Hiring Manager Guide: How to improve your job adverts

Did you know the average hiring process in the UK is 27 days*? 

Let’s face it, interviewing for a new position can be stressful and frustrating. But hiring the wrong person for the role can be costly, in both time and money. 

That is why it’s so important to get your hiring process right, from the very beginning. 

You don’t want to risk hiring the wrong candidate and having to go through the cost of re-hiring and retraining again.

That’s why we’re putting together a series of guides to help you screen your candidates, ask the right questions and make sure they are right for the role. 

In this guide we are going to start right at the beginning, the job description. 

What makes a good job description? 

Finding the right candidate all starts with the job description. It needs to be detailed, honest and upfront. They should know everything about what the role entails. You need to be open and clear about what you’re looking for. If not, you risk losing them. Either during the interview process or even worse, when they’ve already started. 

A bad job description can really make or break the talent pool that comes your way. For example, look at this job description from the retailer Next:

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Why is this unhelpful?

Whilst they have added some information about what the employee would be doing and addressed the type of personality and skills they are looking for. It is not enough information upfront for the candidate to understand if this role is right for them.

The bad: 

  • No pay information

  • No benefits or perks information

  • Unstable work shifts

  • No company information 

  • No overview of daily tasks 

  • No overview of the interview process

  • An almost aggressive final bullet point 

They will likely have candidates drop out during the interview stage when they find out that the role isn’t suitable for them or isn’t what they had expected.

How should it be done?

At Breakroom we have a community of over 200,000 frontline workers telling us what really matters to them, knowing this, we’ve put together a template that works for both the employer and the candidate. A good job description should reduce the number of unsuitable candidates applying, saving you time and effort, whilst at the same time giving the candidate all the information they need to make an informed application. 

Start with a clear job title

Make sure that your job title is clear and simple. Something that people will understand. There’s no need to get creative with things like ‘Retail Jedi, ‘Chief Chatter’ or ‘Sandwich Artist’ (all from real companies btw.) Instead, stick to job titles that people will search for and understand.  

See what we mean…

info ninja

Breakroom example:

breakroom

Then add the basics

Be upfront about the basics of the role, especially salary. It is not enough to write ‘competitive salary.’ People deserve to know exactly what they’ll get, otherwise, it’s more time wasted.

  • Salary

  • Contract type (full time, part-time, permanent, X-months, zero hours)

  • Location 

Breakroom example:

unnamed

Tell them about your company

Have a strong summary of your company. You want something that captures their attention, but also tells them what you do. 

This is your opportunity to sell your company and culture, what’s unique about you? Get them excited about working there. Remember, they’re screening you, just as much as you are them. 

Include:

  • An intro to the company and brand. 

  • The company values. 

  • The work culture.

Breakroom example:

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Tell them what they’ll be doing 

What the job entails shouldn’t be a surprise during the interview process or when they start their new job. It’s important to include the following:

  • The core responsibilities of the role. Add as much detail as possible to ensure candidates can decide if it’s the right role for them. 

  • The day-to-day activities. Tell them what a typical day looks like to help them determine if they are able to / want to do the role. 

  • The bigger picture. Tell them how their role fits into the company, for example, what is the team structure and who are they reporting to or managing?

Breakroom example:

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Tell them what you’re looking for

Let them know the exact type of personality traits you’re looking for. For example, if you are hiring someone to work on the shop floor, you can use terms like ‘outgoing,’ and ‘approachable.’ You need to describe exactly what type of person would suit the position. 

Include a list of hard skills and soft skills needed for the role. Hard skills include things like work experience, certificates needed or technical skills. But soft skills like problem-solving and clear communication are just as important. 

Include a list of desirable skills that would make the candidate stand out.

Breakroom example:

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Outline the hiring process 

Let them know exactly what to expect during the hiring process so that nothing is a surprise and they are aware of how long the process will take. 

Breakroom example:

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Outline the benefits 

Jobs are more than just a salary these days. List out all the benefits that you offer to help attract more applications. 

You can include things like: 

  • Pension 

  • Discounts 

  • Cycle to work scheme 

  • Holiday allowance 

  • Paid breaks 

  • Free/food and drink 

  • Referral bonus 

  • Company events 

  • Childcare vouchers 

  • Wellness programmes 

  • Healthcare

  • Dental care 

  • Maternity/paternity leave

Breakroom example:

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And your job description is done.

Next week, we will be giving you tips on conducting a successful job interview.

By listing and detailing as much as possible at this stage, you attract higher quality, engaged candidates which will save valuable time during the interview or onboarding process. 

Do you want to find out more about how to improve your hiring process? We’d love to talk to you.

Click here to tell us more about your business needs and we’ll get back to you asap.

*Did you know the average hiring process in the UK is 27 days*? 

Published on 9 February 2022