Writing a job description: how to get it right
It seems easy enough, right? Outline the responsibilities, the requirements and bam - resumés will come flooding in. WRONG. Even in this economy, it is still worth putting some thought into how you can attract the best candidates by writing a solid job description.
Below are a few examples about what some employers are doing wrong and a few companies that are already getting it right.
1. Not emphasizing the vision enough
Don't just tell candidates what their daily duties will be. Get them pumped about the vision and future of the company.
Doing it right: Rap Genius
"Over the past 3 years we've grown from nothing to the biggest hip hop site on the Internet. Now, we've raised $15M from Andreessen Horowitz (http://goo.gl/CWJpW) to become the biggest site PERIOD. We are looking for Brilliant Engineers to Build the "Internet Talmud". Come Join"
2. Not emphasizing the team enough
Talented people want to work with a talented team, so don't be shy in bragging about your team.
"Our team is awesome. We take on audacious goals and hit them out of the park. We have come together from amazing and varied backgrounds, some companies and institutions include: McKinsey & Co., Bain & Co., Better Place, American Express, Harvard Business School, Stanford Graduate School of Business, Duke University, The Wharton School, Georgetown University."
3. Boring descriptions of the role
Some companies make the role sound so boring, it makes candidates want to fall asleep.
Doing it right: onefinestay
"We are onefinestay, a VC-funded start-up rapidly expanding and need to hire someone we’re calling The Wolf (think: Pulp Fiction). We need ambitious, tenacious entrepreneurs who can solve any problem without breaking a sweat."
4. Vague description of responsibilities
If candidates don't know what the job really is, they won't apply. A good job description will list day to day responsibilities and describe what type of experiences would make a candidate qualified.
Doing it right: Pandemic Labs
Management of client relationships
Design of campaigns on Twitter, Facebook, FourSquare, and other social networks
Report on the success of campaigns
Manage small teams of coworkers from various departments to ensure client goals are met and exceeded
Comfort initiating and running phone calls with up to 10 participants from various agencies and clients
Confidence when speaking with C-level executives
The ability to execute client or internal goals
An ability to understand basic numbers, ratios, and statistics
The ability to apply self discipline and "manage up" (we are almost the opposite of micromanagers and we expect to be asked for help proactively as needed)."
