How to Write a Killer Job Description…

You finally have the approval to make a new hire.  Now, the challenge is to write a compelling job description with the goal of attracting top, qualified talent.

Start with a good title that will be picked up in key word searches by candidates. A good title will be informative and accurately express the level and function of the role in industry terms as opposed to internal language. Many candidates have Indeed alerts set up to get all postings for “Investment Analyst” for instance.

Next step, write a few sentences to describe the company and “sell” the opportunity. Be honest, but state what makes the company a great place to work. You are competing for top talent, so you want to stand out as a desirable place to work. A few sentences that say something good about your company and its culture is always well received.

Be Concise. Make every word count.  Long rambling job descriptions are sure to turn off a prospective candidate. Convey exactly what you need, who you want to do it and avoid the “fluff” like “team player”, “strong work ethic”,

Be Positive. Do not include what you don’t want as this will be interpreted as what went wrong with the last holder of the position.

Be Specific in your description of the job responsibilities, reporting lines and expectations. Also, be specific in your required qualifications in terms of years of experience, education, software skills. If you need an analyst with excellent modeling or valuation skill and someone who is an excel macro guru, then make sure you include that. If the successful candidate must have Salesforce or some other CRM experience, make sure to ask for that.

Leave the salary information off.