You’re starting the recruitment process and are thinking about what to include in the job profile and advertisement to attract the best candidates for the role.

These three steps will help you to enhance your recruitment process and attract the best person for the job.

This article is part three of our ten-part series on hiring and onboarding. In the series, you'll learn how to prepare for the recruitment process, select the best candidate and successfully onboard your new starter. You can see other articles in the series at the bottom of the page.

This is a great way to clarify in your own mind how a new employee will fit into your business, including how they’ll help you achieve your business’ objectives, who they’ll report to and whether their role is likely to be structured or more flexible to the changing needs of the business.

Applicants to your business will also be interested to know how they fit into your business and the team they’ll be working in. Before you start drafting your job description, think carefully about their responsibilities and any qualifications or skills that would enable them to excel in the role. It may also be worth thinking through the type of personality that you’re looking for to ensure they’ll be a good cultural fit too.

After considering the role of your new employee, now is the time to draw up a structured list of requirements and information to include in your job description. The suggestions below are in no ways exhaustive, but provide a helpful guide for applicants on what your offer to them is and in return what you expect from them.

There are a number of things worth including to help applicants know if the role is right for them:

• A specific, concise job title that reflects the role and the level of seniority
• Salary range
• An attention-grabbing summary of the company which sells a positive vision
• Work location, hours and benefits, including flexible working options if available
• Core responsibilities, with specific details
• Detail on the day-to-day activities of the role
• Essential and desirable criteria you are looking for, including skills, qualifications and experience

You may also want to consider asking candidates to provide a cover letter that shows how they meet the criteria set out in your job profile and why they think they would be a good fit for your business.

A job advert provides you with the opportunity to sell your business and convince those most suited for your needs to come forward and submit an application. Choosing where to post a role doesn’t just affect how many applications you receive – it can be decisive in finding the right candidate. You need to understand where your ideal candidate is likely to be.

Many businesses have benefitted from using recruitment agencies, social media platforms like LinkedIn, as well as job boards to give them the broadest range of applicants.

And don’t discount your current employees as a source of new candidates. They can often be your greatest advocates in selling a role so a structured employee referral programme that incentivises them to put good candidates forward may help you land the right person for your business. Read about how other businesses have turned their employees into advocates to give you some ideas for your business.

• Before writing your job description, consider how the new employee will fit into your business, including the type of person that would work well alongside the existing team.
• Create a detailed job profile that provides a clear overview of what you are looking for from applicants and what they can expect from you in return.
• Consider the different ways of attracting applicants, including from existing networks as well as platforms such as LinkedIn and recruitment agencies.

You can revisit the previous articles in our series below:

• How to work out it’s time to hire
• Preparing to hire new employees