If you are looking to start hiring and adding team members to your business, this is where a job description is necessary. The tough part here is knowing how to create a job description for the position.

Let’s break down different parts of a typical job description and why each section is important.

How to Create a Job Description

There are multiple areas of a job description that you may want to add so that you can hire the right person for the job. Here are the areas we will cover:

1. Title
2. Job Summary
3. Responsibilities or Duties
4. Required Qualifications or Skills
5. Salary and Benefits

TITLE

This is the first thing people see when they are scrolling to look for a job. In one to three words, summarize what they will be doing at this job. There are some common titles people are familiar with already, like barista, customer service rep, or cashier. Using those may be helpful.

JOB SUMMARY

In this area, describe in 2-3 sentences what this job is all about. What is the general work that will be done? What is the culture in your company? Those are the two main things most job seekers are looking for in a job description.

For example, being a barista at a coffee shop doesn’t only mean making specialty coffee drinks. There is customer service in many forms, preparing and serving food, and cleaning. The job summary may look something like this:

“We are an upbeat and fast-paced coffee shop making specialty coffee tea drinks and quick bites. We serve customers with love while maintaining a friendly and clean environment for both people entering our shop and those who work for us.”

RESPONSIBILITIES OR DUTIES

This will probably be the most extensive list in your job description. The applicant will be looking at this section to decide if they want to do those things every day, 20-40 hours a week. Try to keep this part of the job description engaging by describing the responsibilities based on the outcome it will produce. For example: Create exceptional and irresistible specialty coffee drinks for our customers.

Include:

• All the day-to-day activities
• Company-specific duties
• Things that will be done weekly or even monthly
• If the job requires helping other departments, include this in this area.
  • Job seekers get very upset when they figure out they are working in multiple departments at a time when they were not technically hired for that.

Some applicants may use this section to determine whether they can learn a new skill, especially if they have no experience necessary for the job.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS OR EXPERIENCE

If your company has positions that require a particular level of education, a certificate, experience or a set of skills that are needed – this is where you would list them.

Your list should be specific to the job that needs to be done. For example, if you are hiring a social media manager, it would be great if the applicant had some experience in the social media world. You probably wouldn’t be someone who doesn’t even have an account on Instagram for this position.

Know your budget. You will need to pay a fair wage based on the experience you seek in the position. More experience equals a bigger salary, and less experience equals less of a salary. Neither one is wrong; you just need to know what you can afford.

SALARY AND BENEFITS

Not all companies list the salary for the positions. Some list a range. Others list exactly what they will pay for the job offered. Is there a right or wrong way?

Let’s take our cafe example from earlier. If an applicant is searching for a job as a ‘barista,’ they will start by adding that word in the search box. Multiple barista positions will pop up. The first two things the person will look at are the company and the salary offered. Not only is the person looking to work for a good company but will it pay for their needs?

Does your company offer benefits? Everything counts. Free meals or drinks are benefits and perks that need to be listed. Some companies require employees to pay for their uniforms. If your company pays for the uniform, list that!

Hire with Clarity Using a Job Description

Are you ready to add to your team now? A job description will define what your company needs and help you hire the right kind of help. Start building your team the right way.