Writing Job Descriptions

Note: Want to skip the guide and go straight to the free templates? No problem - scroll to the bottom.
Also note: This is not legal advice.

Introduction

Understanding job descriptions is essential for any organisation to ensure they hire the best candidate for a particular role. A well-crafted, accurate description helps potential candidates to understand what is required of them, and what they can expect in return. It also serves as a valuable tool during the recruitment process; employers can quickly identify who would be most suitable, while ensuring that all applicants are evaluated fairly, without prejudice.

But drafting a comprehensive job description can be challenging and time-consuming - particularly if you’re not an expert. Genie AI’s open source legal template library makes it easier than ever to create and customize high quality legal documents without paying for expensive legal services. Through its millions of datapoints and growing community template library, anyone can now draft concise documents with guaranteed accuracy - arm yourself with the tools you need to help your recruitment process run smoothly.

Genie AI provides step-by-step guidance on how to effectively write job descriptions for any role in your organisation; get clear on the duties & responsibilities expected of candidates; explain the qualifications & experience required; clearly define selection criteria; make sure benefits are outlined too! By following our expert guidance you’ll be able to craft a perfect job description that ensures only qualified applicants submit their resumes and cover letters – making sure you have a shortlist of great candidates in no time at all!

If this isn’t enough incentive already, then consider this: having an accurate job description not only reduces costs associated with hiring but also ensures recruitment is conducted efficiently and effectively – a win/win situation! And don’t forget: using Genie AI’s template library doesn’t require signing up for an account – we just want to help! So why wait? Read on below for our step-by-step guidance or check out our template library today - because when it comes to writing effective job descriptions there’s no better place than Genie AI!

Definitions (feel free to skip)

Job Title: A name given to a specific role or position in an organization.
Purpose: The goal or aim of a job.
Responsibilities: The tasks and duties that are required to be completed as part of a job.
Qualifications: The required education, certifications, or experience that a person must have to do a specific job.
Compensation: The salary, bonuses, or incentives that a job pays.
Benefits: Additional perks or advantages that a job may offer, such as health insurance or vacation time.
Work Environment: The physical environment in which a job is based, such as an office or factory.
Culture: The beliefs, values, and behaviors that are shared by members of an organization.
Reporting Structure: The relationships between a job position and its supervisor or other members of the organization.
Keywords: Words or phrases related to a job that are used by search engine algorithms to find job postings.
Legal Compliance: Adhering to laws and regulations governing a job or organization.

Contents

• Create a job title that accurately reflects the position
• Identify the purpose of the job description
• Define the job responsibilities
• Outline essential duties
• Describe any additional duties
• Describe the qualifications and skills needed for the job
• Outline required qualifications
• Specify desired qualifications
• Explain the job’s compensation and benefits
• Outline the job’s work environment and culture
• Specify the job’s reporting structure
• Identify the position’s supervisor
• Outline any other reporting relationships
• Create a summary of the job description
• Craft a job description that is engaging and informative
• Write the job description in a clear and concise manner
• Use language that is understandable to job candidates
• Use keywords to optimize the job description for search engine visibility
• Ensure the job description is legally compliant
• Review and revise job descriptions as needed

Get started

Create a job title that accurately reflects the position

• Brainstorm a list of relevant job titles for the position
• Research job titles used by other companies to ensure accuracy
• Make sure the job title is concise and easily understood by job seekers
• Check the job title against industry standards
• When you are confident the job title accurately reflects the position, you can check this step off your list and move on to the next step.

Identify the purpose of the job description

• Understand the job’s purpose within the company, including how it fits into the company’s mission and goals
• Determine the necessary qualifications and skills someone needs to have in order to successfully perform the job
• Identify the type of experience, education and/or certifications that are required
• Determine the level of responsibility and autonomy associated with the job
• Know the type of environment, hours, and travel that may be required

When you can check off this step and move on to the next step:

• When you have a clear understanding of the job’s purpose, qualifications, requirements, and expectations.

Define the job responsibilities

• List the duties expected of the role, including any daily, weekly, monthly or annual tasks
• Consider how the role will interact with other teams and departments in the company
• Categorize the tasks into essential and desirable duties
• Estimate the time required for each task
• Describe the scope and complexity of the role
• When finished, review the list to ensure that it accurately reflects the job and its expectations
• Once you are satisfied with the list of duties, you can move on to the next step - outlining essential duties.

