A Job Description Template to Follow That Suits Your Business Needs

Overview

• Discover the main parts of a successful job description
• Uncover what information to include in each section
• Learn tips to help you attract the right candidates
• See how to create a job description that will benefit your business

Finding the right person to fill openings can play a significant role in your company’s success. The ideal candidate should fit in well with your company culture and not just have the minimum competencies. However, finding the perfect job seeker requires an effective job description.

Your business’s job posting should provide a strong job summary and make clear what you want to see in qualified candidates. You’ll want a listing that goes beyond the basic job responsibilities and instead helps describe what will make an outstanding potential candidate.

Given the importance of a good job description and the impact it can have on your organization, we’ll walk you through a sample job description template. Learn how to find the right qualified applicants for your specific job opening.

As you work with your human resources (HR) department to articulate the role’s job requirements, make sure you include a few key elements. This will help you paint a better picture of what you want to see in potential candidates.

The job title is a critical place to get started. When a job seeker first starts their search, the first thing they’ll do is search by job title. Make sure that your job title aligns well with what people are looking for regarding the type of position. If you choose a title that doesn’t match what your desired candidates are seeking, it’ll be harder for them to find your job posting and apply.

Instead, focus on a job title that:

• Conveys the correct position in the business’s hierarchy
• Is a title commonly referred to by other businesses
• Isn’t so creative that the right candidate can’t find the job listing

For example, some great job titles would be:

• Senior IT Manager
• Entry-Level Content Developer
• Marketing Project Manager
• Accounting Administrative Assistant

These titles use common keywords and help potential candidates understand the role’s seniority.

You’ll also want to include who the position reports to. This helps job seekers understand where the job falls in terms of the level of responsibility. It also helps potential applicants get a better feel for the structure of your business and what they can expect if they were to work for you.

Along similar lines, it’s important for your job description to detail any supervisory responsibilities. For example, note if this particular job will call for the person to:

• Directly manage subordinates
• Be responsible for hiring others
• Be responsible for decisions related to determining salary or recommending for promotions
• Take charge of any necessary training or onboarding

For example, you might say something like, “As the senior IT manager, you’ll report directly to the chief technology officer (CTO). You’ll also be responsible for supervising IT associates, software engineers, and contractors called in as needed.”

Another example might be, “As an accounting manager, you’ll oversee accounts receivable and payable.”

The overview allows you to offer some more information about what role you expect the candidate to fill. This part should provide the applicant with a general overview of the job responsibilities and where the role fits within the organization. If there are any unique working conditions involved, such as a remote opportunity, you can mention this, as well.

Don’t make this section too long, as you’ll have a chance to provide more information in a later section.

Your overview might sound something like, “As an entry-level content developer, you’ll help produce the material that makes our business shine. You come to us with excellent writing skills and an understanding of the value that content plays online. By working with the other members of the marketing team, such as the social media team and the search engine marketing (SEM) manager, you’ll produce our content to engage customers and build our brand.”

In the job duties section, provide more detail about the types of tasks the candidate will be expected to do. However, keep a few key elements in mind:

• Specify if they’ll have responsibility over budgetary decisions for any responsibility.
• Mention how often they can expect to perform a given task. For example, is this something they can expect to spend most of their time completing, or will they only need to complete it once a month?
• Highlight any areas where the candidate will be held accountable. For example, if they will be responsible for setting and hitting particular benchmarks.

For example, for a marketing project manager job description, you might list the job duties as:

• You’ll work with the chief marketing officer (CMO) and the marketing strategist to determine the strategy you’ll pursue and how you’ll bring it to your team.
• You might be responsible for compiling and presenting market research.
• You’ll be responsible for delegating tasks to the team and meet with the team to ensure they understand the project and your expectations.
• You’ll create a calendar and timeline of responsibilities.
• You’ll hire any outside contractors needed, such as graphic designers.
• You’ll supervise projects.
• Once per month, you’ll provide a report of your progress and completed project outcomes to the CMO.

In this section, specify the required qualifications for the position. For example, if your job calls for people who have at least a four-year degree, you’ll specify that candidates must have at least a bachelor’s degree. If you want to primarily see applicants who have particular types of degrees, you should list those instead.

Think about other requirements you want to see, such as certifications relevant to the industry or other indications of continuing education. However, as you develop this section, remember to differentiate between skills you need this professional to come to the job with and those they can easily learn on the job.

For example, if your team manages remote team work through Microsoft Teams, but a candidate primarily has experience with Zoom, this won’t be an insurmountable hurdle and can easily be overcome during the onboarding process.

As you list applicant qualifications, follow an outline like the following:

• At least seven years of work experience in IT
• A degree in IT, cybersecurity, or a related field
• Experience in auditing cybersecurity protocols and implementing new strategies
• Experience managing IT systems and networks
• Experience with cloud architecture

On the other hand, if you want someone who specializes in customer service, focus on qualifications like:

• Experience being a customer service representative or working in a call center
• Understanding of the importance of quality assurance in customer service
• Experience with the intersection of business development and customer service
• Degree in communications or a related field
• Excels in problem-solving and helping customers achieve their goals

In this section, call attention to any additional skills you want to see in candidates. Think about the type of environment you want to cultivate, and use that insight to come up with other desired skills.

This is your place to list any particular experience you want your candidate to have. For example, if you work in a highly specialized industry, such as a marketing team for the hotel industry, specifying someone with a background in the travel industry can help you bring in a strong candidate.

Specify any soft skills you want to see, as well. If you want to nurture an entrepreneurial environment with a lot of self-starters, you can make that clear here. Similarly, if you place a high value on collaboration and want employees who’ll speak their minds during team discussions, include that in this section.

Consider the following skills list:

• As an entry-level content developer, you need to have excellent writing skills and a passion for the written word.
• You need to be able to easily accept direction and feedback and implement them moving forward.
• You need to be a self-starter and actively look for opportunities to learn and grow in your position.
• We value open communication at [Company Name], so be ready to actively participate and learn in team meetings. We want an open exchange of ideas, so come with a pen in hand to take notes but also an eagerness to share your opinions.

Finally, you’ll want to have your top candidates reach out right away. The language you use in your job description can help you accomplish this goal.

Remember that when you hire a new employee, you don’t just evaluate them — they also evaluate you and decide if they think they’ll be a good fit at your company. Since the candidate will be evaluating you and your organization, a good way to encourage great candidates to apply as quickly as possible is to use your job description to sell the position.

Let them know what makes working at your business exciting and what they can gain from the position. Sell the opportunities they can gain from your job listing.

At the same time, set a deadline to encourage candidates to apply promptly. For example, specifying you’ll accept applications until a certain day can help inspire those most interested in the job to make sure they hit your deadline.

You can encourage people to apply quickly with a closing, such as, “We’re accepting applications for this store manager position until 12 p.m. on Friday, July 30. Please contact name@ourstore.com if you have any questions.”

While a job description template can help you remember the important parts to include, you’ll also want to customize each job description. Since you want to attract the ideal candidates for a specific job, each part of the job posting should be rewritten to reflect the demands and qualifications of that role.

For example, if you want to hire both a warehouse worker and an operations manager, you’ll need to write very different job descriptions. Even though both professionals will represent the same brand, your priorities will shift based on the role.

As you begin searching for the right job candidates, make sure your listing is posted on a job board that will help you find the top applicants. Joblist specializes in delivering personalized results for businesses and candidates, matching organizations with professionals who’ll suit them best. Discover what sets Joblist apart in the quest to find the best possible candidate!