (establish a key point of contact for questions)
Schedule a team get-together (lunch in or out of the office, outing outside of work)
Things to Consider
Starting a new job is overwhelming. Think about how you can make it less so for your new hire. For example, you might include 15-minute breaks throughout the day to allow them to decompress and go through what was covered during the previous training session.
Don’t forget to assign an onboarding buddy to your new employee. Having someone the new hire is familiar with and feels comfortable asking questions can make a big difference in the overall experience.
Ongoing Training and Checkpoints
After the first few weeks, your employee should start to feel more settled and established in their role. But the process doesn’t end after that happens. Explore some of the key tasks to tackle as the employee settles into their duties.
Have a Clear Plan for the First Few Months
One mistake that many hiring managers make is failing to create a plan or schedule beyond the first couple of days. It’s unlikely your new hire will know exactly what to do after meeting with team members and training for a week. Make sure to outline a clear plan for the employee’s first few months in their role. Taking this step will keep everyone on the team aligned while helping the new hire understand what they’ll be responsible for in the coming weeks.
Regular Training for New Role
Ongoing training and development are among the most-requested benefits, as many employees want to improve their skills and continue to move upward in their careers. Offering regular training can help satisfy this need in a way that also benefits the organization. A more skilled employee can take on new responsibilities and oversee other team members while remaining loyal to the organization. It’s a win-win, so think about how your company can offer additional training opportunities.
Team Integration and Collaboration
Depending on the culture of your organization, you may choose to spend extra time integrating the new hire into the team and encouraging collaboration. Businesses with more collaborative cultures tend to benefit from additional ways to integrate, such as spending time together outside of work and getting to know team members on a more personal level. Other factors to consider when deciding how to handle this are the personalities of members of the team, personal responsibilities that may take up their free time, and how different roles will work together.
Collect Feedback to Improve Processes
As you move through the steps in the onboarding process, make sure to request feedback all along. It’s impossible to improve a process if you’re not aware of what people like and dislike about it. If you feel you aren’t getting honest responses, consider creating a survey that allows people to respond anonymously.
Outline Potential Career Path for the Future
Another aspect of bringing a new hire onboard is looking at how they can move up in the future. For most members of the workforce, the option to progress is important. Outlining progression paths and opportunities can also boost employee retention, loyalty, and productivity.
Ongoing Onboarding Checklist
Stick to this checklist with each employee, even after the initial onboarding process is complete.
Schedule regular check-ins (set aside chunks of time regularly throughout the first 90 days to see how things are going and find out if they need anything)
Assign training for their job tasks (provide them what they need to succeed)
Identify paths for progression (employees who want to move up tend to be motivated by clear paths)
Request feedback (you can’t make improvements if you don’t know what works and what doesn’t)
Best Practices for Perfecting Your Onboarding Process
As you continue to refine your company’s onboarding process, you can incorporate these best practices.
Onboarding Process Should be Consistent and Documented
Regardless of role or department, every new hire at your organization should have a consistent experience when coming onboard. Make sure your managers and leaders have access to a checklist used across the company, and a clear understanding of the expectations when bringing on a new hire. Document each step in the process and maintain that documentation in the employee’s personnel file.
Regularly Collect Feedback for Improvements
As mentioned, you need feedback to understand where you can improve the process. Throughout every step of the onboarding process, make sure to ask new hires what they liked and disliked about the experience. You may find that certain steps aren’t as necessary, while others would benefit from expansion.
Utilize Onboarding Software for a More Efficient Experience
An all-in-one software solution can make a big difference in the overall onboarding process. Using this type of solution keeps everyone involved and provides a digital space to keep records. It’s even more efficient if your hiring software includes onboarding features, as the data will flow from the initial application to the onboarding process without the need for manual entry.
Good onboarding tech is invaluable. With onboarding software like ApplicantStack Onboard, you can import new hires from your ATS into your HR system once. The data flows from the initial application to the onboarding process without the need for manual entry. Within the Onboard module, you can build customized onboarding checklists for each job position or work location.
