How To Write a Job Description That Attracts Top Talent

A job description is a document that outlines the duties, responsibilities, and qualifications for a specific role. It clarifies and aligns expectations for both employers and employees, helps attract the right applicants during recruitment, serves as a resource for performance management, and provides necessary documentation for compliance and compensation.

While HR software and AI can assist you with writing and optimizing a job description, human oversight and personalization are necessary. Simply copying a job description template is inadequate and increases risks for your company. You must tailor it to your company and the role, while utilizing best practices to attract top candidates. Employers need to skillfully balance including the necessary details while not overwhelming applicants with too much information.

Applicants vs. Candidates

The terms applicants and candidates are often used interchangeably, but they do have different meanings. An applicant is any person who submits a resume or application for a job. A candidate is a person who has completed at least one stage of the hiring process and is seriously being considered for a job. As you review applicants that you receive from an effective job description, you will identify candidates who are well-qualified for the job. 

There is also a difference in meaning between the terms job seeker and job hunter. The difference lies in a person’s mindset, with a job seeker passively looking for a job while a job hunter is actively looking.  

The Importance of a Well-Written Job Description

An effective job description has many benefits for both employers and applicants. Your job description is the foundation for attracting the right person for the job, aligning expectations, and getting new hires started on a successful onboarding journey. 

• Attracts top talent and diversity: When you craft a high-quality job description, use inclusive language, and personalize it for your company and role, you will attract top talent and a diverse pool of applicants. 
• Highlights desired skills and qualifications: Applicants are relying on the listed skills, experience, education, and certifications to determine if they are a good fit for the role. When you divide qualifications into preferred and required, you will attract a wider range of applicants. 
• Outlines roles, responsibilities, duties, and tasks: When your job description accurately reflects the roles, responsibilities, duties, and tasks, you will attract the right candidates. 
• Conveys company details: The tone you use, as well as the words that you choose to include, convey the details about your company, including the company culture, mission, values, and unique attributes. 
• Shows your commitment to DEI: Your choice to use inclusive language shows your commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). 
• Complies with laws: In states that have pay transparency laws, employers are often required to disclose pay ranges in job postings. Some states also require disclosing total compensation. Additionally, salary history bans, which prevent employers from asking about salary history, exist in many states. 
• Helps you stand out on job boards: Job hunters spend considerable time browsing job postings, so you need a job description that will stand out from the crowd. When choosing your title, focus on the keywords that prospective candidates will use to search for a specific job.  
• Provides the details that applicants want: The job description provides details about work hours, work location, employment classification, growth opportunities, and answers to common questions that applicants may have. For shift workers, it is especially important to specify shifts, weekend hours, and overtime eligibility. 
• Helps candidates decide if they would be a good match: Applicants will make a quick decision about applying based on how closely their experience and skills align with your requirements and expectations.
• Provides clarity: The job description provides clear expectations for daily work that serves as the foundation for onboarding and training. This role clarity is essential for decreasing turnover. 
• Supports many HR functions: A well-written job description supports many HR functions, including conducting performance evaluations, classifying employees, determining compensation, identifying training needs, and processing requests for reasonable accommodations.
• Assists with performance management: Both employers and employees will reference the job description during performance management, so it is critical that the job description accurately lists expectations. 

The Dangers of a Poorly Written Job Description 

A poorly written job description results in a host of problems. Not only are many employers lacking sufficient time to devote to the hiring process, but 43% of employers identify their biggest hiring challenge as receiving too many unqualified candidates. From longer hiring time to misaligned expectations, here are the ways that an inadequate job description hinders the recruitment process. 

• Results in many unqualified applicants: Recruiting teams are already overwhelmed sorting through a high volume of applicants, and a poorly written job description will only amplify that problem. When qualifications and skills lack the necessary specifications or the job duties are inaccurate, you will get flooded with unqualified candidates. 

• Generates a small applicant pool: An ineffective job description will attract fewer applicants. Also, the applicant pool will lack diverse and qualified candidates.

• Leads to longer hiring time: It will take longer to find and hire the right candidate when you use an ineffective job description. Plus, if your process takes too long, you risk losing any top candidates that you do find. 

• Creates misalignment: If a job description is inaccurate, exaggerated, outdated, or too vague, it creates a misalignment between the expectations of a candidate and the reality of the position. Misalignment is a widespread problem. In fact, HBR research found that one in three job descriptions for executives had misaligned expectations and responsibilities.

• Produces inconsistencies: Without a structured process for creating, aligning, and updating job descriptions at your company, there will be inconsistencies that lead to confusion and inequities.

• Results in higher turnover: When job descriptions result in misalignments, new hires are more likely to quickly quit. 

• Causes reputation damage: A job posting is often the first impression a potential employee has of your company. Simple mistakes, like spelling and grammar mistakes, make a bad first impression. If your description contains non-inclusive language, signs of a toxic culture, or discriminatory language, it can damage your reputation. 

