Attracting top talent is important any time. But it’s especially important right now. Only about one person is looking for a job for every opening. That’s down from more than six in 2009. As a result, candidates with attractive experience and marketable skills are in the driver’s seat to choose among several companies.

You have to lure them in with a winning job description.

What’s the best way to write a job description? We’ve placed thousands of top candidates, and here’s what we’ve found. You need to hit the eight key elements of a winning job description.

Write an appealing intro

Your introduction needs to clearly convey both the opportunity and the company’s strengths. Inspire top talent with how good you are.

It’s marketing copy

Remember that people have so many job descriptions to sift through their eyes quickly glaze over. Attract them with specific and energetic copy.

Use lists and sections

Because of the glazed-eyes issue, use sections and bullet points wherever possible to break up the text and make it easier to read.

Showcase your culture

Candidates say culture and values are the most important things to know about. Describe them! Perks/benefits are second, and mission/vision is third. Let them know what they’ll be getting and what the overall mission is.

Don’t mention every single thing

Avoid the pitfall of mentioning every single job-related task. The most important elements are the main responsibilities, goals and opportunities. Plus, the best perks and key points about compensation.

Provide a picture of a day in the life

Top candidates want to get a sense of what they’d be doing. List the job’s key responsibilities, including the percentage of time each should take. Describe what working with managers and the team is like.

Mention benefits that sell

Top candidates can be wooed with benefits that matter to them. Many top candidates value work-life balance. If possible, mention flexible hours (51 percent of job candidates say they’d switch jobs for flextime) or the option to work outside the office part of the time (37 percent of candidates would change jobs for this perk).

Think outside the box

A job description doesn’t have to be just a sheet of paper. The team and the mission are important. Show them off in a different way. Consider shooting videos of your team to get across their passion for their coworkers and your company’s mission.

Contact Us for a Free Consultation

At Gainor Staffing, we’ve literally written the book on how to attract top talent. It’s an eBook called Insider Tips to Source, Impress & Hire Top Talent.