Job Description In Recruitment: Strategic Weapons For “Hunting” Top Talent

What is a job description in recruitment? Job description or JD is the first important step of any business when it comes to recruitment. Job description in recruitment lays a strong foundation for a series of follow-up activities such as job postings, candidate interview and selection, as well as employee training and performance assessment.

Job description that drives the recruitment process

As the term suggests, a Job Description is a written document that outlines the essential responsibilities, duties, job functions, general tasks and targets to be completed. The Job Description will also refer to the qualifications and skills required for that position. So, are job descriptions really necessary?

Through the job description sheet, the HR department can clearly understand its expectations for candidates, identify where the position lies in the company’s overall strategies, thereby making suitable HR allocation and management. On the flip side, candidates can read the Job Description and recognize what the business needs, then self-assess whether their capabilities and experience are suitable or not. In other words, the job description in recruitment is just like an arrow. Purpose of the job description is that navigates and drives the recruitment process, which in turn allows businesses to find good candidates to fill the vacancy. In addition, the business can save their resources on finding talents by consulting professional HR consulting services.

There is no appropriate Job Description, only a clear job description in recruitment

It’s no easy task to define an appropriate Job Description because it ultimately depends on the business’s subjective needs. However, this doesn’t mean companies should arbitrarily compose Job Description, yet they still need to craft a document that meets sufficient job description criteria.

And what do job descriptions include? The job description should be transparent and inclusive about the position to be recruited, giving candidates a brief overview of the role, how it relates to the company vision, as well as the requirements, qualifications and skills needed. Below are some sections to include in a job description:

• Summary of the primary function and key duties
• List of the responsibilities and tasks to be performed
• Identification of the values and contribution that should be demonstrated from the position
• Requirements for qualifications, skills, and competencies

To complete and beautify the Job Description, the HR department needs to place an emphasis on the corporate culture, mission, and values that the business is striving for, thereby giving candidates the most comprehensive company overview.

A good Job Description ensures the smooth running of the recruitment

Job Description is poised to be the opening part for the dialogue between businesses and candidates; therefore, a good job description can help ensure the smooth running of the recruitment process that comes afterward. A compelling job description in recruitment is an opportunity for businesses to attract many potential candidates.

The more detailed the Job Description, the more it shows the employer’s understanding of the position it’s currently recruiting. Also, it enables candidates to easily refer to their capabilities and aspirations, based on which they can decide whether they could get aligned with the company vision. This facilitates the two parties to easily reach an agreement; the business can recruit the right talent that meets the job requirements, company vision and strategy; while candidates can leverage many career development opportunities. Hence, the HR department must have a list of up-to-date and inclusive job descriptions for all positions, from which the company can attract critical candidates to build up a solid HR foundation.

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