Job description software should include all of the functionality that hiring teams need to write, revise, publish, and measure effective, inclusive job posts.
Job description software is growing up. It’s about time, too, because a static database of pre-written jobs or guidance on gendered language alone is no longer enough. You can and should expect more.
Job description software should offer all of the functionality you need to write effective job descriptions. It should provide guidance on job titles, content, language, and requirements. It should include features like salary estimates, recruiting analytics, and workflows. So everyone on your hiring team can write job descriptions that are easy to find, clear, and welcoming.
Why are job titles important on job boards?
Job boards work by matching keywords in candidate search queries to keywords in job descriptions. Therefore, searchable job titles are critical. Job titles also signal to job seekers the seniority level of the position, which they can use to gauge whether they qualify.
Job seekers use concise, industry-standard titles in their searches, not internal jargon (e.g., Customer Service Manager, not TLC Manager). They also look for titles that describe the area of expertise (e.g., UI Software Engineer versus UI Engineer). And they search by location (Indeed, Google and LinkedIn need to show your job to candidates looking in your area).
Job seekers also use job titles to help gauge whether they should apply to a position. If a job seems too senior because of the title, it may trigger a confidence gap for some job seekers (regardless of the requirements). Overqualifying a role can deter many potential candidates.
Content guidance
Job description software is about more than just language. Great job descriptions pull together a number of content pieces that, together, offer clarity and encourage qualified candidates to apply. They also help with your compliance efforts.
You can yammer on about how you take care of employees or you can just list your benefits. You can use cutesy language to describe your fun culture, or you can just list the perks that illustrate that.
Job description software’s tailored guidance points out when your job post is too long or is missing key information. Something like diversity information may seem like a snoozer, but it reassures candidates that you value diversity and helps with compliance.
Language analytics
Language analytics helps you make the right impression on candidates regardless of their gender, race, or background.
The language you use can send unintended messages that can deter candidates. Our own research has identified words, phrases, and general sentiments that deter some candidates from applying.
Job description software guides you through the job post writing process. It steers you away from language proven to deter qualified candidates and towards language that attracts qualified candidates. It also helps clarify your writing, showing you how to address candidates in the active voice, remove confusing phrasing, or corporate cliches and more.
Requirements analysis
A high number of applicants isn’t the same as a high number of qualified applicants. Job description software steers you away from requirements or requirement combinations that may confuse or deter qualified candidates.
Job description software helps you clarify all job requirements, from education to technologies, so candidates can accurately assess whether their skill set is a match. So you not only get more applicants, you get more qualified applicants.
Salary estimates
Estimating salaries can be a bit of a guessing game without data behind it. Skills, experience, education, and location all impact salaries, and seeing exactly how they impact them helps you manage your hiring budget.
How would a few more years of experience, another computer language or an advanced degree impact the estimated salary for a position? How does that salary compare to similar jobs in the local market?
It’s disheartening to carefully craft job requirements only to find out later that those requirements bump the expected salary beyond your hiring budget. Job description software helps you establish salaries that are appropriate for the job─during the writing process.
Recruiting analytics
Understanding how your job descriptions perform can help you improve the health of your entire hiring funnel.
If you can filter your live jobs by location, you can see which offices are struggling to fill positions. Filtering by seniority can show you how well you’re recruiting junior jobs versus senior jobs.
Recruiting analytics gives you a bird’s-eye view of your hiring funnel so you can identify jobs that need attention, bottlenecks, and more. It provides actionable data you can use to improve your hiring efforts overall.
Job description software workflow
Writing job descriptions is far easier with software platforms like applicant tracking system (ATS) integration, custom templates and file management (i.e., Dropbox for your job descriptions).
Integration with an ATS like Workday or Greenhouse enables hiring teams to work collaboratively on job descriptions, easily post them back onto the ATS and then track their performance (without help from IT). With custom templates, your team has access to critical content (e.g., perks and diversity) that is easy to include (just drop them into any template) and always on-brand.
Job description software enables you to manage content and speak with one voice across your organization. It keeps jobs organized and ready to edit so your hiring teams always know where to start.
What job description software should do
Job description software should help you title your jobs correctly, incorporate critical content and use inclusive language. It should help you list requirements clearly, estimate salaries, measure talent pipeline performance, and work collaboratively.
In short, job description software should help you when writing job posts. So they’re easy to find, clear, and welcoming to a large and diverse candidate pool. For better recruiting on every job.