Outline essential duties

• Identify the essential duties that the job needs to perform
• Consider the skills and knowledge required to perform the job
• Note any qualifications that are needed to perform the job
• List the primary tasks and duties associated with the job
• When you are happy with the list of essential duties, you can check this step off your list and move on to the next step.

Describe any additional duties

• List out any additional duties that may be required to successfully fill the role
• Include any projects or other tasks that are not essential, but may be beneficial to the job
• Go into detail about the scope of the additional duties, such as frequency, complexity, etc.
• When you have described the additional duties fully, you can move on to the next step.

Describe the qualifications and skills needed for the job

• Make a list of the qualifications and skills that the job requires
• Consider the knowledge, experience, and background that are necessary for the job
• Describe the technical and soft skills needed to perform the job
• Consider the educational and certification requirements for the job
• You’ll know you can check this off your list when you’ve finalized a list of qualifications and skills for the job and are ready to outline the required qualifications.

Outline required qualifications

• List the minimum qualifications and experience necessary for the job
• Ensure qualifications are appropriate for the position and are compliant with relevant laws
• Identify any education, certifications, or licenses required
• You will know when you have completed this step when you have listed all qualifications that are required for the job.

Specify desired qualifications

• List the desired qualifications for the position, including skills, knowledge, experience, certifications, and education
• Create a list of preferred qualifications to differentiate between essential and desirable characteristics for the role
• Include a comprehensive list of traits and characteristics that you are looking for in a candidate
• Break down this section into smaller, more specific categories such as technical skills and soft skills
• Identify any technical or specialized skills the position may require
• When you have completed this step, you can move on to the next step in the guide.

Explain the job’s compensation and benefits

• Explain the salary and compensation (including overtime and bonuses) offered for the role
• Detail the benefits associated with the job such as health insurance, vacation and sick days, retirement plans, etc.
• Outline any other compensation such as additional travel opportunities, free meals, etc.
• Indicate whether the job is a contract, full-time, or part-time position

When you can check this off your list:

• When you have included all the relevant compensation and benefits information for the job in the job description.

Outline the job’s work environment and culture

• Explain the physical location of the job
• Describe the work environment, such as whether it is a team-based setting or a more individualized one
• Describe the culture of the organization, such as its values and mission
• Describe the dress code
• Explain any flexible work arrangements that may be available

Once you have included this information in the job description, you can check this off your list and move on to the next step.

Specify the job’s reporting structure

• Identify the job’s direct supervisor
• Outline the job’s reporting structure, including any direct reports
• Specify whether the job has any dotted-line reporting relationships
• List the department, team, or organization the position is associated with
• Include any special reporting requirements

How you’ll know when you can check this off your list and move on to the next step:

• When you have outlined the job’s reporting structure, identified the supervisor, and specified any special reporting requirements, you can check this off your list and move on to the next step.

Identify the position’s supervisor

• Determine who the position reports to, and how this supervisor will be involved in the role
• Describe the supervisor’s role in the position in the job description
• Include the supervisor’s title, name, and contact information in the job description
• Once you have identified the position’s supervisor and outlined the supervisor’s role, you can move on to outlining any other reporting relationships that might exist.

Outline any other reporting relationships

• Identify any other departments or positions that the position will be in contact with or report to
• Make sure to include any additional reporting relationships such as related to safety and compliance
• Outline how often the position should communicate with other departments or positions
• Ensure that reporting relationships are clear and consistent with the job’s role and responsibilities
• When you are confident that all reporting relationships are specified, you can move on to the next step.

Create a summary of the job description

• Summarize the job duties, responsibilities and qualifications
• Outline the job requirements and qualifications
• Include the job title, department, and supervisor
• Describe the type of work environment and skills needed
• Make sure to include any necessary certifications or qualifications
• Check for accuracy and ensure all relevant information is included

When you’ve completed this step, you should have a concise summary of the job description.

