By using a job description template, you will improve your chances of targeting and engaging with candidates and you will increase your applications significantly; this will therefore give you increased and improved options when it comes to offering someone the chance to work for your company.

Even though I’ve been recruiting for 20 years, I still use a template when taking requirements from clients – both when on the phone and in meetings.

The simple reason is that the job template enables me to be thorough and structured. By taking a comprehensive job description, I can source candidates easily and it helps me to compile an effective job advert – which incidentally, doesn’t have to be the same as a job description.

I’ve always found that if I ask clients the right questions, typically they have the answers. So, the emphasis is on me to ask the right questions in a structured format – the template helps me to do this.

This is important, largely because I am the person finding the candidates and the better informed I am the better position I’m in to generate candidates when engaging with the market.

By pitching the job well, my conversation rate is higher and I can provide the client with better quality applicants. The same applies when the candidate reads a job advert or reviews the job description.

However, I often find that clients don’t always share enough information; in reality, they aren’t sure what exactly they require unless I ask them specific questions.

Compiling and working from a job description is tried and tested; candidates who are actively looking are familiar with them, so you shouldn’t stray too far away from the traditional model.

If you are writing an advert or sharing information about your job across social media, then (depending on your channel) you can be creative.

The job description, however, is an outline of the duties required of the candidate, including any important information.

It is a document that you have agreed with colleagues and this forms the basis of the job that you would like your future employee to do. However, that considered, you do need to make you mark and stamp your personality on it.

When using a template, be careful that you don’t just create a document. You want to make it compelling – it is still your chance to pitch the position and the company and you want to tempt excellent, high performing candidates to your company.

When creating the job description, be careful that working to a template doesn’t  take the ‘flare’ away; you still need to excite and compel you target audience.

Remember this is possibly the first impression a candidate will have of your company and the employer brand is of great importance.