How do you format a job description?

A well-formatted job description is essential for attracting qualified candidates to apply for an open position. The job description should provide a clear overview of the role, required qualifications, responsibilities, and company culture. Formatting a job description appropriately allows candidates to quickly determine if the role is a good fit for them.

What are the key elements to include in a job description?

There are several key elements that should be included in every job description:

• Job title
• Department and/or team
• Location of role
• Job summary
• Essential job functions and responsibilities
• Required and preferred qualifications
• Educational requirements
• Experience requirements
• Special skills and certifications
• Reporting structure
• Travel requirements if applicable
• Benefits offered

Job Title

The job title should be listed first and capture the essence of the position. It should be reflective of the level of seniority, such as Associate Marketing Manager or Senior Accountant.

Department/Team

Clarifying which department or team the open role belongs to sets expectations for candidates on where they would be working in the organization.

Location

The physical work location should be shared upfront in the job description so candidates are aware of commute and relocation requirements if they were to get the job.

Job Summary

The job summary consists of a brief 2-3 sentence overview of the role, its level of seniority, and primary duties. This high-level summary gives candidates a glimpse into the heart of the position.

Essential Job Functions

This section outlines the core responsibilities and typical duties of the role. Use bullet points to highlight 5-15 essential functions tied to the position. The bullets should be brief yet descriptive.

Required Qualifications

The required qualifications section states the minimum education, experience, skills and qualifications needed for consideration for the job. These requirements should be concrete rather than abstract.

Preferred Qualifications

While not always mandatory, any preferred qualifications that would make a candidate more competitive should also be noted. This demonstrates desired experience, skills or traits.

Educational Requirements

List any educational degrees, certifications or training required as defined by the role. This includes field of study, degree level and institution certifications if applicable.

Years of Experience

Clearly define the minimum years of professional experience required to be a fit for the job duties. This brings clarity to expectations.

Special Skills/Certifications

Note technical skills, knowledge or professional certifications that are necessities for success in the role.

Reporting Structure

Identify the job title of the person or people the new hire would report directly to. This gives insight into their place on the team.

Travel Requirements

Disclose any travel expectations tied to the position, such as percentage of time traveling or specific geographic coverage.

Benefits

Giving an overview of benefits offered allows candidates to understand total compensation beyond just salary.

How should a job description be formatted?

From a formatting standpoint, there are several best practices to follow:

• Use a common serif font like Times New Roman in 11 or 12 point size for easy readability.
• Break content into sections using clear, descriptive headers like those mentioned above.
• Use bullet points rather than long paragraphs for better scanning and digestion.
• Implement bolding and italics minimally for key words or phrases to draw attention.
• Use numbered or bulleted lists for easy digestion of information whenever possible.
• Keep line length between 45-75 characters to avoid overly long or short lines.
• Use white space between sections to ease visual fatigue.
• Craft sentences and paragraphs that are direct, concise and straightforward.

What tone and voice should be used?

It’s important that a job description not only lists requirements and duties, but also gives candidates a feel for the organization’s culture. Consider the following when crafting the tone and voice:

• Use active rather than passive voice to engage the reader.
• Implement a friendly and conversational tone to your writing. Avoid overly formal language.
• Highlight company culture and values. Weave them throughout rather than isolating them.
• Focus on collaboration within and across teams and provide examples.
• Note training, mentorships, growth opportunities available.
• Showcase perks and benefits of working for the organization.
• Address diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
• Discuss leadership and management philosophies.

What length should a job description be?

Ideally, a job description should be between 500-800 words long. This allows you to dive into details without being excessively wordy. Anything shorter than 500 words likely lacks key information, while anything above 800 words risks losing the reader’s attention.

Here is a sample breakdown of recommended word counts per section:

Should you include compensation and benefits?

It is recommended not to include salary or hourly compensation in a job description. This allows for flexibility in pay based on a candidate’s unique experience and skillset. The focus should remain on the job itself rather than pay.

However, you can provide a general overview of benefits offered without detailing specifics. Common benefits to mention include medical/dental insurance, paid time off, retirement options, education stipends, flexible work arrangements and other relevant perks.

How can you ensure it is search-optimized?

Optimizing a job description for search helps increase visibility and applicants. Some tips include:

• Research keywords job seekers are likely using to search for similar roles and work them into content naturally.
• Include the official job title near the top since job titles are heavily weighted.
• Use strategic formatting like bulleted lists for easy scanning.
• Break content into short paragraphs of 1-2 sentences instead of large blocks of text.
• Use phrases instead of vague or generic language.
• Avoid overuse of fancy formatting like italics, images, text boxes.

Should you include EEOC language?

Yes, it is important for legal compliance to include EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) language in all job descriptions. This states that candidates will be considered regardless of race, color, religion, sex or national origin.

For example, you could say “Our company provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics.” This covers the legal necessities.

How can you ensure it appeals to a wide talent pool?

Some strategies to attract a diverse talent pool through your job description include:

• Spotlight work culture and DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) programs.
• Use gender neutral language like “they” instead of “he/she”.
• Require only relevant job qualifications to avoid discouraging candidates.
• Promote expansion of skills and professional growth.
• Discuss mentorship and development opportunities.
• Note flex work or alternative schedules available.
• Showcase employee resource groups and communities.

Conclusion

Well-formatted job descriptions are vital for attracting top talent to open roles in an organization. They should give a clear overview of responsibilities and requirements while also expressing company culture fit. Following best practices for content, length, formatting, tone and optimization ensures your job descriptions engage and compel qualified candidates to apply.