Why a well-drafted job description is a hiring imperative

Talent acquisition professionals often tend to avoid writing a detailed job description either because they do not have the details from the hiring/business managers but a brief understanding or sometimes because they think that writing one would be limiting as the hired applicant may not work beyond the scope of what is written in the job description. The business or hiring managers clearly do not have the time or the skill set to write a good Job Description. However, there is nothing more crucial to hiring the right candidate than a well-drafted job description.

So, what is a job description?

A job description is essentially a document that elaborates on the #candidate’srole, #duties, #responsibilities, #qualification requirements, and the candidate’s hierarchical standing. Taking the time to pen a detailed and thorough job description helps the recruiter (whether in-house or external), the employee, and the employer in many ways.

1. Tightens the requirement pool: Aspirants will usually apply if they tick off all the detailed requirements. Thus, the recruiter will get a more precise pool of possible hires which eventually helps save time and reduces wasted leads. Plus, a poorly drafted or ambiguous job description can steer away top candidates and may lead to hiring someone who is not fit for the position.

2. Eliminate ambiguity both for the employer and the employee: Transparency and clarity always win the game, and if the job description is well-drafted, the employee will know exactly what the job requires of them, and the employer will have an established criterion based on which they can determine the employee’s #performancemetrics.

3. Adds an element of #accountability: A structured job description can be essential in managing expectations and ensuring employees can be held accountable if they do not perform specific tasks mentioned in the job description. And as mentioned before, it helps employers with a base through which they can assess the employee’s performance and reduces the possibility of the recruit questioning the employer& expectations.

Apart from the above, a comprehensive document will help establish the candidate's alignment with the #company’sgoalsandvision and can also be a keystone to proper and fair remuneration and performance appraisal.

A job description should ideally have the following components.

1. Job Title

2. Summary of the job requirements and scope of work

3. Summary of duties, responsibilities

4. Educational requirements

5. Additional training requirements or licenses

6. Whether it is a full-time, part-time, or contact role

7. Whether the role is on-site, hybrid or work-from-home

It is also important to note that #jobdescriptions must be constantly updated. It should not be a done-and-dusted scenario because industry trends are constantly changing and what may have been an essential requirement before may not hold true after some time. Those responsible for hiring should evaluate and update the job description to avoid dating requirements or, for that matter, additional requirements and responsibilities that would help the organization and the employee grow.