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A job description is a document that outlines the requirements, responsibilities, and qualifications for an individual’s role. A good job description can help you set achievable goals by identifying what your company needs in order to be successful. This template will allow you to write your own customized version of this important document with good information about how good it should look.
Our job description template is a customisable document that can be used to define job responsibilities and criteria. You may download the template and modify it with your company’s logo and information.
1. Make a rough outline
You’ll want to create a comprehensive and precise job description whether you’re using it to promote an open position to job seekers or internally to clarify and establish expectations. A job description likely contain a lot of information, so collect all the information you’ll need and write a short overview first. The parts below should be included in your job description:
- Snapshot: Provides a brief overview of the situation.
- About the Authors: Describes the culture and employment brand of your business.
- About yourself: Creates a mental image of your ideal applicant, including necessary talents and job responsibilities
- Compensation: Provides an hourly rate or salary range to assist job searchers in determining if the compensation you’re offering is in line with their expectations.
- Instructions on where and how to apply, such as sending an email with their résumé or completing an online application on your jobs website.
- A non-discrimination disclaimer informs job candidates that your company does not discriminate and complies with federal and state labor regulations.
2. Begin with a general overview of the position.
An summary of the role should be included at the beginning of your job description, and particularly in a job ad. The following items may be included in this section:
- Clarify whether the employee is exempt or nonexempt, as well as whether it is full-time or part-time; for example, Full-Time Exempt.
- Job Location: Indicate if a position is located in an office or is remote; for example, St. Louis, Missouri.
- Provide the salary or hourly rate for this job in the compensation section. It is suggested that you include either the actual pay for the job or a salary range for paid employment, such as $35,000 – $45,000.
- Reports To: Indicate the immediate supervisor’s job title and/or name, for example, Susan Smith, Finance Manager.
- Notify job searchers when you intend to employ someone to fill this position; for example, Accepting applications until January 15, 2022.
3. Include information about the company and its culture.
The About Us section should explain what your business does and why someone would want to work there in a straightforward and simple manner. Remember that a job candidate evaluating your company is also examining your rivals, and you want to stand out. The following are some items you may wish to include in the About Us section:
- What your business does and why it’s important (your mission and vision)
- How many individuals are employed there?
- What are the core values of your company?
- How is the corporate culture and teamwork?
- Any awards or remarkable growth statistics in the business
This part should be three to five sentences in length. While job seekers are interested in the kind of business they are applying to, the majority of them are more interested in getting to the meat of the job description, which outlines the type of work they will be performing.
4. Make a list of job requirements.
Consider what your day-to-day duties are, and then write them down in a list. Consider the primary objectives for which the job holder is accountable. What are the most important functions? What would their day-to-day work life be like? All of these things should be included in your job description.
Position Specifics
When creating a job description, one of the most common errors small company owners make is not defining in depth what the employee’s day-to-day duties will be. This makes it difficult to find the appropriate applicant for the position and reduces the likelihood that your job advertising will attract individuals with the skills you need. That is why you must meticulously plan the work. Make it clear what the new employee will be expected to accomplish.
Some of an accounting assistant’s tasks and responsibilities may include:
- Provides management with a daily ledger balance report.
- Within two working days, approves all expenditure requests.
Experience & Skills
After you’ve listed the job’s duties, consider the skills and experience that an applicant will need to succeed in that position. Separating the abilities and experience that an employee must have in order to be considered for the job from those that would be great to have but are not required is a simple method to accomplish this.
Here’s an example of a job description for an accounts payable clerk:
- A GED or high school diploma is required.
- Must have 3+ years of QuickBooks experience, including utilizing it on a daily basis in your most recent job.
- Working in a small company and/or reporting directly to the CEO is required.
- Must be on time, efficient, and accurate, as well as ready to accept criticism.
- It is preferable to have an associate or bachelor’s degree in accounting or a similar area.
- Experienced applicants may be favored over those with a higher degree.
- A+ applicants will also be cooperative, team players, and eager to complete tasks.
It’s worth noting that some of these are required, while others are recommended. This gives you greater recruiting freedom, but it also warns job seekers that other applicants may be better qualified.
