Job Description: An Ultimate Guide to Attract Millennials

Writing a good job description is the very first step of a successful recruiting and hiring process. It is essential in helping you attract the most qualified candidates for your job. The trick to writing effective job descriptions is to find the perfect balance of providing enough information so candidates can understand the position and your company while keeping your description concise.

According to a global description by LinkedIn covering 14,000 participants from different countries, 91 % of millennials are open to new job opportunities. At the same time, the survey showed that millennials (unlike older generations) are bored with studying general company information. In most situations, they can hardly imagine the conditions in which they are forced to work under.

Therefore, HR departments do not have a second opportunity to impress a potential candidate. That is why it is vital to keep the candidate interested in the first attempt.

What is Job Description?

A job description is an internal document that clearly states the basic job requirements, job responsibilities, job duties, and skills required to perform a specific role. A more detailed description should include how the role of success is measured so that it can be used in performance evaluation.

They are also known as a job profile, job specification, position description or Job PD, and JD. It contains all the information on the role that potential candidates are trying to fill.

How to Write a Good Job Description?

A clear summary of the work description should be written in a formal language. A well-written job description contains all the relevant details on the position you want to carry out and follow the standard structure:

1. Download Job Description Templates

Writing a good description of a job can be easier to say than done at times. When you look into a blank page, you will feel frustrated. Instead of writing your job description from scratch, you can download job description templates and get an idea of it.

2. Job Title

Write the job title clearly and precisely. Targeted job titles are more effective than generic ones, so be consistent by using key phrases that describe the position accurately.

3. Role Summary

Write the summary of the role or position in the opening paragraph. The summary should provide an overview of your company and expectations for the position.

The job description is an introduction to your company and the employer's brand. Include descriptions of the company culture to explain why a candidate would love to work for you. To optimize the job posting, provide an exact job location so that it appears higher in the search results.

4. Job Duties and Responsibilities List

Make sure your list of responsibilities is detailed but concise. Emphasize the main duties and responsibilities that may be unique to your organization.

Make a list of day-to-day tasks of the position by highlighting it. It will help the candidates to understand the work environment and their activities that need to be done on a daily basis. This level of detail would allow the candidate to decide if the job and company match in the right way, helping to attract the best candidates for your position.

5. Qualifications and Skills List

The job description should specify education level and type, years of experience, professional certifications, etc required for the position. You can also provide soft skills, such as communication and problem-solving, as well as personality characteristics for good recruiting.

In the end, let the hiring manager and the HR department check it.

Keep your ideal candidate in mind while writing job descriptions. Imagine someone who would be perfectly suited for the job. This representation of your ideal candidate is known as a candidate persona. So, write enough details and descriptions to help your ideal candidate visualize themselves in the job position.

What do Millennials Want from Job Descriptions?

The first rule to make a job posting as attractive and easy to understand as possible. A conventional job posting and a 30-minute conversation over the phone accompanied by weeks of interviews will no longer attract anyone.

Here are 3 tips for making your job descriptions more attractive to Millenials:

1. Elevator Pitch Trick

Elevator pitch (elevator speech) is a presentation format within a limited time, usually up to one minute. In a high-rise building, it is an average time traveling by elevator. It is important to deliver a job offer in 30-60 seconds, or 100-150 words, in a meaningful and concise way. You should point to an interesting fact that evokes feelings, lists the benefits, and makes the best deal possible.

2. Visualization

We're overwhelmed by information and tend to ignore messages, particularly the long ones. Certainly, a detailed job description would be needed, but for example, visualization can be a valuable additional resource for social networks.

3. Video Format

It is not enough to admit that people now love Youtube. It has gone far further and videos of a few minutes are now too long. The Vine is trending nowadays. It is a video hosting service that can last up to 6 seconds.

Of course, it is a challenge to present a job in 6 seconds. Yet video vacancy with a concise, vibrant story works very well. This opportunity also enables you to get a brief overview of the place of work.

5 Ways to Attract Millennials

Nowadays, millennials think that it is important to work in which environment and what values to seek. 76 % of millennials agree that the business where they work will lead to positive changes in society, according to a recent study by Deloitte Millennial Survey.

Let us know, what job features would draw their attention in the first place.

Here are the top 5 ways to attract millennials:

1. Flexible Work Schedule

The technological revolution has changed the conventional working-day boundaries and many employees are not confined to the workplace. When selecting a place to work, the balance between work and life is the top priority for the millennial generation. Mobile devices allow employees to make a unique schedule that matches their lifestyles better and boosts productivity.

2. Attractive Bonus System

Bonuses and values are crucial considerations for candidates when deciding whether to agree to work or not. While reading a job description, most job seekers study employer bonuses.
Most businesses may not know that their bonus plans can display an intolerant attitude towards certain members of society. The language of the bonus message must be clear and transparent.

3. Clear List of Responsibilities

Many job descriptions with a list of specifications are impressive. However, at the same time, some of them offer little detail about their responsibilities. This often makes the job ad unclear. A potential candidate can be misled by believing that he or she is going to deal practically with everything.

4. Professional and Personal Growth

A large number of millennials are not against changing their jobs every couple of years. It occurs mainly because they don't see an interesting perspective in one location for too long. It is also important for the job description to highlight what career development every employee can expect. The job ad should a so-called guarantee that a job seeker will grow over time in your organization.

5. Company Culture

The disadvantages of prospective employers can be identified easily by members of this age group. Millennials are looking to work for honest organizations that value their employees. To prove your company is reliable and promote your company culture to attract new talent, spread the positive facts about the organization in social media. Show your corporate engagement on all social networks and share real stories about your employee.

Conclusion

Job descriptions are not only a document but an essential part of a successful HR structure. They summarize what the purpose of a position is, what responsibility it is to accomplish, and how to measure those achievements. So, if you want to attract millennials to your company, you should keep up with the times.

This article is written by Rashmi Rekha Deka. She works as a Content Marketer at Vantage Circle. She likes to keep herself informed about the HR happenings and write about topics surrounding organizational growth. For any related queries, contact editor@vantagecircle.com