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How do you balance being specific and flexible in your job description requirements?

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Writing a job description is a crucial step in the hiring process, but it can also be challenging to strike the right balance between being specific and flexible in your requirements. You want to attract qualified and diverse candidates, but you also don't want to scare them away with unrealistic expectations or vague criteria. How do you balance being specific and flexible in your job description requirements? Here are some tips to help you craft a clear, concise, and compelling job description that meets your needs and appeals to your target audience.

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1 Define your must-haves and nice-to-haves

One way to balance specificity and flexibility is to separate your requirements into two categories: must-haves and nice-to-haves. Must-haves are the essential skills, qualifications, and experiences that you need for the role, such as education level, certifications, technical proficiency, or industry knowledge. Nice-to-haves are the additional or preferred attributes that would enhance the role, such as soft skills, languages, hobbies, or interests. By clearly distinguishing between the two, you can communicate your expectations and priorities, while also leaving room for some variation and diversity in your applicants.

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Eric Nguyen

Innovator. Problem solver. Change agent for equity, inclusion, and justice.
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One trap to avoid is the tendency to throw everything into the must-have category. Yes, in an ideal world, your ideal candidate will check every box and will join your team ready to hit the ground running. The reality, though, is that candidates rarely meet every qualification, so what knowledge, skills, and experiences must they possess in order to do the job well? Consider also the supervisor's ability and capacity to coach and mentor new employees when creating these lists, and think about who else in the organization can help your new hire grow and acquire the knowledge and skills they don't yet have. The nice-to-haves then provide a pool of professional development and growth opportunities for your new hire.

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2 Use inclusive and positive language

Another way to balance specificity and flexibility is to use inclusive and positive language in your job description. Inclusive language is language that avoids bias, stereotypes, or discrimination based on factors such as gender, race, age, disability, or sexual orientation. For example, instead of using gendered terms like "he" or "she", use gender-neutral terms like "they" or "the candidate". Instead of using terms that imply a certain level of seniority or experience, such as "expert" or "guru", use terms that describe the level of responsibility or impact, such as "lead" or "mentor". Positive language is language that emphasizes the benefits, opportunities, and values of working for your organization, rather than the challenges, risks, or drawbacks. For example, instead of saying "you must be able to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines", say "you will have the opportunity to work on exciting and dynamic projects with a supportive and collaborative team".

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Juhee Goswami

Talent Delivery Manager @ Randstad
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1. Clearly outline the essential qualifications and skills needed, using specific language to describe them. However, remain open to candidates who may bring different but equally valuable experiences or perspectives. 2. Avoid gendered or biased language. Use terms like "candidates" or "applicants" and focus on skills and qualifications. 3. Include language that encourages candidates to apply if they are eager to learn and grow in the role. 4. Clearly communicate both the core requirements and any areas where flexibility may be possible. This helps manage expectations for both recruiters and candidates. 5. Use language that signals the organization's commitment to diversity and inclusion.

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3 Provide examples and context

A third way to balance specificity and flexibility is to provide examples and context in your job description. Examples and context are helpful to illustrate what the role entails, what the expectations are, and what the outcomes are. For example, instead of saying "you will be responsible for managing social media accounts", say "you will be responsible for creating engaging and relevant content for our social media platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and monitoring and responding to comments and feedback from our followers". Examples and context can also help you showcase your organizational culture, mission, and vision, and how the role fits into the bigger picture. For example, instead of saying "you will be part of a diverse and innovative team", say "you will be part of a team that values creativity, collaboration, and learning, and that works together to solve complex problems and deliver impactful solutions for our clients".

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4 Ask for feedback and revise

A final way to balance specificity and flexibility is to ask for feedback and revise your job description. Feedback can help you identify any gaps, errors, or inconsistencies in your job description, and also give you a sense of how your job description is perceived by potential candidates. You can ask for feedback from different sources, such as your colleagues, your hiring manager, your existing employees, or your network. You can also use online tools, such as job description analyzers, to check your job description for readability, clarity, and inclusivity. Based on the feedback, you can revise your job description to make it more specific, flexible, or appealing, depending on your goals and needs.

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Eric Nguyen

Innovator. Problem solver. Change agent for equity, inclusion, and justice.
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When seeking feedback on job descriptions, ask people who don't already have a strong awareness of the position. Ask questions such as "Based on this job description, what are the most important aspects of the role? What do you think a typical day for this person will be like? If someone hasn't done this particular job before, what type of experiences would make someone well-qualified to step into this position?" I actually ask similar questions of job candidates during the interview process. The description is in final form, but it's a great way to assess how the candidate views the job and correct any misperceptions before making a hire.

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5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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Shanika Ells

Founder/Business Owner
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Be willing to mentor your job description: Often times we see employees that are wanting to be mentored in order to learn, grow, and move into a career path that moves up with skill sets and knowledge continuously obtained. Be willing to mentor a job description to not only allow additional success for future candidates, but to be able to recognize the employees skill sets and how it can be incorporated to be more efficient in providing success and objectivity.

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How do you balance being specific and flexible in your job description requirements?

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1 Define your must-haves and nice-to-haves

2 Use inclusive and positive language

3 Provide examples and context

4 Ask for feedback and revise

5 Here’s what else to consider

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