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Job description writing: how to attract the right hire

Job description writing is the first step of hiring, and it sets the quality of every application you receive. A clear description tells the right people to apply and the wrong people to save their time. A vague one brings a flood of poor matches and a slow search. This guide shows a simple way to write one.

Start with the outcome, not the task list

Most job descriptions open with a long list of duties. That tells a reader what the job looks like on a Monday, but not why it matters. Start instead with what success looks like in the first year.

Try this format. Write one sentence on why the role exists. Then write three to five outcomes the person will own. For example, "Cut the time to close the monthly accounts from ten days to six" says far more than "Responsible for month-end reporting."

Strong candidates read outcomes and picture themselves doing the work. Weaker candidates read a list of verbs and apply to everything. Outcomes help you filter before anyone sends a CV.

Sources: Outcome-first structure is the editors' practical suggestion based on common hiring practice, not a research finding.

Separate must-haves from nice-to-haves

Many descriptions list fifteen requirements and treat them all as equal. Candidates then guess which ones count. Some strong people rule themselves out because they miss one minor item. Others apply with none of the real skills.

Split your list in two:

  • Must-haves (three to five): skills, knowledge or experience without which the person cannot do the job. Tie each one to an outcome above.
  • Nice-to-haves: things that would help but can be learned on the job.

Ask of each item, "Could someone learn this in the first three months?" If yes, it is a nice-to-have. Also check degree and years-of-experience rules. Ask whether the work truly needs them, or whether a skill test would show more.

Use plain words. Write "manage a team of six" instead of "exhibit leadership synergies." Skip internal jargon and stacked acronyms that outsiders will not know.

Sources: Editors' practical suggestions, based on common hiring practice.

Keep the wording fair

Selection criteria should relate to the work itself: skills, experience and the ability to do the job. In Singapore, the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices say employers should recruit and select on merit, whatever a person's age, race, gender, religion, marital status, family responsibilities or disability.

The TAFEP hiring handbook says a job advertisement should be clear, concise and free of discriminatory language. It should state the skills, experience and knowledge the job needs. It may also give the location and a salary range, so that candidates can decide whether to apply.

Use this as a quick test for each line you write:

  • Does it describe the work? Keep it. If it describes the person's age, race, gender, religion or family situation, cut it.
  • Is a requirement truly needed? If you ask for a language skill or a physical ability, say why the job needs it.
  • Is the wording neutral? Pick job titles and phrases that any qualified person would feel welcome to answer.

The handbook also says application forms should ask only for information directly related to the job, such as work history and qualifications. Fair wording is the right thing to do, and it also widens your pool of good candidates.

Sources: TAFEP, Fair Recruitment and Selection Handbook (2018), tal.sg/tafep. The handbook lists the five principles of the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices.

Be honest about pay and conditions

Candidates compare offers quickly. If your description hides pay, many will skip it or waste a round of interviews on a gap that was always going to be too wide.

Where you can, give a salary range and say what it is based on, such as experience level. State the main conditions as well:

  • Work location and whether remote or hybrid work is allowed.
  • Usual working hours and any travel.
  • Contract type, and the reporting line.
  • Main benefits, such as leave or training support.

If the pay range is still open, say so plainly rather than leaving the topic out. Honest facts earn trust before the first interview. Never promise what you cannot deliver, because new hires soon notice the gap.

Sources: Editors' practical suggestions, based on common hiring practice.

A simple template and a final check

Put it all together in this order:

  1. Title: use the common name for the job, not an internal label.
  2. Why the role exists: one sentence.
  3. Outcomes: three to five, with numbers where possible.
  4. Must-haves and nice-to-haves: two short lists.
  5. Pay, location and conditions: stated openly.
  6. How to apply: the steps, and when you will reply.

Before you post, run three checks. First, ask someone outside the team to read it and say what the job is. Second, scan the wording against the fair-hiring test above. Third, count the words. Aim for a page or less. After the first two weeks, look at the applications you received. If many are a poor fit, the description, not the candidates, is usually the thing to fix.

Sources: Template and checks are the editors' practical suggestions. Fair-wording points from TAFEP, Fair Recruitment and Selection Handbook (2018), tal.sg/tafep.