Some small business owners have never had to write a job description before. You may have been a one-man-band so far, and introducing other people will raise a lot of questions that other businesses might have had answered from (almost) Day 1.

So for those who want to make sure that they’re ticking all the right boxes, here’s a solid, basic guide to creating a job description:

Job duties: What will the person do?

Begin with the heading information: This should include job title, pay, reporting relationship, hours/shifts. It’s also good to include the likelihood of overtime or weekend work if that is relevant to the job.

Make the job title specific and descriptive (without being five sentences long!).

E.g. “northern regional sales rep – industrial products” is better than just “sales rep”. Using terms like “junior,” “associate” or “senior” can also distinguish the level of ability required.

Try searching similar job descriptions to get an idea of the industry standards, and what the competition is like in terms of attracting employees.

Then come up with a clear summary of the job’s responsibilities and key duties that will be performed. A vague description will make it harder for you to attract the right candidates and match someone for the job.

Work experience: What background is required to get the job done?

The experience required can include:

• Industry familiarity – Does the job require previous experience in your industry specifically, or are the skills transferable from other lines of work?
• Prior job knowledge.
• Educational background – Determine whether the person’s education level will have a bearing on how he or she executes the job.
• Professional certifications and qualifications.

These may all be crucial to helping you screen candidates you recruit.

It’s also important to consider your willingness to invest time and resources in training at this early stage. This can create flexibility in your experience requirements.

Also factor in the visa requirements for your industry.

Relocation may be another concern; will you be willing to pay to recruit someone from another geographic region?

Skills: What unique skills does the job require?

Look at the duties the person will perform and assess what skills are required to complete those tasks.

A front-line manager may need to be a solid executer with a history of keeping to deadlines, whereas a group head may need proven leadership skills. Your list should include hard skills (what the person knows) and soft skills (how the person applies that knowledge).

Your skills section should include any special demands. This means any extraordinary conditions applicable to the job (for example, heavy lifting, exposure to temperature extremes, prolonged standing, or travel).

Soft skills: What will ensure a cultural fit?

Look at work style (i.e. how a person will complete tasks), and consider the attitudes and manners that you want in a job candidate.

Your goal will be to find the type of person that is most productive in the work environment you’ve created and who can complement your current workforce and “culture”.

Develop a list of the character traits you most value — it can include things like honesty, compassion or a sense of humour. You might not necessarily list these in your job advertisement, but they can help you choose between candidates further down the track.

Need help refining your recruiting process? Get in touch!