• Increases compliance risks: Job descriptions should comply with laws designed to protect laborers and their wages, prevent discrimination, support salary transparency, and provide reasonable accommodations. Noncompliance can result in lawsuits, penalties, and fines.

What To Include in a Job Description

Knowing what to include in a job description is just as important as how to format it. Aim for a job description length of 300 to 600 words. Job descriptions that are less than 300 words receive 8.4% more responses. Keep in mind that on average, applicants spend only 14 seconds skimming a job description before deciding if they will apply. Therefore, using bullets, subheadings, and concise language is essential. The format also needs to be mobile-friendly, so be mindful of how long the text will appear on a small screen. 

A job description should include the following sections: job title, job summary, responsibilities and duties, qualifications and skills, compensation and benefits, company details, working conditions, disclaimers, and legal language. While you should avoid catchy phrases in the job title, you may use catchy subheadings, like “a day in the life,” to help paint a vivid, yet realistic picture of the job.

Job Title 

Job titles should be clear, specific, targeted, and searchable. Focus on what candidates will be searching for, not fun names that reflect your company culture. Avoid jargon and gender-coded words, such as superhero or ninja. Use words instead of numbers for the level. An example would be to use the word senior instead of level 3 or III. Limit the job title to three words and fewer than 60 characters. 

Job Summary 

The summary is two to three sentences that provide a high-level overview of the job and its purpose. Some job seekers will instantly decide after reading just this section whether they will apply for the job. In fact, the bottom one-third of the description is often skipped entirely. Therefore, it is essential to make the summary enticing, yet honest and realistic.

There is a place where you can include a sentence about what makes your company and the position unique and show your company’s personality. It can also be helpful to include the salary range in the summary, especially since 61% of candidates identified salary as the most important item in a job description. 

The goal is to quickly make it clear to applicants what they will gain from this job with a hook that will keep them reading more. Make your post more engaging, conversational, and personal by writing in the second person and keeping it gender neutral. Instead of using the word candidate, use “you will” or “your experience.” When describing your mission, start your sentence with “We want you to.” You can also use creative subheadings to hook candidates and show how it will benefit them.

Responsibilities and Duties 

Job descriptions should include both surface-level tasks and a bird’s-eye view. While the surface-level tasks describe daily work, the bird’s-eye view focuses on the strategic view, including how a role contributes to the company’s mission. When employees feel that their work contributes to a team’s purpose and the company’s success, employee engagement, productivity, and retention increase. Think of your job description as the first step in creating a positive employee experience throughout the employee life cycle. 

It is important to understand the differences between roles, responsibilities, job duties, and tasks. A role is the overall position or function an employee holds within an organization. Responsibilities are the broad areas they are accountable for within that role, and help employees know what is expected of them and how they get their job done. Job duties are the specific, formalized obligations of that role. They are more defined than responsibilities but less detailed than individual tasks. Tasks are the individual actions an employee performs daily. Over time, job tasks will change, but responsibilities and the role will likely remain the same. 

The job description should focus on essential functions. Omit details about occasional duties or future duties that will make your job description too long. Focus on a typical day and the bird’s-eye view. The most frequent and important duties should be listed first. 

Begin each duty with an action verb in the present tense. The University of Alabama at Birmingham provides a list of 379 action verbs to describe job duties. You can include in parentheses an estimate of the time that will be spent on each duty, and group smaller tasks together for a total of 100%. Add brief details that explain how, why, where, and how frequently each duty is carried out. Address the type of decision-making, accountability, and degree of supervisory responsibility. 

Qualifications and Skills 

Job qualifications include experience, education, training, and certifications. Skills include the knowledge, abilities, and skills necessary to successfully perform the job. List the qualifications and skills in two categories: required and preferred. With 70% of employers using skills-based hiring, it is time to move away from stringent requirements for specific degrees and years of experience and instead focus on skills and inclusivity. If you make the requirements too restrictive, it will decrease the number of applicants. Make it clear if specific years of experience can substitute for education.  

Salary and Benefits

Concisely describe your total compensation package, including pay, benefits, and perks. Highlight the unique benefits and perks that will attract top talent, such as unlimited PTO, a four-day workweek, flexible work and autonomy, growth opportunities, financial rewards, and stipends. A Mercer study found that flexible working arrangements are the most valuable to employees. 

Many states have pay transparency laws that require employers to include pay ranges in job listings, and employers will face civil penalties for failing to do so. It is an effective practice to include pay ranges in job descriptions, even if not required by law. Your payroll system helps to increase compliance with labor laws and set compensation.  

Company Details  

Include some details about your company, such as mission, company culture, and unique aspects. You may choose to be transparent by disclosing the steps in your hiring process. Depending on the word count, you may be able to highlight your core values, employee value proposition, growth mindset, and/or DEI commitment. 

Instead of trying to cram in too many company details, focus instead on what will make your job description compelling. Candidates who want to know more about your company should be able to easily find that information on your website, careers site, and LinkedIn company page. It can be helpful to include multimedia elements, such as a video highlighting working at your company, either as a link or embedded directly in the job post. 

