Templates can help create consistent job descriptions within job families, facilitating simplicity when updating & creating job descriptions while ensuring critical information is always captured.
A good job description reflects the duties, responsibilities, skills, and/or competencies required for a position, producing a realistic picture of the job. When well-written, job descriptions set the foundation for talent recruitment, compensation planning, career development, and employee retention. A clear and concise job description will help you stand out among your competitors, improve retention rates, and make sound compensation decisions.
In this blog, we will discuss how to set up an effective job description template at your organization and review some of the most important sections to include in your templates.
What is a Job Description Template?
A job description template is a standardized document or framework used by organizations to outline the key details or sections of a job description. It includes sections for the job title, summary of the role, responsibilities and duties, required qualifications and skills, working conditions, and any other relevant information. This template serves as a foundation for creating specific job descriptions and ensuring consistency and completeness across different roles within the organization.
How to Setup Job Description Templates
Not all job descriptions are the same; while the company bio and mission statement may stay the same for all positions, other sections of the job description should be tailored to the position. For instance, a job description for an entry-level position may focus on the passion and mentality of the ideal candidate. At the same time, a specialized role will detail the skills, certifications, and qualifications candidates should possess. By setting up job description templates by job family, organizations can design a template that ensures mandatory sections are captured and completed when job descriptions are updated or designed.
1. Organize your Jobs into Job Families
“Job families” refer to a grouping of jobs that are related in terms of their role, responsibilities and requirements. These jobs share common skills, knowledge, and other attributes. The concept of job families allows for a more organized and structured approach to managing different types of jobs within the same or similar fields. This categorization can help in creating clearer career paths and in understanding the progression or transfer opportunities within a company. When it comes to job description templates- having jobs organized by job families will help HR achieve job description consistency by attaching similar jobs to the same template.
2. Determine Organizational Job Description Architecture
If you are in the process of designing job description templates, now may be a good time to consider your job description architecture. Organizations are shifting to new approaches that focus less on qualifications/education and more on skills and competencies. These methods are proving to be more successful in attracting and hiring qualified candidates who can adapt to the role based on the overall skills required to be successful.
Regardless of the approach, it’s important to understand in the job description template design the key sections that will be required. This may include skills, qualifications, duties, responsibilities, and more. Once a general framework is understood based on organizational hiring philosophy, you can define templates based on job families.
3. Perform a Job Analysis & Identify Essential Functions, Skills, and Competencies
While all job families will follow organizational job description architecture, each family should be further evaluated and understood so that templates can be customized for the best fit. For example, some roles that are highly technical may require specific certifications and require a section in the template to capture those requirements, while other positions may not have a certifications section at all.
4. Design your Job Description Templates
Once the analysis is complete, create your job description templates. If using job description software like Mosh JD these templates can be saved and assigned to specific families to ensure all team members creating or updating job descriptions follow the template for consistent formatting and to ensure key information is not missed.
Important Sections to have in a Job Description Template
Job Title
Use formal industry titles that candidates typically search for and that are generally understood, such as “Office Manager” or “Sales Associate.” According to LinkedIn, 36% of candidates are searching for roles based on common titles for the role. Keywords are important in job posts. Additionally, avoid unusual titles such as “The Office Handyman” or “Marketing Ninja” as they may confuse candidates looking to understand what the role entails. When creating new titles, consult your job description catalog to avoid needless redundancy in your catalog.
Reports To
The [job title] reports to [position they will be reporting to] is a simple component but helpful for candidates to understand whom they will be working with regularly.
Company’s Basic Information
This information is great to include for job posts. Pitch your company in two to four sentences to inform the candidates of who you are and the kind of culture they will be working in. 71% of candidates say it’s very important to get a feel for the culture in the job description. This section communicates your values, purpose, and what makes the company a good fit for the candidate. Keep this section short and enticing – you want to create excitement about your organization in the fewest words possible.
Job Overview/Expectations and Summary of Role
Give an overview of the job in three to four sentences, how it fits into the organization, what success looks like, duration, and general work conditions. Indicate whether the job is full-time, part-time, contract, on-site, remote, or hybrid. Include any travel requirements, physical requirements, or weekend commitments. A clear description will discourage less-qualified candidates from applying, saving you time in reviewing applications.
Responsibilities and Duties
Highlight the essential duties of the position based on importance. You may not have to mention every single task, but make sure you clearly communicate your expectations. Bullet points work well for this section, keep them between 8 and 14 points. Start your sentences with verbs, write in complete sentences, use gender-neutral language, use the present tense, and use relevant keywords to help candidates find the posting.
Qualifications
If you are working with a traditional job description or a technical role, include a section for qualifications and educational experience required for the position. Be specific on the required level of education, experience, personal characteristics, licenses, certifications, and physical abilities.
Required Skills/Competencies
Including the required skills or competencies ensures that applicants have a clear understanding of the competencies and expertise needed for the role, which helps in attracting suitable candidates. For employers, it streamlines the recruitment process by filtering out unqualified applicants early on, saving time and resources. This clarity in expectations aids in setting the foundation for employee success, as candidates are better matched to the role’s demands, leading to increased job satisfaction and productivity. Skills & competency based approaches are proving to have significant positive impacts on hiring.
Compensation
Transparency helps in attracting candidates who are comfortable with the offered salary range, reducing the likelihood of later negotiations or disappointments. It demonstrates the employer’s openness and fairness in financial dealings, which can enhance the organization’s reputation. Furthermore, detailing the compensation package, including any additional benefits, can make the position more appealing to potential candidates, thus attracting a wider and more qualified pool of applicants. More and more candidates are demanding to see compensation and salary ranges in a job description, and as many as 25% or more say it’s key in their decision to apply.
Call to Action – Job Post
Ask potential employees to respond to the posting by filling out an application. You can specify the email address where they will send their documents or include a direct link for the application. Add specific dates for deadlines, invitations to interviews, or possible start dates. Don’t forget to include a call to action when posting on internal job boards as well. There likely are qualified candidates for the role right at your company.
Utilize Job Description Templates for Consistent and Accurate Job Descriptions
By utilizing templates, your leadership team can ensure consistency across job families and job descriptions that convey the key components of the role and company. With all stakeholders on the same page when it comes to job description design, your team will be most effective and efficient in your recruiting and employee development efforts.
Visit our website to learn how our job description software can help you create job description consistency with customizable templates.
