As recruiters, entrepreneurs and investors, we’ve reviewed a lot of job descriptions at Sagana. Think: thousands. Almost all of them are long, technical, comprehensive, dry and…well, boring. It’s almost like hiring managers believe if they forget to list an activity, then the new hire might say, “well, that wasn’t in the job description; I’m not doing it”.
Let’s be clear. When you are recruiting for a position, the job description you share with the world is what makes a candidate apply; it’s not a legal document or a master’s thesis.
The job description’s purpose is to quickly communicate two things: what’s exciting and special about your company and what are the main components of the role you are recruiting for. Emphasize the 3-4 main responsibilities and 3-4 must-have main qualifications. That’s it.
The goal is to get qualified people interested in talking to you. To do this, you don’t need to tell them every single thing about the job or the company.
And by “qualified”, we mean both in skills and in culture. This is important. So rather than spending time listing every possible responsibility and every possible skill requirement, focus on ensuring that your company’s personality shines through. If someone doesn’t like the personality they get from reading your job description, they aren’t the right fit. Save yourself the time of trying to figure that out later in a first interview…or worse, after you hire them.
The job description should be interesting, thoughtful and reflect the company’s personality. A document that will attract the right culture and skill fit while deterring the others.
If we can be helpful in upping your game on hiring, we’d be happy to draft a job description for you.
