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Job Description Template Example

Job Description Template Example

As a business leader, there’s a lot to consider during the process of recruiting new staff. One important document you must prepare is your job description.

Using a job description template will help you by providing information on what details are required when writing a job description. Additionally, a good job description template can also help by giving you and your recruitment team guidance when creating free job adverts.

The job description example that Hiring People offer includes the job’s responsibilities, the duties of a successful candidate, and the hard and soft skills required to perform the role. It also lists everyday tasks that the person is expected to perform.

This means that you can get an idea of what you need to include when creating job descriptions, and can save yourself time by using our extensive experience to ensure your job description contains everything your candidates need to know.

To ensure that you get the best talent applying for your job posting, a job description includes other details, such as information about who the role reports to, whether this person will have management responsibilities, and what the goals of the position are.

When using a job description template, it’s important that it gives anyone reading the job description a good understanding of how the role will integrate into the company and in summary what the person is expected to do. An accurate job description can save you time dealing with applicants who didn’t understand what is required of them and aren’t qualified to take on the job responsibilities.

You must include information about expected travel requirements, the employment type, qualifications that are required, the salary range you will be offering, expected working hours. You also need to indicate the type of the person you require and the amount of experience you expect this person to have. Giving an overview of company culture and the job recruiting process will help you to inform the job seeker and reduce the chance of questions further into the process.

Job Description Template

What is a Job Description?

In the simplest terms, a job description (also referred to as a JD, or a job profile) is a document that lists the job requirements, responsibilities and specific skills needed to properly execute a particular role.

An effective job description will enable anyone reading it to develop a good understanding of that specific role by defining what the role entails, what skills are needed, and how the role fits into the company as a whole. They ensure all members of a team, or organisation, understand the requirements of specific roles throughout the business.

Job descriptions are essential, not just to ensure you employ the right candidate at the recruitment stage, but also to ensure an employee is fulfilling the duties and responsibilities of their role. In this way, they are very helpful to use as part of performance reviews, assuming they are specific enough.

Having an accurate job description will ensure a company recruits the most suitable people and protects against any required key skills being overlooked during the process.

Our Job Description Library contains examples of job descriptions which you can use as a starting point to suit the needs of your business.

You can also use our job description templates to help you to save time and make it easier for you to make your job description quickly.

How to Write a Job Description

Writing a job description requires a basic knowledge of how to lay out this type of document. While using a job description template can save you time, there’s still a lot you need to know. Here are some tips to help you create a well-written job description that will help you to get qualified applicants to apply for your role.

  • Find the most suitable job description template.
  • Add in the job title (people doing the same job in different companies or across different industries might be referred to differently).
  • Clearly state in the opening sentences what the role entails. If you don’t know the answer to this, then ask someone who does – you can’t guess at this!
  • List the duties and responsibilities of the role. Again, ensure this is accurate and up to date.
  • Provide information on any essential qualifications, skills, or other key requirements.
  • Detail measurable and specific examples of success within the role.
  • Give information on the reporting structure of the role.
  • Ensure everyone involved (the Line Manager, the MD, HR, etc) is in agreement with what you have detailed in the job description.

Whilst you may choose to download a specific job description, and then personalise it further for your company, we do also have a general Job Description template available to download, which will cover any role.

Isn’t a Job Description that same as a Job Advert?

Whilst a job description and a Job Advert will both detail the duties of a particular role, along with any necessary experience, qualifications and skills required, there are differences. A job description is an internal document that will contain far more detailed information. This information is invariably personalised to the company. It is provided to candidates as well as internal staff, as it is the founding document on which the job ad is based.

A job description provides you with an essential reference in case of employee disputes or disciplinary issues. It clarifies expectations and enables you to conduct performance reviews in a quantifiable way. Job Descriptions are necessarily long and descriptive, and are useful for measuring performance of a candidate over time and ensuring that the person you hired is achieving the aims you initially set out for them.