Craft a job description that is engaging and informative

• Brainstorm the job duties and responsibilities
• Outline the skills and qualities needed for the position
• Make sure to include the job title, department, and location
• Use an active and engaging tone to describe the role
• Describe the job as a challenge and an opportunity for growth
• Highlight the unique aspects of the role to attract qualified applicants

Once you have brainstormed the job duties and responsibilities, outlined the skills and qualities needed for the position, included the job title, department, and location, and used an active and engaging tone to describe the role, you can check this step off your list and move onto the next step.

Write the job description in a clear and concise manner

• Select the most important points of the job and describe them in detail
• Keep the job description short and to the point
• Avoid unnecessary jargon and industry-specific terms
• Use plain language and avoid overly complex sentences
• Focus on outcomes and skills required, rather than specific tasks
• Ensure the job description is in line with the company’s values

When you can check this off your list:

• When the job description is clear, concise, and in line with the company’s values.

Use language that is understandable to job candidates

• Use language that is clear and concise, avoiding jargon or abbreviations that may not be familiar to job candidates
• Where possible, use language to highlight the positive aspects of the job
• Ensure that the job title accurately reflects the role and is not overly vague or generic
• Once you have written the job description, have someone read it who is external to the hiring process to check for clarity
• When you are sure that your job description is written in a way that job candidates will understand, you can move on to the next step.

Use keywords to optimize the job description for search engine visibility

• Identify keywords that are relevant to the job position and the industry
• Research keywords and phrases searched by job seekers when looking for jobs
• Incorporate the keywords into the job description where possible
• Ensure the keyword density is not too high and doesn’t detract from the readability of the job description
• Check that the job description is optimized for search engine visibility
• When the job description has been optimized for search engine visibility, you can move on to the next step.

Ensure the job description is legally compliant

• Research and understand relevant local, state, and federal regulations and laws that apply to the specific job
• Check that the job description does not have any language that could potentially discriminate against any protected classes
• Ensure that the job description reflects the job duties and pay that are actually provided and not just the ideal
• Verify that the job description does not contain any language that could be interpreted as a contract
• When all legally compliant language is included and all potentially discriminatory language is removed, the job description is ready to be reviewed and revised as needed

Review and revise job descriptions as needed

• Review existing job descriptions for accuracy and relevance to the current job
• Make necessary changes or additions to ensure the job description is up to date
• Consider the job’s duties, responsibilities, required qualifications, pay range, and any other relevant information
• Check the job description for any potential legal issues
• Have a legal expert review the job description to ensure it is legally compliant
• Once the job description is legally compliant, review it with the relevant stakeholders
• Make necessary adjustments to the job description based on feedback
• Have the final job description approved by the relevant stakeholders

You’ll know when you can check this off your list and move on to the next step when the job description has been legally reviewed and approved by the relevant stakeholders.

FAQ:

Example dispute

Suing for Breach of Contract:

• A plaintiff may raise a lawsuit for breach of contract against an employer if it is found that the employer did not fulfill their obligations as outlined in a job description.
• The job description may include specific tasks or requirements that the employee was to do or fulfill in order to receive payment. If the employer fails to provide these tasks or requirements, the employee may be able to sue for breach of contract.
• In order to win the case, the plaintiff must prove that the employer failed to perform their obligations as outlined in the job description. This may involve providing evidence of emails, notes, or other documents that demonstrate the employer’s failure to fulfill their obligations.
• The court may also consider any damages the plaintiff may have suffered as a result of the breach, such as lost wages, medical bills, and other costs. The amount of damages that may be awarded may depend on the severity of the breach and the resulting harm to the plaintiff.
• If a settlement is reached, the employer may be obligated to pay a lump sum or provide other forms of reparation to the plaintiff in order to resolve the matter.

Templates available (free to use)

Contingent Employment Agreement
Director Employment Agreement
Employment Agreement
Employment Agreement Amendment
Employment Agreement Extension
Executive Employment Agreement
Executive Employment Agreements
Individual Employment Agreement
Letter Employment Agreement
New Employment Agreement
Physician Employment Agreement
Senior Employment Agreement Genie
Separation Of Employment Agreement And General Release
Temporary Employment Agreement
Termination Of Employment Agreement
Vice President Employment Agreement

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