The short answer
To write a job description, start from the work, not from an old ad. Ask what the person must deliver in their first year, list the six to nine tasks that get it done, and keep only the requirements a new hire truly needs on day one. Then add the pay range, the reporting line and how you hire, and cut anything that sounds like every other post. Use the free job description template below as your frame, and check it against the common mistakes before you publish.
How to write a job description in seven steps
- Do a quick job analysis. OPM describes job analysis as identifying the job's tasks, the competencies needed to do them, and which of those are required on entry. Sources it suggests include position descriptions, task statements and interviews with high performers and supervisors. In practice, spend 30 minutes with the hiring manager and someone who does the job now.
- Write the outcomes first. Finish the sentence "In 12 months, this person will have..." two or three times. Those outcomes become the "About the role" paragraph and keep the rest honest.
- List the real tasks. Six to nine duties, each starting with a verb and naming the tool, audience or metric. "Build weekly dashboards in Power BI for the sales team" beats "support reporting needs." O*NET OnLine, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor, covers more than 900 occupations with task lists for each, and is a useful check that you haven't missed anything.
- Separate must-haves from nice-to-haves. A must-have is something you'd reject a strong candidate for lacking. Everything else goes in "Nice to have." Five to eight must-haves is plenty.
- Pick the title candidates search for. Use the plain market title ("Software Engineer," "Registered Nurse") and add internal names in the text if you need them.
- Add pay, location and process. State the pay range, whether the job is remote, hybrid or on site, and the hiring steps with a rough timeline.
- Edit for clarity and fairness. Read it out loud, cut jargon and filler, and run the inclusive-language checks below. Then have someone outside the team read it and tell you what the job is.
Free job description template
Copy this job description template and replace everything in [square brackets]. It works for most salaried and hourly roles.
For a role-specific version with real duties, pay data and interview questions already filled in, use one of the templates in the role list below.
Common mistakes that shrink your applicant pool
- Copying the last ad. Old posts carry old tools, old duties and requirements nobody remembers adding. Start from the job analysis each time the role opens.
- Too many must-haves. A list of 15 requirements tells candidates you want a unicorn, and capable people who meet 12 of them may decide not to apply.
- Degree filters the job doesn't need. Requiring a degree, or a specific major, for work people learn on the job cuts out career changers and experienced people without adding signal. Keep it where it matters, such as licensed clinical roles.
- Vague duties. "Support stakeholders" and "drive results" fit every job, so they describe none. Name the work.
- Hiding the pay. Candidates compare ranges first. "Competitive salary" reads as a reason to skip.
- Internal job titles. "Customer Happiness Hero" won't show up when someone searches "customer service representative."
- Mixing two jobs into one. If the post reads like an analyst and an engineer at once, decide which you need or hire both.
- No hiring process. Saying how you'll interview, and how fast, signals a fair process and helps candidates prepare.
Inclusive language tips
Inclusive wording is partly about fairness and partly about reach: every unnecessary barrier removes good candidates. Federal rules set the floor. The EEOC says it is illegal to publish a job ad that shows a preference for, or discourages, applicants because of race, color, religion, sex (including transgender status, sexual orientation and pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information. This is not legal advice, so check state and local rules with your counsel.
- Drop age codes. Phrases like "digital native," "recent graduate" or "young, energetic team" can read as an age preference. Describe the skills instead.
- Describe tasks, not bodies. "Must be able to stand" or "must lift 50 pounds" belongs only if it's an essential part of the job. Say what needs to get done ("move stock of up to 50 pounds between shelves") rather than how a body must do it.
- Write the essential functions down. The EEOC treats a written job description prepared before advertising or interviewing as evidence of a job's essential functions under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Make that list accurate, and offer accommodations in the hiring process.
- Use gender-neutral titles and "you." "Salesperson" rather than "salesman," and "you'll do" rather than "he or she will."
- Swap jargon for plain words. Insider acronyms and "rockstar" language put off qualified people from other industries. If a term needs explaining, explain it.
- Be precise about language and location needs. Ask for a specific language level only when the work needs it, and say exactly where the job can be done.
Job description templates by role
Each template below follows this guide's structure, with role-specific duties, U.S. pay data from O*NET and sample interview questions:
- Tech and data: software engineer, data analyst, data scientist, product manager, business analyst.
- Sales and customers: sales representative, account executive, customer success manager, customer service representative.
- Finance and marketing: accountant, financial analyst, marketing manager.
- Operations and people: operations manager, project manager, recruiter, warehouse associate.
- Office and administration: administrative assistant, executive assistant, office manager, receptionist.
- Healthcare: registered nurse.
You can also browse the full job description library.
From job description to interview
A good job description does a second job: it becomes your interview plan. The must-haves turn into the four to six competencies you assess, and the duties turn into realistic questions. OPM's structured interview guide asks for exactly that link, saying questions should reflect the competencies from a job analysis and be realistic to the job's responsibilities. Our interview scorecard template shows how to turn those competencies into a rating form every interviewer uses the same way.
If you run the first round with an AI interviewer, the same description does even more work. NTRVSTA, for example, scores and ranks every resume against your job description and runs a live interview that adapts to each answer, so a precise description leads directly to sharper screening. Read how AI interviews are scored to see how competencies turn into scores.
Questions
How long should a job description be?
Long enough to describe the real work, the must-haves, pay and process, and no longer. For most roles that's roughly 300 to 700 words in the posted ad. If yours runs much longer, cut repeated soft skills and company boilerplate before you cut duties or pay.
What's the difference between a job description and a job posting?
A job description is the internal record of the role: its purpose, duties, requirements and reporting line. A job posting is the ad built from it, with added selling points like pay, benefits, culture and how to apply. Write the description first, then adapt it into the posting.
Should I include salary in a job description?
Yes, as a range. A growing number of states and cities require pay ranges in job ads, and candidates use pay to decide whether to apply at all. Check the rules where you hire, and give a range you'd honestly pay rather than an extreme spread.
How often should job descriptions be updated?
Review a job description every time the role opens and at least once a year for roles you hire often. Duties drift, tools change, and requirements pile up. A quick check with the current manager and one person doing the job keeps it accurate.
Once the post is live, the next bottleneck is the first round. Book a 20-minute demo to see an adaptive AI interview built from a job description, or try a sample interview yourself.