A job advert on the other hand, is a tool to attract candidates to your company; they are short and to the point, and aren’t weighed down with lots of detail. Job ads use more concise language to outline essential duties and basic information about what the ideal candidate would look like. Job adverts should be designed to sell the company to prospective candidates. Telling a potential future employee that filing will be one of their tasks won’t exactly entice them to apply, however detailing it in a Job Description is essential if is a requirement of the role!

Spending the time and making the effort to write detailed job descriptions for your company will pay off handsomely when you see how helpful they are, both at the recruitment stage and during an employee’s time in a particular role.

Using a template will massively cut down the amount of time and effort you have to put into this most essential of tasks. If you choose to make the most of the job description templates offered by Hiring People, then you can download it in Microsoft Word format or as another type of file, and quickly start making the most of our templates.

The job descriptions templates in our library can either be used as job adverts or tailored for job descriptions. You can also check out our job advert template page for templates to help you create a great advert for your next job role.

What are job descriptions used for?

Job descriptions take time and effort to create, so it’s understandable that you might wonder why you need to create one. Job descriptions help employers to:

  • To outline the job specification for a new recruit or a member of staff
  • To help provide the foundations for a job advert and ensure the right candidates apply
  • To help you narrow down what education or qualifications the right candidate needs to have
  • To use as an internal document to explain what a specific job role is
  • To establish a job summary which can be shared with your company’s clients
  • To list jobs responsibilities to help employees understand their job role
  • For managers to set targets and give guidelines to help manage their employees
  • For the company to set standards
  • For clarity on what is the required expertise and qualifications needed within a job role

Job descriptions are valuable documents that outline the role and explain your requirements. A job description can benefit successful candidates and employers alike, so it’s a useful tool that you need to put time into if you want to achieve success in the recruitment process.

Tips for writing a job description

When writing job descriptions, you need to make sure that you check out examples of a job description for a company in your niche, such as the ones we offer on our site. You also need to focus on making sure you know what you want from the candidate you eventually hire. Here are some more practical tips.

  • Make it compelling, concise, and detailed
  • Describe accurately the personal characteristics that are required
  • Choose the best suited job title
  • If possible, work with existing employees to create a true and engaging job description
  • Research the position and know all of the key responsibilities
  • Tell your company story and set the scene
  • Give a clear overview of the job and what the expectations of the position are
  • Avoid using jargon or too much ‘industry talk’
  • Use verbs or ‘action words’ to win the attention of the reader
  • Outline the company’s standards and expectations
  • Use the present tense
  • Use gender neutral language
  • Ensure it is proofread

These tips will help you to write a comprehensive job description that improves your chances of success in finding the right person for your role.

What to include in a job description?

When you’re wondering what is in a job description, you should first check out some sample job descriptions, like the ones Hiring People has to offer.

Then you can understand what you need to focus on, so that you can start to create the perfect description for your new role.

Here are some important tips to help you understand what to include in a job description. We’ve also provided details on how to phrase this information correctly to ensure you only get the best talent in the industry applying for your role.

  • List the job duties in order of most importance
  • How much experience required
  • Personality traits required
  • Use gender neutral language
  • Include qualifications required
  • Salary and package details
  • What travel is required for the role

Your job profile also needs to make sure that you pre-empt the common questions that a candidate will ask, and answer them in your job description. Some of these questions include:

  • Can the person work from home?
  • Is there any flexibility when it comes to working hours and location?
  • Is a clean driving license required?
  • What are the physical demands in the job?
  • What is a job role in your business like and what can candidates expect from a typical working day?

Once you have the job description template ready for your business, you can make it a reusable model to save you time when hiring for other departments. You can simply change the relevant information and keep the details about the company the same. Give all your managers easy access to the job description template and past descriptions, so they can use them as an example when bringing on board new employees.

What is a Job Specification?

A job specification helps HR Managers determine the ideal employee specifications, comprising emotional characteristics, qualities, and requirements. 

During the selection process, Hiring Managers can use the job spec to assess a potential employee. Effective job specifications will also help candidates decide if they are the right fit for the job opening. The candidate can see if their person specification aligns with the job specification example, which outlines the educational qualifications, relevant experience, and skills needed to complete the role and meet business requirements.

