4 ways to rewrite your job descriptions for the post-pandemic job market

For businesses who are in a position to expand, this is a great time to be recruiting. But to attract the best candidates, it’s critical to get the hiring process right from initial contact: the job description.

Just as hiring managers form their first impression of a candidate from their résumé, job-seekers evaluate prospective employers based on their job ads. And the generic template that worked until last year won’t cut it in this red-hot talent market—especially if you’re after under-represented candidates who are known to not hit “apply” as often as their white, male counterparts.

So, as the Great Resignation of 2021 dawns on us, here is how you can give your job descriptions an upgrade to not just attract more qualified candidates, but also build your employer brand.

Be precise about the job requirements

Candidates often differentiate lazy job specs from thoughtful ones based on length—the former list 15+ bullets each under “responsibilities” and “requirements,” while the latter are concise yet comprehensive.

“I often have to help overwhelmed candidates identify the core requirements in very long job ads,” says Kim Joseph, a candidate success manager at talent agency Hidden that helps companies diversify their employee base. “In these descriptions, less is more. If my clients feel the need to add more than 5-6 bullets under requirements, I recommend they do it in a separate, ‘nice-to-have’ section, so candidates can get a good sense of the role’s actual priorities.”

Use inclusive language

Research has shown that job advertisements uphold gender and racial bias, so it’s critical that companies pay attention to removing any biased or coded language from their specs.

A good example of biased language is when people ask for “native English speakers”—when what they want is fluency in the language. Due to globalization and colonialism, “native” is a complicated term. (For example, as a citizen of a former British colony, I’ve been speaking English my entire life, but I’m still not considered a “native” speaker by some in the West.) So if it’s good English skills you’re after, say exactly that, so you’re not accidentally excluding the majority of the English-speaking world.

Secondly, watch out for “hype” terms that are often perceived as male-coded. “No ‘rockstar’, no ‘ninja’, no wizard’,” says Joseph. “Job descriptions should be simple, straightforward and written so that anyone can understand and identify with them.”

Share salary information

I recently interviewed for a position that pays what I was making ten years ago—all because the salary wasn’t mentioned in the job posting. So I speak from experience when I say: Not including compensation in your job specs wastes people’s time at best, and does a disservice to the pay transparency movement at worst. (This Twitter thread from workplace expert Liz Ryan shows that I’m not alone.)

Sharing salary information will not only save job-seekers the grief of pointless applications and interviews, it also benefits recruiters: you no longer have to progress candidates through the interview process, and hope that they don’t withdraw due to differences over compensation, like I had to.

Not just that, you’re also contributing to the movement for pay transparency, and building a favorable employer brand—public salary ranges are often what marginalized communities like women and people of color use as benchmarks to ensure they aren’t being underpaid or out-negotiated. And applicants always remember which companies are open with that information.

A great example to follow here is that of video communications company Whereby. Not only do they mention the starting salary for a role, they go one step ahead and link to a “compensation philosophy” document, inviting candidates to engage with them if the pay range doesn’t suit them for any reason.

Show, don’t tell, your people-first ethos

Today, many businesses call themselves “people-first”, but only some of them truly deserve that label. If you’re one of them, your job description is a great opportunity to showcase that ethos so more candidates feel encouraged to join you. Here are a few ways to do that.

Say why they should want to work for you: Gone are the days when employers held all the power; today, candidates are interviewing you as much as you’re interviewing them. Honor their equally powerful position in the relationship, and sell your company to them in your job descriptions—mention culture awards, revenue growth, positive employee reviews, etc. to encourage them to apply. This shows candidates that you realize the employer-employee relationship is a two-way street.
Show your commitment to DEI: “Culture and DEI are two of the first few things candidates ask me about a company these days,” says Joseph—so skipping this step means potentially losing out on great, under-represented talent.
This doesn’t have to be complicated. You can link to relevant pages on your website, showing DEI goals or values. Or, you can simply include thoughtful text saying why you are eager to hear from candidates of all backgrounds, like Spotify does. The goal is to convince the candidate that DEI isn’t an afterthought at your company.

Arm them with answers: Anticipate and answer as many of the candidates’ questions as you can. Include information on who they would report to; what the interview process is like; and how success is measured in the role, so they can go into the process feeling empowered.

Whatever you do to upgrade your job descriptions, make sure it isn’t performative. “Ensure that the brand you’re projecting in your ads is replicating internally in your culture,” says Joseph. “If the first impression doesn’t hold when a candidate joins you, it could cause long-term damage to your employer reputation.”

Puneet Sandhu is a London-based writer, marketer and DEI executive.