The job description is one of the most important documents in your company. It’s how you recruit new employees, but it can also be used to improve employee satisfaction and retention. If you want to write a strong, effective job description that paints a clear picture of what your role entails, keep these 6 simple words in mind:
“You will”
The magic words you want to use are “You will.”
This is the only way to be as specific and detailed as possible, while still leaving room for flexibility. If you need a new manager, say: “You will manage six employees in our company’s biggest department.”
If you’re hiring an intern, state: “You will attend meetings with me once or twice a week.”
If they’re applying for a sales position, write: “You will make sure each customer leaves our store happy.”
“Can you”
This is the most straightforward part of your job description. It’s just a list of things that you want someone to be able to do in order to help your team or company.
When writing these bullet points, think about what value this person brings and how it will benefit your organization as a whole. When you’re done, you should have between 1-5 bullets describing what they’ll need to be able to do on the job.
Here are some examples:
- Can you write copy for our website? (you might have more than one entry if you’re hiring multiple writers)
- Can you lead customer service training sessions? (if so, who will it be for?)
“Please”
“Please” is a polite request that shows respect and consideration for the other person. It’s also a way to ask someone else for help without demanding it, dictating it, or ordering it.
For example, if you didn’t want to use “please,” instead of saying: “Please make sure these three items are on your list by tomorrow afternoon,” consider using: “Would you be able to add these three items to your list by tomorrow afternoon?”
“Thank you”
“Thank you” is a simple phrase that will go a long way to making your employees feel valued and appreciated. Even though you probably don’t have time to write out an entire thank-you note when someone does something nice for you, saying “thank you” helps them feel that they are making a difference in the world and contributing to something bigger than themselves.
It also lets them know that they are part of a team and feeling like part of the team is one of the most important things for any employee, no matter what role they play.
“Because”
You can begin a job description by writing, “Because” and then explaining what you want your candidate to accomplish. This is a great way to explain the value of the position, especially if yours is a small business or startup that doesn’t have much money to pay for new hires.
For example: “Because we’re growing rapidly and need someone who can help us scale our customer support team.” Or: “Because we need someone who can manage projects from start to finish.”
Including this kind of explanation will help attract candidates who are looking for an opportunity where they’ll be able to make an impact.
“If and when”
Another important phrase to use is “if and when.” This phrase is used to describe the actions that will be taken if the candidate is hired, and it can help paint a clear picture of what someone’s job would look like. For example:
- If you’re hired, you’ll work with our team at this address.
- When you’re hired, your duties will include these tasks.
Brands who are open about asking for help are seeing the benefits
Asking for help is not a weakness. It’s actually a strength that can lead to more collaboration, faster results, and happier teams.
The benefits of being open about asking for help include:
- Collaborate with your team: When you’re able to ask for advice from others on how they tackle issues, it helps you understand their perspective so you can work together more effectively.
- Get better results faster: You won’t be paralyzed by indecision when you have multiple options at your disposal.
- Create trust among colleagues: Asking others for help shows that you value their input, which helps create stronger relationships between everyone involved in the project or task at hand.
Conclusion
We’ve outlined some great ways for you to write job descriptions that can help new hires hit the ground running. By using these 6 simple words, your hiring managers will be able to better focus on finding the right people for their positions. We hope this guide has helped you understand how important it is to write job descriptions with a clear purpose!
