Like many employers, you may be having difficulty finding qualified candidates for your job openings. Part of the problem may be your job descriptions.

Job descriptions provide clear expectations of what is needed to be successful in a role. They clarify what the job entails, what the end results are meant to accomplish, and how much decision-making power comes with the role. This information helps job seekers decide whether to apply.

The following are four areas to focus on when updating your job descriptions to attract more applicants.

1. Position Summary

List the main job duties and responsibilities.

• Include details about your department.
• Point out the benefits of working for your company.

2. Minimum and Preferred Qualifications

Share the minimum education, skills, and experience that are essential for the role. Clarify which qualifications are nice to have but not necessary.

• Keep your list of minimum qualifications as short as possible.
• Your list of preferred qualifications may be longer and include more subjective criteria to discuss during an interview.
• Preferred qualifications may include communication, collaboration, or other soft skills.
• The preferred qualifications help you differentiate among applicants who meet the minimal requirements.

3. Duties and Responsibilities

State the main job functions in order of importance. Include a percentage that shows the amount of time typically spent on each function.

• Be clear and specific when describing the duties and responsibilities.
• Use action words and adjectives for each task. For instance, “Generating official internal documents such as offer letters, appointment letters, salary slips and warning letters; Creating onboarding plans and educating newly hired employees on HR policies, internal procedures and regulations; Maintaining physical and digital files for employees and their documents, benefits and attendance records; Performs data entry to update, sort, analyze, and summarize in reports for leadership.”

4. Physical Requirements

Include accurate physical requirements needed to perform the work.

• These requirements are necessary to determine fitness for duty challenges and for worker’s compensation.
• The requirements need to be updated as the job changes.

Need Help with Hiring?

Your job descriptions need to be as current as possible, so candidates have accurate information about the role. This helps candidates decide whether they fit the requirements and should apply.  

If you need help with crafting your job descriptions or recruiting candidates that best meet the hiring qualifications, contact our experienced recruiters. Arlington Resources can assist you in hiring top HR candidates. Reach out to us today.