Elevate Your Employee Onboarding Process
Exceptional onboarding can be an important competitive advantage and the benefits will compound over time. If your company doesn’t have an applicant-tracking system in place, ApplicantStack can help your team streamline the onboarding process and provide a better experience for new hires.
Basic Onboarding Checklist
Before First Day
Send welcome email and new hire paperwork
Ask new employee if they have any questions and answer them with a phone call
Share company information
Company directory
New hire’s email address and login information instructions and login credentials for company software
Notice of upcoming company events
Employee handbook
Provide new hire paperwork–specify which documents need to be signed and returned along with the due dates for completion
Tax forms
WOTC forms
ACA forms
Benefits enrollment
Direct deposit and payroll details
Emergency contact information
Employee handbook review
Policies and procedures
Safety instructions
Timekeeping instructions
Set up all necessary equipment
Get the employee’s computer, mouse, monitor, etc., ready
Prep any tech-related must-haves (mobile or desk phone, tablet, access to shared devices and drives, etc.)
Job training
Send email with links to training documents or videos
Share schedule for the first week (or longer)
Outline projects and goals for first month (or longer)
Assign an onboarding buddy to be a companion and guide during the first week
Send email with parking and building access info, reminder of dress code (if applicable), and work schedule
Notify all staff of the new employee and the day they will start
Establish any necessary logins and credentials
Assign onboarding tasks to appropriate people and monitor progress with your onboarding checklist
Create schedule so each team member can meet with the new hire during the first week
Plan get-to-know-you activity with new hire and their team
On the First Day
Greet the employee
Provide an office tour
Point out key spaces: workspace, break room, restrooms, gym (if applicable)
Review key documents (if you provided new hire paperwork in advance, you can collect the completed documents)
Employee handbook
Benefits and enrollment options
Safety regulations
Rules around technology and equipment usage
Provide a welcome gift: company-branded water bottle, apparel, office supplies, etc.
Answer questions
After the First Day
Assign small projects to new hire to help build confidence
Schedule regular check-ins
Set aside chunks of time regularly throughout the first 90 days to see how things are going and find out if they need anything
Assign training for their job tasks
Request feedback
Maintain communication between HR, hiring manager and mentor to discuss new employee’s progress
Check out other posts in our How to Hire Employees series:
We are excited to announce that Premium Texting is available in ApplicantStack Recruit & Onboard as well as WorkforceHub Plus.
What is Premium Texting?
Premium Texting includes everything in Basic Unlimited Texting (discussed ahead) plus Text-to-Apply and Workflow Embed.
Text-to-Apply
With text-to-apply, candidates can apply with their mobile device at the point of initial engagement. When the candidate clicks APPLY in the job posting, the system will text the candidate a link to a mobile friendly application.
Why is Text-to-Apply a Game Changer?
More and more people find a phone more convenient for online access than a laptop or desktop. In fact, most of us have our phone within arm’s reach day and night. Today’s job seeker uses their mobile device to search job boards, research companies, communicate with recruiters, and submit applications. Because of this, text-to-apply is critical for employers trying to attract more applicants or speed up their hiring process. Furthermore, companies competing in the same labor pool as their local Walmart or Amazon warehouse will have an uphill battle without providing text-to-apply.
With text-to-apply:
Candidates can apply immediately when they see your job posting on their mobile device
Applicants experience a modern, convenient candidate journey that reflects well on your company
You will have fewer abandoned applications because candidates can apply without delay
Add Automated Texting to Workflows
Automated texting makes it easy to engage with candidates as they move through the hiring process. With Premium Texting, you can embed SMS in workflows and trigger texts with hiring stage changes.
Advance applicants and inform them of next steps with automated personalized text messages
Speed up the hiring process and avoid slowdowns due to poor communication
Never accidentally ghost another candidate
Premium Texting is sold at the account level, which means that if you have both ApplicantStack Recruit and Onboard, you can use Premium Texting in both modules under the monthly price.
