Ways to Write More Effective Job Descriptions

At Westgate Resorts, we specialize in building meaningful careers. From the moment we receive a resume to the final job interview, each step of the way is designed to create a meaningful experience.

How to Write a More Effective Job Description

The first touchpoint for any job seeker is the job description. And we’re here to help you write one that’s more effective and personal to help you land that next job.

Follow these 10 tips to write winning job descriptions that attract the perfect candidates for any role.

1 | Set an Intention | Your goal is to attract the right talent and hire someone for a vacant position. But what is your intention with this particular job description? You want to speak to a candidate directly. You want to express the value of your open role, and capture what benefits a career with your company provides.

Rather than focus on selling your business, think about selling the experience of having a career with your organization.

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2 | Be Brief but Thorough | A good job description respects a person’s time. Rather than write a 5-paragraph dissertation on your company, focus on only the most important details.

Open with a description of the job itself, followed by a description of responsibilities and qualifications. Avoid any ultra-lengthy lists while you’re at it. Only deliver the essentials, so you get matched with people who are fully aligned with what you’re after.

3 | Get Clear About Requirements | One of the biggest struggles companies have is receiving an inundation of resumes that don’t match their requirements.

If there are any non-negotiable qualifications for a vacancy, make sure you specify these first. This could be a certain degree level, certifications, or years of experience.

On the same note, avoid being excessively strict. You could unintentionally narrow your talent pool by cutting candidates out based on excessive standards.

4 | Put Some Personality into It | Would you be enticed to apply to a company that speaks like a robot? Probably not. While professionalism is important, it should not come at the expense of personality.

There are many job descriptions out there that are completely informal, but they still come across as professional. Don’t be afraid to showcase your brand’s voice, it will speak far more to people than a generic business monotone.

5 | Follow the 3 R’s | Read, review, revise, always. These three practices help you avoid bad grammar, spelling mistakes, or other flubs that can make your job description come across as unprofessional.

It’s best to write your description with a small team, so there’s always feedback and input. Working directly with a candidate’s future colleagues can help you capture certain details that you may not even be aware of as a hiring manager.

6 | Showcase Your Benefits | You have an open job. People need employment. The equation seems simple, but in today’s world, simply offering a role is not enough to get a response.

The best job descriptions highlight the value of the job and the benefits it poses to potential employees. In addition to essentials such as health insurance and paid time off, talk about other benefits.

Maybe you have an amazing company culture, work-from-home benefits or a pet-friendly office. Play up the perks of your position to entice more candidates from the get-go.

7 | Make Your Title Shine | Writing a job description can be so engrossing that you forget about the title. Don’t make this mistake.

Bad titles lead to fewer clicks. So, even if you’ve crafted an amazing job description, less people will interact with it because the title isn’t engaging.

Avoid misleading titles as well, which are likely to attract the wrong candidates or even appeal to an entirely different audience than you would like.

Reflect the most accurate job titles in your listing to get the right people interested from the start.

8 | Use Space to Your Advantage | No one will feel excited by a massive wall of text. It literally creates a barrier between your company and the job seeker.

Instead, you want to create a pathway to engagement that results in an eventual hire. This comes from choosing a job description format that is easy to read and understand.

Use short sentences, line breaks and short lists to present information.

9 | Avoid Corporate Jargon | Buzzwords are overused, and they lack emotional impact.

These terms may be thrown around on the regular in your line of work, but they also fail to make your company stand out from the crowd. What’s more, they’ve become so overused that they just induce an eye roll from most job seekers in this day and age.

Don’t make your job sound like any other 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Focus on what people do, why they do it and what impact their role makes in an organization.

10 | Check Out the Competition | What organizations in your industry have a great team? How can you get what they have? It’s easy — check out their job descriptions for inspiration.

You can get an idea of what your own description should look like by seeing ones that other employees favored.

There’s much to be learned by eyeing the competition, and the best part is that this strategy only takes a few minutes.

Writing More Effect Job Descriptions

Discover the difference a job description makes with Westgate Careers. And if you’re ready for some relaxation after your hard work, book a stay at one of our amazing resorts for the ultimate getaway. For more career tips and guides, visit our Westgate Blog.

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