How to Write a Job Description

The job description has long been the bread-and-butter tool of business hiring. Job descriptions that fail to accurately capture the essence of your business's open job position can lead to some serious hiring “mistakes” (not to mention hiring disasters).


You can best think of a well-written job description as a “snapshot” of the job:



  • Look ahead, not behind. Jobs today are generally broader in scope than those of the past; job descriptions, therefore, now need to take into account the expanded skill sets that employees need to handle the greater responsibilities.



  • Don’t confuse tasks with requirements and qualifications. A task is what the person or people you hire actually do. Qualifications are the skills, attributes, or credentials a person needs to perform each task.



  • Set priorities. A well-written job description consists of more than simply a laundry list of the tasks and responsibilities that the job entails. It reflects a sense of priorities.



  • Don’t box yourself into a corner. Credentials such as degrees and licenses are formal acknowledgements that a candidate has passed a particular test or completed a specific field of study. But stay flexible. What you prefer in a candidate may not necessarily be what’s required for the position, particularly when you take into account a candidate’s various work experiences and accomplishments.



  • Don’t forget soft skills. These skills include an aptitude for communicating with people of all levels, skill sets, and backgrounds; the ability to work well in teams (as both leader and team member); and other factors, such as a strong sense of ethics and a talent for efficient and creative problem-solving.



  • Make sure that the job is doable. Some job descriptions work beautifully until the person you hire actually tries to perform the job. So the job that you describe must truly be doable.



  • Be specific. Make sure that the words you choose actually spell out what the job entails in as much detail as possible.



  • Set a salary range. Before you start recruiting, establish a salary range for the position you want to fill. Compare it to similar positions in other companies to make sure that you're offering competitive wages.




The following is a quick look at the categories that make up a well-written job description:



  • Title of the position



  • Department (if applicable)



  • Title of the person to whom the new hire will directly report



  • Job responsibilities



  • Necessary skills



  • Required experience




Begin writing your job description with these categories in mind, and you'll be on your way to finding a great employee.




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Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-write-a-job-description.html

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