Basic Unlimited Texting
Basic Unlimited Texting has been available since 2019 and our users love it. It makes hiring faster, easier and more engaging for candidates. Just as important, it improves efficiency for hiring teams. With texting, our customers extract even more value from our hiring platform. ApplicantStack Basic Unlimited Texting, not surprisingly, lets you send as many texts as you want for one monthly fee. The software saves the conversations and several members of the hiring team can text as if from one person.
Send a text instead of an email any time you need to communicate with an applicant:
Confirm an interview appointment
Send a link to a screening questionnaire
Send a quick text as a follow-up to a call, email or interview
Send interview instructions – parking, building access, etc.
Answer candidates’ questions
Send a bulk text to a group of candidates
Improve the candidate journey with quick communication that keeps them engaged – applicants can respond immediately or at their convenience. Many top candidates are currently employed but looking for a better opportunity. With many job positions, the employee can communicate with text in situations where they couldn’t necessarily take a voice call. With texting, you can engage a larger hiring pool. This makes it quicker and easier to find the perfect hire for the job.
As with Premium Texting, if you have both ApplicantStack Recruit and Onboard, you can use Basic Unlimited texting in both platforms.
What is WorkforceHub Plus?
WorkforceHub Plus is the small business time and labor solution from Swipeclock. (ApplicantStack Recruit and Onboard are also part of the Swipeclock product suite.) WorkforceHub Plus includes Timekeeping, Scheduling, Hiring, PTO Management and Human Resources. The Applicant Tracking module in WorkforceHub Plus has similar functionality as standalone ApplicantStack Recruit. However, it syncs with additional functions in WorkforceHub Plus.
Over one million people use Swipeclock workforce management solutions every day. To schedule a demo, visit WorkforceHub Plus demo.
Knowing how to write a job description is one of the key components to attracting and hiring the best talent. That means it’s an essential skill for hiring managers, HR professionals and recruiters.
What is a Job Description?
A job description is a formal listing of the specific responsibilities and important details about an employment position. Though it isn’t the exact thing as a job posting, the job posting includes the job description. A job posting may include additional information about the company.
Be a template for writing your job posting and advertisements
Increase the diversity of your applicant pool
Serve as a guide for writing your interview questions and candidate evaluation
Set realistic expectations for the new hire
Assist managers/supervisors with performance reviews and identifying areas for training or development
Prevent legal problems with federal agencies in the event of a discrimination allegation
Why is a Good Job Description Important?
First off, a job description is usually the first touchpoint a candidate has with your company. If it’s professional and compelling it reflects well on your organization. Conversely, if it’s full of cliches and trite phrases, or grammar and spelling mistakes, high quality candidates will pass it by.
In addition, a good job description will set expectations for prospective applicants. This saves everyone time and frustration. If a job description doesn’t clearly outline the role, unqualified job seekers may apply. Or perhaps qualified job seekers will apply without understanding the nature of the position. If they are hired and the actual job is different than what the job description described, they may move on. At that point, you’ve both wasted time and your company has wasted money. Not to mention that the former employee won’t be likely to speak well of the experience. If it happens repeatedly, it can damage your brand.
How to Write a Job Description
What makes a good job description? Creating a standardized process is the first step.
Firstly, gather the appropriate people for the task. The manager to whom the position will report might be the best person to take the lead. If there are other employees performing similar jobs, they can also contribute. Additionally, if the position is new and will relieve current employees of work load, they should be part of the discussion.
Secondly, perform a job analysis. You need as much data as possible. The job analysis may include the job responsibilities of current employees, internet research and sample job descriptions for similar jobs. It would include an analysis of the duties, tasks, and responsibilities of the position. The more information you can gather, the easier it will be to write the description.
Thirdly, write the job description. The format and style for writing job descriptions is different from any other type of business writing. It is not a complex process, but you should follow a basic format and include specific components. The basic components are listed below. Following the list, we discuss each in more detail.