Working Conditions

Briefly describes the physical demands, work environment, travel requirements, and schedule expectations. Highlight critical requirements such as travel, working nights or weekends, and essential physical requirements like standing for prolonged periods or working in adverse conditions.

Legal Requirements 

While there is no legal requirement to have a job description, they are highly recommended. However, there are some job description legal requirements specifying what to include and what cannot be included in a job description. 

When you do provide a job description, it must include essential functions in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), as this will be used to determine reasonable accommodations. The essential functions should be accurate, realistic, and focused on desired outcomes, not specific methods for reaching them. For example, say moving or transporting an item instead of lifting or carrying it. Refer to this table from Pace University for ADA-compliant words. 

In accordance with Title VII of the Civil Rights Act (Title VII), job descriptions must not use any discriminatory or exclusionary language. You may not specify English-speaking only, but you may specify bilingual. Employers must avoid ageist language, such as millennial, in accordance with the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), which prevents discrimination against workers over 40. Ensure that minimum wages, weekly hours, overtime limits, employment classification, and disclosing pay ranges are compliant with federal, state, and local laws.

It is a good idea to include a disclaimer such as a clause stating, “Other duties as assigned.” Include a statement showing your commitment to Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO). Use these examples of EEO statements as a guide. 

Best Practices for Writing Compelling Job Descriptions

Knowing what to include in a job description is just the beginning. How you present the information has a significant impact on recruitment. Based on our research, experience, and conversations with experts, here are the best tips for writing an effective job description to attract top talent. 

Conduct a Job Analysis

The first step in creating an effective job description begins with conducting a job analysis, which involves gathering, analyzing, and documenting information about the position within your company. During this systematic process, you will identify the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) necessary for this job as well as the tasks, duties, and responsibilities. A variety of methods are used to gather information, including observations, interviews with employees and stakeholders, surveys, job logs, and performance metrics. 

Once the process is complete, have the job description reviewed by the hiring manager and current employees in that role, so that you can adjust as needed. As you collaborate with managers to create a job description for a new position, envision your ideal candidates and what would make them a good fit. Then, think about what would make your position appealing to high-potential candidates. 

Use a Skimmable Format 

With 57% of job seekers spending five minutes or less reading a job description, it is essential to present the information in a way that is easy to scan. Use subheadings and bullet lists to break up the information. Divide requirements into two categories: must-have and preferred. Make the text clear and concise. Avoid long blocks of text that are difficult to read quickly. You want to excite candidates, not overwhelm them. 

Utilize Inclusive Language

Job descriptions should always use inclusive language to show belonging and respect to people of all backgrounds, experiences, and identities. Use gender-neutral language by avoiding the use of masculine and feminine pronouns, stereotypes, gender-coded words, and outdated terms for positions that end with the word man, such as chairman or fireman. When crafting your job description, use these words: you, your, they, person, and people.  

Choose language that includes people of all ages. For example, avoid saying recent college graduate or millennials as that could exclude older applicants. Another aspect of inclusive language is avoiding abbreviations, acronyms, and jargon, which can cause confusion and misunderstanding, especially across diverse cultures. 

Use ADA-compliant language that allows people with disabilities to seek accommodations for the task, like using a cart or dolly to move an item instead of carrying it. Instead of “lift 50 pounds,” say “move 50 pounds.” 

Focus on Passive Candidates

Passive candidates have different motivations than active candidates. Unlike active candidates, passive candidates do not need to immediately find a job as they are looking for something better than the job they currently have. We spoke with a recruiting expert who explained that top talent is often only passively looking, so you need to know how to quickly grab their attention.

“Most employers think they can just write the description and a little about the company and they are good, but to really draw in these highly sought-after candidates, make sure you know what makes your job/company better than where they are at,” said Justin Marcus, Founder of Gratus Staffing and OfferAlign. “Some examples are: WFH every Friday, flexible work hours, 35-hour workweek, or free breakfasts and onsite gym memberships.”

He explained that top candidates are seeking upward mobility in both their careers and compensation. “Make sure the salary range posted is above what someone in the role may be currently making, unless you are looking for someone to step up from a lower-level role,” said Marcus.

Make It Enticing and Unique

Job boards are flooded with job postings, making it difficult to stand out from the crowd. “If the job description looks like everyone else’s, it will not showcase what makes your company special and unique,” explained Caitlin Wehniainen, Staffing and Recruitment Expert at On Cue Hire. 

How do you make your job description enticing and unique? “Ask yourself, what will entice someone to leave their current job to come and work here in this role, and start there when creating the job description.” Wehniainen told us that she recommends “clarifying projects, growth within the company, and career trajectory so that candidates have a strong view of the position upon applying.”

Review and Update Job Descriptions  

Job descriptions should be treated as living documents rather than static records. As organizations evolve, so do the roles, responsibilities, and duties of each position. Regularly reviewing and updating job descriptions helps ensure alignment with business goals and day-to-day realities. When job descriptions are regularly updated, employees gain role clarity and can better adapt to organizational change.