When searching for jobs online, the first thing a person will notice about a job is the detailed description. This is the first step in recruiting and selection for the company. This part of the hiring process is essential for allowing individuals to understand the job and determine if they have the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform it efficiently. These descriptions should be able to describe the job’s essential tasks efficiently without being too specific or vague, and also include important information on the location of the job or physical requirements.
In order not to discourage future potential employees, it’s important to formulate a job description that allows a person to understand what is expected of them without adding too much information that will make individuals uncertain whether they have enough experience or knowledge to perform the job. I’ve read job descriptions before that had me assume I didn’t have the necessary knowledge, but some information may be easy to teach on the job. Therefore, job descriptions should add a “recommended experience” section for other criteria that can be learned on the job. This can potentially increase the number of applicants applying for the job.
If a job description gets too specific, it may need to be updated more regularly, which can be difficult when considering how busy the HR department can be, and sometimes it’s the last thing to tackle (Tyler 2013). Furthermore, these descriptions usually leave out the compensation and benefits related to the job. This is done to account for the recurring changes associated with the industry, and so that future employees are kept up to date on compensation and benefits when they are hired. Legal issues can arise when applicants are expecting what was written in an old description, so it’s essential to ensure they get the proper attention from management.
References
Lecture 1: Job Analysis
Lecture 2: Job Design
Tyler, Kathryn. (2013). Job worth doing: Update descriptions. SHRM.