Your guide to job descriptions / What is a job description?
What is a job description?
Job description definition
A job description provides candidates with an outline of the main duties and responsibilities of the role for which they are applying, as well as an overview of your organisation. A good job description is the first opportunity for a potential candidate to learn about your open role, and often, their first chance to learn about your company.
Writing a job description should be a collaborative process between the recruiter and hiring manager, and its creation should assist your team in identifying the best candidate for a role. An added benefit of a job description is that it allows the recruiter and hiring manager to assess how closely the applications match the needs of the open role.
Main uses of a job description
Defines the skills and responsibilities needed for the role
Defines the skills and responsibilities needed for the role
Provides a benchmark for future training and development
Provides a benchmark for future training and development
Helps your organisation and the successful candidate evaluate job performance
Helps your organisation and the successful candidate evaluate job performance
Forms the basis of your employment contract with the successful candidate
Forms the basis of your employment contract with the successful candidate
Allows you to set a roadmap for the employee’s growth within your organisation
Allows you to set a roadmap for the employee’s growth within your organisation
The main benefits of a job description
Allows for self assessment
As well as providing candidates with key information on their role and responsibilities, a job description can form the basis of goal-setting when they are onboarding as well as future performance reviews.
Sets expectations for others
Not only does a job description allow candidates to assess if they’re suitable for the role in the first place but, it gives others in the organisation an idea of what is or is not within the new hire’s area of responsibility.
Aids entire hiring process
An additional benefit of a job description is that it gives recruiters and hiring managers a foundation on which to base their interview questions and can form the basis of future goals for the employee.
What should a job description contain?
A good job description should clearly identify the purpose of the role, as well as the key tasks to be performed and the main accountabilities of the position. But the best job descriptions can do so much more.
This is your first opportunity to sell your company to interested candidates, to explain why the role is important, to give a taste of what problems the successful candidate is going to help solve, and even outline some of the goals you expect them to achieve — by including information such as annual budget, etc — this helps to make the role feel more tangible.
At its most basic, a job description contains:
● A job title
● Summary of the role
● List of duties
● Desired professional experience
● Education level and desired qualifications
● Important skills required for the position
● Who the candidate will directly report to
● Employment conditions
A great job description should include background on your organisation as well as an overview of your company’s culture such as your policy on flexible working hours or support of further education and development.
This is your first opportunity to sell your company to interested candidates; use it.
Streamline the process of writing a job description
To help make your job easier, LinkedIn Talent Solutions has developed a range of job description templates spanning multiple positions and industries.
Tailor these templates to your organisation’s specific needs to attract the best candidates.
Your guide to job descriptions / What is a job description?
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