The Human Job Description

Staying ahead of the competition means doing things differently and restructuring processes as well as documents to align them with current goals. 

Job descriptions have a bad rap, and rightfully so as they are so often poorly executed. More often than not, a job description is a painful read of duties, responsibilities, and qualifications, using an overabundance of industry jargon, terminology, and ‘made to impress’ word choices. Although they may describe the position to the most minute detail, and enforce that the company knows what it’s talking about, they fail to entice candidates. And in today’s job market, entice we must.

The “Human Job Description” takes a different approach. Its purpose is to humanize the role, excite, and connect with readers to reel in top candidates.

Tone

Your tone should be used to connect. In other words, impress through what you say, but truly engage with how you say it. 

While remaining professional, your voice should be on-brand and reflective of company culture and for lack of a better term, “vibe.” Don’t be afraid to be conversational in style as it should have a nice flow and be easy to read.

Job Overview

Engage your audience by telling a story. Paint the big picture and promote the opportunity but offer a balanced view of things that also incorporates the challenges at hand. Procurement professionals are excited by these challenges as they represent some of the best chances they’ll have to make a name for themselves. Tell them where you’ve been, where you are, and where you’re going. But, most importantly, tell them how they can help you get there. Authenticity and honesty are essential.

Highlight opportunities for career growth, organizational structure, and give an idea of the pace, work environment, and company culture.

Duties and Challenges

Job descriptions are targeted to industry professionals, so it’s safe to assume they’ll know the primary responsibilities that are part of most procurement positions. Instead of (or as well as) a standard list of tasks and duties, which is probably what your competitors are doing, highlight what it is procurement professionals actually want to know. What will I be fighting every day? What mountains do I have to climb and where am I starting from? Who am I climbing them with? How important are these goals to the company; and, what’s in it for me if I’m hitting it out of the park?

Qualifications

Yes, soft skills are the new hard skills. As we laid out in “Mastering the Candidate Experience,” when you’re dealing with a talent shortage, you need to change how you look at things, and what you value. Keep requirements broad, focusing on skill sets rather than experience. And don’t forget your soft skills. They’re crucial to procurement and should be at the top of your list of requirements.

Once you’ve put together your new candidate attention-grabbing job description, take it for a test run and ask some industry insiders, as well as outsiders, for their feedback. And remember, you’re selling the company as well as the position. Think of why you love working where you do, and make sure it’s in there, and in that human voice.