You know the devil’s in the details, and getting this job description right will be key to your business’s future success. There’s just one thing: you’re not so sure what should go into it.
Sound familiar?
Looks like you could use a guide to writing your own remote job description (JD).
A job description or JD is basically an advertisement for your company. A well-written job description will do the heavy lifting of attracting the right people for your business — and even keeping them too.
“Retention starts right from the beginning, from the application process to screening applicants to choosing who to interview,” shares the former CEO of Nfrastructure, whose IT company had a whopping retention rate above 97%.
Here’s how you can write a winning job description for your business:
Many busy CEOs have sworn by the art of delegation. It’s a great tactic that can save you time and productivity for your business. The first step to effective delegation is being clear with the specifics: what exactly do you need to offload?
Make a list of every single task you do in your day-to-day.
You’ll find that some take up more time than others, while others only need to be done once every few weeks. Some tasks are best done by you, while some don’t need your deep expertise at all. Mark those down; these tasks are the ones you can delegate.
You can learn more about these best practices to help you write your job description in The Delegation Leap, our free course.
Now let’s match these tasks with the right profile. Remote employees typically fall into two types of expertise: a generalist and a specialist.
An executive assistant or a VA, for instance, is one example of a generalist; they may be comfortable doing a few graphic design tasks on top of their admin work. But if you need someone with a more specific skill set–like a video editor— it’s best to identify them with that title.
Salaries in the Philippines are 80% cheaper than in the US, due to the lower cost of living. If you’re feeling a little confused, we’ve removed the guesswork for you through this salary guide to remote Filipino staff — check it out for more info.
Identifying the right job title for your job description is already half the battle. It’s tempting to use the kind of fun lingo you use at your work (like “Chief Storyteller” or “Fashion Evangelist”) but these things may completely fly over your potential candidate’s heads.
Keep things fuss-free by sticking to traditional job titles for your JD.
Simple titles tend to be universal and misinformation-free — plus they’re already optimized for search. You’ll have the chance to share more about your company in the next sections!
This is where your delegation task list comes in handy! Review your list and think about what descriptions would qualify your ideal candidate.
While others may approach writing this as a wish list of nice-to-haves, you can improve your job search by only adding what’s necessary.
Your ideal candidate may not 100% tick all your checkboxes, and as a result, may feel deterred from applying. You don’t wanna miss out on top talent by overstuffing your job description.
Even better: you can state which qualifications are absolutely required and which are merely preferred.
For example, you may be open to hiring a Facebook Ads Manager with only a working knowledge of Canva. But a required skill for you would be proven experience in running a campaign above USD10K.
Being clear on what’s a dealbreaker for you will help you a ton in writing your job description.
Did you know that 46% of new hires will fail in their first 18 months–regardless of technical skill or experience?
That’s why hiring for mission fit is a game-changer.
Candidates who share your organizational goals and values are more likely to stick it out when things get tough. Attracting these candidates through your job description can pay off for years to come. As they say — skills can be taught, but attitude can’t.
In this section, list your organization's mission and vision statement. Consider explaining how this open position supports the overall organization’s mission. You'll leave a lasting impression when you communicate why this job exists and connect it to a greater purpose.
Your job description is one of the best places to start setting expectations, way before you even have your candidate down for an interview. It’s a useful guide you can use to monitor performance, communicate deliverables, and manage your new hires.
While some things may feel like a given — everyone knows what “part-time” means, right? — it pays to spell out even the smallest of expectations or requirements. Even in a remote setup, you can keep misinformation at bay through clear writing.
A study showed that 85% of CEOs declared a diverse workforce improved their bottom line. You can improve diversity in your hiring pool by checking your language for any biases that could drive top candidates away.
For instance, words like “strong English-language skills'' may be misconstrued to mean “only native English speakers.” Or “energetic” can be biased against middle-aged to elderly candidates. Unconsciously using gendered pronouns like “he/him” or “she/her” can also do the trick.
“Culture is everything in recruitment,” shares Russell Reynolds’ Cerilli. “Everything eventually comes back to a candidate asking themselves, ‘Will I be a good fit and really enjoy working there?’ So it’s critical that culture is all over a job description.”
Your ideal candidate could be looking at other options. Here’s one time you don’t have to be modest!
Perks, bonuses, benefits–list them all down. Do you fly your employees to Paris once a year? Host Friday online yoga sessions? Give those a shout-out and reel them in.
Because the recruitment process varies from business to business, you want to communicate the level of commitment you’ll need from your candidates.
Clarity is kindness.
How soon should candidates expect a call? How many interviews should they expect? Should they be setting aside time to accomplish a case study, perhaps a paid test?
Knowing what’s to come will help candidates prep their energies, and in doing so, show you the best sample of their work. By defining the next steps clearly, you’ll set up your future collaborators — and yourself — for success.
To get your juices flowing, you can review some real job advertisement examples here.
Hiring remote employees starts with a well-written job description. Many CEOs and business owners miss out on the value of this, but you can be different. Let us know what your ideal hires are like and start delegating to awesome remote employees today.
A well-written job description can do the heavy lifting of identifying the right talent, attracting them to your business, and communicating the most crucial parts of working with you.
Less is more, always! Try to aim for shorter job posts under 600 words. Most candidates will spend only 14 seconds scanning your post before deciding to apply.
When writing a job description, it's best to avoid the following things:
We'll find you amazing remote employees in the Philippines.