A job title is usually followed by a job description and then a job specification / job profile in a job advert. The main purpose of the job description is to explain the position and working conditions with both specific and general information. The job specification includes ample information, such as education requirements and work experience that is needed to complete the job. With both a job description and job specification, HR Managers can also identify training needs required to secure business success in the long run.

Our job / person specification example is created by making a thorough job analysis. As with any example or template, you will need to add in the intricacies and uniqueness of each role.

Download Job Specification PDF Template
Download Job Specification Word Doc Template

How To Start The Hiring Process

With your job description template ready, you can make a start on your job advert and then begin the process of recruiting new employees.

Recruiting new staff can take a lot of hard work and effort, putting a strain on your internal team. Thankfully, working with experts like us can help you to save time and get the best candidates for your next job role.

Hiring People help you to keep recruitment costs down by giving you access to talent acquisition software that will help you manage the entire process of recruiting new staff. Thanks to our fixed-rate, flat-fee business model, you can post your job description and advert across a variety of job boards and social media platforms, find the most suitable candidates and get help with the interviewing and hiring process, all while avoiding high agency fees.

To take the next step, simply browse our job description template library for great examples of a variety of job descriptions. Once you’ve created your job description, take a look at our job advert templates and examples and choose a job advertising package. Then you can easily start the process of expanding your company and achieving your corporate goals.

advert templates and examples & choose a job advertising package.

How to write a Template Example Job Description

To write a job description, we recommend starting with a job description template from our job description library, which contains examples for 800+ positions and professions. Our job description examples include a job summary with duties and responsibilities and skills and requirements, which can be personalised for your job vacancy.

How to write a Template Example job Advert

Use our job advert template to write a job advert for posting on job sites and job boards. Our job advertising templates are carefully created to help you reach your audience and beat the competition to the best talent.

Job Description Advice - Guidance on How to Personalise a Template Example Job Specification

The hiring process and recruiting new employees to fill your key roles requires a degree of personalisation if you are to attract the best employees in a competitive employment market. The right person for a crucial role or more senior roles will likely have other employers targeting them. As your job description will be the first point of contact, you need to nail your pitch and provide the best possible service.

Job Description Tips - Help on formatting a Template Example Job Specification

When creating your bespoke description and advert, you should cover and promote these points:

Job title: This should accurately reflect the role and include keywords that top talent might be using to search for jobs.

Job duties: The day to day duties, such as administrative tasks, which vary depending on the company and inform the candidate if they can complete the role.

Technical skills: These are the hard skills required through training, such as proficiency with Microsoft Office.

Soft skills: These include the interpersonal skills and general abilities the right candidates will possess. For example, the competency to prioritise multiple tasks, handle customer queries and customer complaints, work alone, or build a good relationship with coworkers.

The company’s culture: Highlighting your company culture and values ensures employees thrive and find outstanding job satisfaction. Candidates that are not the right fit won’t waste their time completing the application process, meaning you can focus on qualified individuals and hire in a more timely manner.

Career progression: Including the career path will entice candidates looking for career growth. 

Training and development programs: Smaller companies may need employees with previous experience or provide educational assistance over internal training offered by larger organisations with more significant resources. 

Employee benefits: Compensation and benefits often fail to appear in job ads and while you may want to hold your cards close to your chest, failing to include them is a mistake. Consider answering common questions, such as working hours and paid leave. Researching the average salary for the role in these early stages will ensure you don’t waste your interviewer’s and the candidate’s time.

Skill gaps: Your company may need to bring in new skills beyond those required to complete the key role and duties. Thinking on an organisational level can be beneficial when contemplating skills diversity.

Legal requirements: Ensure your job advert and description does not ask for inappropriate or discriminatory personal details, such as age, marital status, or religion.

How to Hire a Template Example

Once you have selected your Job Description download it or convert it to a Job Advert. From here you can post/advertise your job across our network of job boards. If you wish to use the job description for a CV Template click through for advice and Convert to a CV

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