6 Ways to Create a Killer Job Description for Recruitment ATS

If you haven’t heard, job descriptions are the new landing pages. It’s a short and snappy write-up that gives potential candidates an idea of what they can expect from your company. It’s something to take note of when using recruitment ATS, which can eventually lead you to more quality hires.

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More than just copy, the job description is your foot-in-the-door

Do you see those texts in job ads? Those are what you call job descriptions. It’s pretty self-explanatory. It provides details about the role vacancy. It includes a call to action so interested people can apply.

Beyond that, it is very crucial in employee retention, too. You’d be surprised that 45% of people quit their jobs just because their day-to-day tasks aren't what they expected based on the job description. That’s almost half of those you’ve onboarded gone to waste!

Not only do you suffer in terms of wasted resources, but you also spend an incredible amount of time and effort in your recruiting process for nothing. That’s why job descriptions are not to be overlooked.

However, as time goes by recruiters are becoming more and more creative. It’s not enough to put relevant information (we’ll get into what’s relevant later) point-blank. It has to be captivating enough for readers to apply.

If it’s not interesting enough, despite the job fit or career match, they will choose to apply to other companies that look and sound more inviting.

Candidate sourcing is already tricky enough, but don’t worry. We got you covered. In this article, we’ll lay down tips on how to create awesome job descriptions for your recruitment ATS or applicant tracking system to help you in your HR processes.

6 Ways to Create a Killer Job Description for Your Recruitment Applicant Tracking System (ATS)

Include relevant information

Of course, what you put on the job ad makes or breaks everything. This is something they stumble upon themselves. You’re not there physically to tell them more or convince them otherwise. 

What they’ll see is what's going to determine their future actions.

According to LinkedIn, the top three important detail that people are curious to read features the following:

• Compensation (61%)
• Qualifications (49%)
• Job Details (49%)

Think of it this way. First, people would want to know what they will get from working with you. They already know the position (i.e. Marketing Associate). What they are eager to learn is the salary and benefits package.

If it’s appealing to them, they’ll read on what criteria are must-haves to get the job. Write down all of it here. It can be educational background, skills, job experiences, etc.

Once they have ticked the checkboxes, they’re probably going to carefully assess the job details now. What exactly will they do? Is this something that they see themselves doing day after day? If yes, then you’ve got yourself an applicant!

Other relevant information:

• Performance Goals or KPIs (33%)
• Company Culture (28%)
• Company Mission (27%)
• Career Growth (25%)
• Company Details (23%)

Keep it short and sweet

You’ll probably agree on this. Nobody wants to learn anything lengthy anymore (unless important). The attention span of people is very short, so you have to be as clear as possible with fewer words.

It’s statistically proven, too. Job ads are 8.4% more likely to convert when it’s short. By short, we mean 300 words or less. This will aid in the candidate experience.

It’s a challenge. However, it’s a must. Learning how to include without giving information overload is a feat to be conquered.

Be sure to work with relevant people and get their opinion. The hiring managers, the hr management team, and more can help you filter out what’s needed and what’s not.

Of course, putting what's next is also nice to know. What is your call to action (CTA)? Will a form be needed? Video interviewing? CTA is important.

It all depends on your brand tonality

Brand tonality? What’s that? In layman’s terms, it is the personality and voice of your brand. Is your company more catering to the youth? Then your tone should be quirky and snappy. Write short details that are flavorful.

Most startups are like this. They use the words “rockstars” and “ninjas” (e.g. We’re looking for analytics ninjas that are sight errors from a mile away!). 

However, if your company’s audience is more corporate and professional, it’s okay to keep it down a notch. Sometimes, it’s okay to be traditional. After all, why reinvent the wheel when it’s already effective, right?

Know your audience. Find a way on how you want to be perceived by the readers. Your style in writing job descriptions depends on this.

Remove unconscious bias and be culturally sensitive

You might be surprised as to how many people take job descriptions seriously. If they spot something that can be deemed as insensitive or even offensive, word of mouth can spread like wildfire.

Avoid this from happening. You already have a lot of headaches as a recruiter! Here are some ways how:

Don’t limit candidates

Don’t put restrictions like only from X countries allowed. That’s a big no-no. Not only will it come off as discriminatory, but it will lessen your chances of company diversity.

And we all know how helpful company diversity can be! Keywords here are inclusivity and acceptance.

Avoid gender-specific pronouns

You might be unaware of this. Refrain from writing “he” or “she” only. Otherwise, job seekers will think that the position is only available to a certain gender.

Keep your write-up generic. For example, “We’re looking for a Front-End Developer that can…” or “Successful applicants should have the following skills…”.

Make the design appealing

As much as possible, take regards to the design of your job ad, too. Manatal, for instance, allows you to modify font size, color, or even the font type itself!

This applicant tracking system (ATS) will enable you to customize a stunning job ad that can hook people in at first sight. Get your artistic side on! It will prove helpful.

Make it SEO-friendly

A killer job description is optimized for the search engine as it is effective in converting readers. SEO is king nowadays. When your job description uses the right keywords, it can appear on Google and the likes.

This will bring you more candidates, so you can have a talent pool to pick the best of the best from. This will be advantageous for your applicant tracking system efforts.

Pro-tip: Don’t forget to maximize your recruitment ATS! You’re not using advanced recruiting software for nothing! After following the tips above, learn which job boards to post your job ads strategically.

We wrote an article about it here. Read on!

You nailed it! Now it’s time to get more candidates using your Applicant Tracking Software!

Follow these strategies and make this a part of your hiring process. You’ll get more top talent in no time. Manatal Recruitment ATS makes this easier for you.

With a ready template when you create job ads, you can fill in details such as salary, office location, and, of course, the job description. No need to create a landing page or have any technical skills in coding websites.

With Manatal, this cloud-based and ai-powered software makes it way easier to create job ads with just a few clicks. The only thing you need is a killer job description, which you can surely achieve now.

Click here to read more of our insights on recruitment ATS and HR technology, or here to explore our 14-day free trial.