Here is a job description template:
Irresistible intro
Job location
Job title
(Optional) Salary or wage
The person the position will report to
Job responsibilities
Candidate requirements (must-haves)
Desired candidate qualifications (nice-to-haves)
Work environment
Statement about company and benefits
EEOC statement
Irresistible Opener
Many job postings start with the location and job title. We have included an intro because it will set your job posting apart. Today’s hiring environment is very competitive. Job seekers interested in your opening will see dozens (maybe hundreds!) of postings for the same position. What will make yours stand out?
That’s where a unique, enticing opener comes in. Tap your marketing team to help you with this part. Specifically, whomever writes your landing pages, social posts, website copy or email nurtures. It’s their job to grab the reader’s attention using as few words as possible. Recruitment and marketing have much in common. Both seek to bring individuals to your company, whether a job seeker or customer.
Check out this lead-in for a Content Marketing Manager position:
Interested in defining how AI shapes the future of work? Cresta is on a mission to make every knowledge worker 100x as effective, 10x faster and 10x better. (LinkedIn)
Here’s one for a Graphic Designer position at a marketing agency:
Think fast and edit faster? Dream in 9:16? Ok, we’ll cut the BS. Sculpt designers make the attention-grabbing social media creative assets we need and love. Can you help us make awesome content? We’re hiring freelance and full-time creatives.(Sculpt)
Compare it to this snoozer:
Under the direction of the Art Director, the Graphic Designer will perform a wide variety of graphic design functions. Responsibilities include design and production of print and digital collateral: brochures, direct mail, environmental graphics, invitations, advertisements, and graphics for web, social media, e-mail, and video.
Job Location
If the position is remote, this may not seem important, but include it anyway. Regardless of where the employee will be working, let them know where your company is based. Many job seekers search for positions by city. LinkedIn and other job sites also send postings to candidates. They match up job locations with the candidate’s location. Therefore, if you don’t list a location, you may not get the same exposure for your posting.
Job Title
The job title should accurately reflect the type of work. For example “clerk,” “processor,” or “analyst”. Furthermore, it should also indicate the level of work being performed; “senior analyst” or “lead accountant”. Avoid acronyms, jargon, and overly-creative job titles. Be clear and concise. Don’t make it difficult for applicants to know if they want to apply. You might call your website manager a Digital Alchemist. Don’t do it in a job description.
Job Summary
The job summary describes the primary reason for and function of the job. It also provides an overview of the job and introduces the responsibilities. The job summary should describe the job without detailed task descriptions. Its length should range from one sentence to a paragraph, depending on the complexity of the job. It is easier to write the summary once you have completed the more detailed information.
Example: A job summary for a Human Resources Director
“Manages the human resources function and day-to-day human resources management activities throughout the organization. This includes employee recruiting, orientation, compensation, benefits, and related programs. Manages all HR functions, staff, and the HR department budget.”
Key Responsibilities
Begin each job responsibility with a present tense action verb and describe the area of responsibility in action terms. Normally, there will be 7 to 10 responsibilities, depending on the job. Examples:
Develops marketing programs directed at increasing product sales and awareness.
Writes programming code to develop various features and functionality for commercial software products.
Designs and develops user interfaces for commercial software products.
Supervises technical support employees in providing technical support to organization clients.
Manages development of advertising and various marketing collateral materials.
Minimum Candidate Requirements
This section describes the minimum knowledge, skills, and abilities. This information helps determine if the candidates are minimally qualified. However, avoid arbitrary requirements that are difficult to validate. Include only the minimally acceptable requirements. Moreover, do not inflate requirements and be specific and realistic.
It’s important to remember not to consider the education, experience, or skill level of current job holders. Include only what the job actually requires. Moreover, ensure the requirement relates to how and why the job is done
Requirements should include:
Education —the type and minimum level, such as high school diploma and/or bachelor’s degree.
Experience —the type and minimum level, such as three to five years of supervisory experience, five years of editing experience, and two years of experience with content management systems.
