Job Posting & Job Description-is there a difference between the two? Do you use them interchangeably? Do I need just one or do I need both? Why do business owners need them at all?
First things first: a job posting is different than a job description-the difference is what they are used for in your business. A business owner absolutely needs both because they each serve a different purpose. The main goal of a job posting is marketing the job and your company to potential candidates-giving them an idea of what it would be like to work for you. The main goal of your job description is to set your expectations around an employee’s performance.
You use a job posting for when you have a job opening in your company and it is typically shorter than a job description. Sometimes the title on the job posting isn’t the same as the job description and that’s okay! This is because some companies have complex titles for their jobs and when you use those in a job posting, it could make it harder to attract the right talent pool.
A job posting should have the following components:
A targeted posting title
- This doesn’t need to be too fancy or complex. It needs to be specific but simple so it can properly attract the kind of people you are looking for
A brief Summary
- This is usually 1-3 sentences outlining what the job is, what it does in the business and the type of applicant you are searching for
List of Responsibilities
- This is one of the areas that makes a job posting different than your job description
- A job description’s list can be very long, so please do not copy and paste it
- Here you can list the main day to day responsibilities, giving them an idea of what it would be like to work in that job
- Don’t forget a job description sets the expectations around performance so this list would be more detailed in a job description
List of Qualifications
- What is the required education that is needed to do the job
- Number of years of work related experience
- Required technical skills one must have to perform the job (example, MS Office experience, previous experience supervising)
- The next part of this list is, what I call, “soft skills” such as communication skills (verbal and written), customer service skills, interpersonal skills, problem solving skills, organizational skills, analytical skills, etc
- Again the list of qualifications on the job description could be longer because you want the list on the posting to attract the right applicants
Why would someone want to work for your company?
- Yes you can list that you have paid vacation, health benefits, but what it’s like to actually work at your company, can be more beneficial than listing the same things that most other companies put in this section
- Now more so than ever, applicant’s are assessing you to see if your company is a fit for them
- Some ideas for this area can include, if your company participates in any charity work or donations, video’s of current employee’s and what it’s like to work with you, how that particular role makes an impact to the business as a whole, or the company’s culture
How the applicant’s can apply for the role
- When we market our businesses we need our Call To Action. A job posting needs to be clear with what you want your interested applicant’s to do-they also need a call to action
- Is there a specific link they need to click on in order to apply?
- If they need to email their resume, include the email address-be specific as to how and where the applicants apply
- If you want them to include a cover letter/portfolio ensure to include that in this section
Always proof read and spell check your posting. Just as you want your applicant’s to have proof read their application, you need to do the same because don’t forget they are sizing you up too!
So if you include the above components then you will have created a job posting that will attract the right applicants. Stay tuned for our next Post where we go over the places to advertise as there are a multitude of places to post these days!
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