How to write a job description
To write a job description, start with a plain job title, a two-sentence summary of why the role exists, the main duties, the must-have skills and the practical details such as hours, location and pay. Keep the wording specific and free of anything that could exclude people unfairly. A clear description attracts fewer, better-matched applicants and gives you a fair way to compare them.
- Use a plain job title that people actually search for.
- Describe the real work: the main duties, not a wish list of every task.
- Separate must-haves from nice-to-haves, and keep the must-haves short.
- Check the wording for anything that could discriminate, and have an advisor review it.
- Employment law varies by location, so confirm what you must include before you publish.
Step by step
Decide what the role is for
Before you write a word, finish this sentence: this person exists so that [outcome]. Then list the three to five results the role must deliver in the first year. Talk to whoever does the work now, or to the person who will manage the hire. A description built from real results is easier to write and easier for applicants to judge than one built from a copied list of tasks.
Choose a plain job title
Use the title people type into a search box. Prefer “Bookkeeper” to “Financial Wellness Champion”. Avoid internal grades, jokes and stacked titles. If the role is part time, temporary or based in one place, say so in the title or the first line. A clear title helps the right people find the post and sets honest expectations from the start.
Write a short summary and a list of duties
Open with two sentences on the business and the role, then list the main duties in order of importance. Aim for five to eight bullet points, each starting with a verb. Describe what the person will do in a normal week. If a duty takes up a small part of the job, leave it out or mark it as occasional. Long lists put off good applicants.
Split must-haves from nice-to-haves
A must-have is something the person cannot do the job without on day one, such as a licence the work legally needs. A nice-to-have is something you can teach. Keep the must-haves to a short list, and ask whether each one is truly needed. Overlong requirements shrink your pool and can screen out capable people. Name skills and outcomes rather than years of experience where you can.
Add the practical details
Applicants decide quickly, so give them what they need: hours, days, location or remote arrangements, reporting line, start date, how to apply and the pay or pay range if you can share it. Pay rules and disclosure requirements differ by location, so check what applies to you. Say what happens next, such as how many interviews to expect, so people know the process.
Check the wording and get it reviewed
Read the draft for anything that could exclude people for reasons unrelated to the job, such as age, gender, family status, disability or background. Watch phrases like “young and energetic” or “native speaker” and physical requirements that are not truly needed. Rules about what you may and may not say vary by location. Ask a qualified employment advisor to review it before you post.
How long should a job description be?
Short enough to read in a couple of minutes. One page is a good aim: a summary, a handful of duties, a short list of must-haves and the practical details. If you need more space, the role may be two jobs. Move extra detail to the interview, where you can answer questions.
How does a job description help you screen fairly?
Your must-haves become the yardstick for every applicant, so each person is compared on the same points. Write them before you see any resumes and do not change them halfway. Our guide to screening resumes fairly shows how to use them, and the onboarding checklist covers what comes after you hire.
What this guide does not cover
Employment law differs by country and often by state or region, including what you must or must not say in a posting, how you may ask about pay and which equal opportunity wording applies. This guide is general information, not legal advice. Check the specifics with a qualified employment advisor.
Job description template (copy and adapt)
- Job title: the plain title people search for, plus full-time, part-time or temporary.
- About us: two sentences on the business and the team.
- Why this role exists: one or two sentences on the outcome the person delivers.
- Main duties: five to eight bullets, each starting with a verb.
- Must-haves: the few skills, licences or abilities the job cannot start without.
- Nice-to-haves: skills you can teach, clearly labelled as optional.
- Hours and location: days, shifts, site, remote or hybrid arrangements.
- Pay and benefits: pay or range if you can share it, and the main benefits.
- Reports to: the role or team the person works with day to day.
- How to apply: what to send, the closing date and the steps that follow.
- Equal opportunity line: wording agreed with your advisor for your location.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Copying a large company’s description, so the post describes a job you do not have.
- Listing every task the role might ever touch, which hides the real work.
- Asking for more years of experience than the work needs, which shrinks your pool.
- Using wording that hints at age, gender or background rather than the skills required.
- Leaving out pay and hours, so applicants guess or move on.
- Writing the description once and never updating it when the role changes.
How the FrugalPod HR pod helps after you post
A job description is written by a person who knows the job, and FrugalPod does not replace that. Once applicants arrive, FrugalPod’s HR pod can help: the Resume screener scores applicants against the must-haves you wrote and explains why, and the Interview scheduler finds a time and sends the invites. By default, messages and record changes wait for your approval, and every action is logged. Every plan includes every pod with no per-user pricing; see pricing.
Resume screenerScores applicants against the must-haves you wrote and explains why.
Interview schedulerFinds a time for the interview and sends the invites.
Related
Common questions
Something missing? Write to admin@frugalpod.com and a person will reply.
What should a job description include?
A plain job title, a short summary of why the role exists, the main duties, the must-have skills, nice-to-haves, hours and location, pay or a pay range where you can share it, who the person reports to and how to apply. Add any wording your location requires.
What is the difference between a job description and a job posting?
A job description is the internal record of the role: its purpose, duties and requirements. A job posting is the public advert built from it, usually shorter and written to attract applicants. Write the description first, then trim it into the posting.
Should I include the salary in a job description?
Applicants usually want to know, and a clear range saves time on both sides. Whether you must disclose pay differs by location, so check the rules that apply to you with a qualified employment advisor before you post.
How do I avoid discriminatory language in a job ad?
Describe the skills and outcomes the job needs, not the type of person. Avoid references to age, gender, family status, background or physical traits unless the work genuinely requires them. Rules vary by location, so have an employment advisor review the final wording.
Can AI write my job description?
AI can draft a first version, but you must check it against the real job and for fair wording. Nothing replaces someone who knows the role. With FrugalPod, the HR pod starts when applicants arrive, and anything it sends waits for your approval by default.