Special skills — such as languages spoken and computer software proficiencies.
Certifications and licenses — such as industry certifications and practitioners’ licenses.
Desired Additional Candidate Requirements
Of course, there are always additional qualifications on your wish list. Be careful, however. If you list too many, you may discourage perfectly qualified candidates. You also don’t want your job description to be too long.
Work Environment/Physical Requirements
Work environment and physical requirements often overlap, so we’ve included them together. Consider the following example:
Must be able to perform work requiring manual dexterity, climbing, lifting, and working at heights and in confined spaces where advanced mechanical aptitude is required.
In this case, the physical requirements describe the work environment by default.
Consider noise level, temperature, exposure to chemicals, indoors/outdoors, proximity to moving machinery, repetitive motion, UV light, etc.
Here is another example:
Install all types of solar panels and associated equipment in residential and commercial settings. Most installations are performed on rooftops.
When describing physical requirements, list specifics such as lifting heavy objects or standing for long periods of time. Examples include:
Requires ability to lift large and heavy packages.
Must be physically capable of safely lifting a minimum of 50 lbs. without assistance.
Requires the ability to work flexible shifts.
Must be able to travel 50% to other job sites.
Able to meet tight deadlines in a fast-paced work environment.
Disclaimer
All job descriptions should have a disclaimer that clearly states that the description is only a summary of the typical functions of the job, not an exhaustive or comprehensive list of all possible responsibilities, tasks, and duties. Additionally, disclaimers should also state that the responsibilities, tasks, and duties of the jobholder might differ from those outlined in the job description and that other duties may be assigned. It’s important to understand that in a labor union environment, the job description could be literally interpreted.
Make the Job Description About the Candidate
It is helpful to think about what would make the job enticing to the applicant. Be intentional about this editing step. With any kind of business writing, it’s natural to get wrapped up in our own perspective. It’s takes conscious effort to see the description through the eyes of the job seeker. Doing this effectively will improve the performance of your postings.
What to Avoid in Your Job Description
Unnecessary qualifications: only include what is actually required to perform the job.
Non-inclusive language: remove language that could discourage candidates from underrepresented groups, e.g. “digital native”
The more people that review your description throughout the editing process, the better. As mentioned previously, ask current employees performing the job to review it. If you are not the hiring manager, you need to work closely with that person to make sure it effectively conveys all aspects of the position.
Many people at your company could help describe the culture and work atmosphere. This is another area where your marketing team could help the description come alive.
If your team is working remotely, put your job description draft in a Google Doc so team members can review and add feedback at their convenience.
Job Description Examples
Drywall Carpenter General Foreman
Sacramento, CA
$35-$40 an hour, Full-Time
Essential Responsibilities and Duties
Supervise all field production activities
Assist the Foreman in planning the job, ordering materials and managing employee schedules
Establish project goals and monitor the success of goals throughout the project
Monitor labor efficiencies, project labor needs for the duration of the project
Achieve productivity objectives by effectively managing and assigning tasks to crew members
Maintain an accurate labor tracking log and communicate with key project personnel
Use a proactive approach to anticipate and resolve potential issues
Skills and Experience Requirements
3-5 years experience as a General Foreman Drywall framer or similar role
Lift and/or pull 75 lbs., climb ladders, work off ladders, lifts or other equipment
Ability to maintain a standing position for extended periods of time, fully squat, bend or kneel while wearing a tool belt
Capable of working in a variety of weather conditions
Uphold company core values of integrity, leadership, passion and excellence at all times
Support activities at all job sites as directed
[COMPANY NAME] provides commercial construction services throughout the United States, delivering innovative solutions and outstanding service to our customers for time-tested buildings and facilities. As a 100% employee-owned quality contractor, we hire the best people, give them exceptional training, and provide robust opportunities for professional growth.
What to Avoid in Your Job Description
As you craft your job descriptions, make sure you avoid the following:
Poor formatting (keep things organized with bulleted lists)