The Perfect Candidate
You may wish to include a paragraph at the bottom of your About You section that describes the perfect candidate’s talents and experiences. You might, for example, include:
The ideal accounts payable clerk will have advanced QuickBooks expertise, the ability to produce relevant management reports, and a bachelor’s degree in accounting or above. They should also be able to operate under duress in high-pressure circumstances with tight deadlines while keeping a pleasant demeanor and providing excellent internal customer service.
When creating job descriptions, avoid the following blunders:
- Omitting important information, such as physical needs (like the ability to stand, lift, or speak English)
- Using jargon from the industry in the job description
- omitting a statement about work responsibilities, such as “additional tasks as given by the manager”
5. Select Compensation.
In general, posts that include a salary or salary range get more traffic than those that do not. Simply stated, you need to be paying on pace with your candidates as well as your rivals who are vying for the same jobs. You may demonstrate this by posting your salary.
If you don’t feel comfortable advertising a specific wage, provide a pay range. A good range might be $60,000 to $80,000, with a difference of 25% to 30% between the lowest and highest values.
Tip: If you’re having trouble determining the right pay for a new job, go online and look at salary data that’s publicly accessible, such as on job and business review sites like Glassdoor. Alternatively, you may utilize Indeed’s and other companies’ wage comparison tools. They can assist you in determining how much remuneration your ideal applicant may need.
Describe the advantages of your business.
You should mention the perks your business provides as part of your remuneration package. The majority of job applicants evaluate the entire pay package, which includes both the income and perks they would get. This section may contain the following items:
- Mention whether your business provides medical, dental, vision, or a mix of these services.
- Include any retirement benefits you provide, such as 401(k) plans, pensions, stock options, and so on.
- Paid Time Off: While you don’t have to include all you have to offer, the job description is a good opportunity to mention that applicants will get two weeks off plus holidays.
6. Inform candidates about the application process.
Make it clear to job searchers how they should apply. This may be accomplished by asking the applicant to submit a cover letter and résumé to a dedicated email address, such as recruiting@abccompany.com, or by requiring the candidate to fill out a job application.
Many recruitment software programs, in fact, may keep resumes in their databases and often allow you to create screening questions for applicants to answer as part of the application process. This will make it simpler to go through the stack of resumes since you’ll be able to quickly exclude those that don’t match certain criteria, such as years of service or expertise with a particular software application.
7. Include a disclaimer
A non-discrimination disclaimer should be included at the bottom of every job description. This will demonstrate that you are an equal opportunity employer that follows federal and state regulations.
A disclaimer may contain the following phrases:
ABC Company is an equal opportunity company that values diversity in its workforce. Employees at ABC Company are treated equally regardless of color, age, sex, origin, or handicap.
Job Descriptions: Internal vs. External
Most companies use job descriptions for one of two reasons: to define work responsibilities for current employees and to describe the minimal qualifications, abilities, and experience required so that eligible job searchers are encouraged to apply for vacant jobs. Each one requires distinct information in the job description.
Make Your Job Description Public
It’s time to post your job description once you’ve finished writing it. We suggest storing job descriptions in a searchable place for internal use, such as on your network or in G Suite. When you’re ready to employ, you’ll be able to quickly locate the job description. Maintaining job descriptions for each role in your company is also a smart idea. Employees will be able to go back to their job descriptions for clarity of their duties as a result of this. It is suggested that you post on a job board or a social media account for external usage.
- Use a job board to post your job.
- Make a social media post.
When you need to recruit a new employee, you may post your job descriptions on a job board after you have them saved. You may advertise available positions by connecting them to the appropriate job description on your website’s careers page; certain job boards, such as ZipRecruiter, will immediately publish to your website. Using a job board that enables you to filter applicants based on criteria stated in the job description, such as years of experience or abilities, is where the true power lies.
Conclusion
A good job description accomplishes many goals: it defines the work position, describes the necessary education, experience, and abilities, and mentions the corporate culture. A solid job description may also be turned into a job ad, which can help you recruit even passive applicants (those not actively seeking a job).
