Most small-business job descriptions are written in a hurry, the night before a job gets posted. Someone finds a description from a big company online, changes the title, and adds a few more requirements just to be safe. The result describes a person who does not exist, scares off good people who would have done the job well, and is never looked at again after the hire.
A good job description does more than fill a seat. It tells the new person what success looks like, gives the manager something to train and review against, and keeps everyone honest about what the job really is.
Start With Why the Job Exists
Before you list a single duty, finish this sentence: "This job exists so that ___." For example: "This job exists so that every customer order ships correctly and on time." Or: "This job exists so that the owner is not answering the phone all day."
That sentence becomes your job summary. It also keeps the rest of the description focused. If a duty does not connect to why the job exists, ask whether it belongs in this role at all.
The Parts of a Job Description
- Job title. Use a title people actually search for and understand. "Office Manager" beats "Director of First Impressions."
- Reports to. The title of the person who manages this role.
- Job summary. Two or three sentences built from your "this job exists so that" line.
- Essential duties. The core work, five to eight items.
- Other duties. Occasional or secondary tasks, kept short.
- Required qualifications. Only what someone truly needs on day one.
- Preferred qualifications. Nice to have, clearly labeled as such.
- Working conditions. Schedule, location, remote or on-site, travel, and any real physical demands.
- Employment type and pay. Full-time, part-time or contract; exempt or non-exempt; pay range where required or where you choose to share it.
Write Duties as Outcomes, Not Activities
"Answers phones" tells you what someone does. "Answers incoming calls, routes each one to the right person, and logs every message the same day" tells you what done well looks like.
Start each duty with an action verb and, where you can, add the result. Put the most important and most time-consuming duties first. A good check: if this person did only the first three items on the list, would the job mostly be done? If not, your order is wrong.
Be Honest About Essential Functions
Separate the duties the job truly exists to do from the ones that come up once in a while. This is more than tidy writing. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, if an employer prepares a written job description before advertising or interviewing for the job, that description can be considered evidence of the job's essential functions.
So list a physical requirement only if it is real and regular. "Must be able to lift 50 pounds" on a desk job that never lifts anything heavier than a laptop can screen out good candidates and create problems later. Describe what the job actually requires, and how often.
Cut the Wish List
Every requirement you add shrinks your applicant pool. Some of those people would have been great. Go through your qualifications and ask of each one: "Would I really turn down an otherwise excellent person who did not have this?" If the answer is no, move it to preferred or delete it.
Be especially careful with:
- Degree requirements for jobs that do not need one.
- Exact years of experience. Describe the skill you need instead.
- Vague personality words like "rock star," "ninja," or "high energy." They tell an applicant nothing and can read as a hint about who you want, which is a fairness problem.
- Anything about age, health, family status, or other protected characteristics. Leave it out entirely.
A Job Description Template
Job Title: [title]
Reports To: [manager's title] Employment Type: [full-time / part-time / contract] Classification: [exempt / non-exempt]
Location: [on-site address / remote / hybrid] Schedule: [days and hours]
Job Summary: This role exists so that [outcome]. The person in this job [two-sentence description of the work].
Essential Duties
1. [Action verb + task + result]
2. [ ]
3. [ ]
4. [ ]
5. [ ]
Other Duties
[Occasional tasks, kept short]
Required Qualifications
[Only what is truly needed on day one]
Preferred Qualifications
[Helpful but not required]
Working Conditions
[Physical demands, travel, environment — only what is real and regular]
Pay: [range, where required or shared]
Turning It Into a Job Posting
The description is the internal document. The posting is the ad. Write the posting from the description, but lead with what an applicant cares about: what they would do, where, when, and for what pay. Then the requirements. Keep the internal detail, like the classification, in the description where it belongs.
Before you post, check the rules where you are. A growing number of states and cities require a pay range in job postings, and they differ on which employers and jobs they cover. If the job is remote, the rules where the worker lives may matter too.
Keep Using It After the Hire
The job description should not go in a drawer. Use it to:
- Plan the new person's first weeks of training, one duty at a time.
- Set expectations in a short one-on-one at the end of the first month.
- Run performance reviews against the real duties, not a feeling.
- Update it once a year, or any time the job changes significantly.
If you train people on a process, pair the job description with a written procedure. Our SOP template guide shows how.
Questions people ask
What should a job description include?
The job title, who the person reports to, a short summary of why the job exists, the main duties, the skills and qualifications that are truly required, the working conditions such as schedule, location and physical demands, and the employment type, such as full-time, part-time or contract. Many employers also include the pay range.
What is the difference between a job description and a job posting?
A job description is the internal document that defines the role. A job posting is the advertisement you write from it to attract applicants. Write the description first, then build the posting from it, so the ad matches the real job.
Do I have to put the salary in a job description?
It depends on where you and the job are. A growing number of states and cities require a pay range in job postings, and the rules differ on who they cover. Check the current rules for your location and the job's location before you post.
What are essential job functions?
They are the core duties the job exists to do, as opposed to tasks that are occasional or could easily be done by someone else. Listing them clearly matters, because under federal disability law a written job description prepared before you advertise or interview can be considered evidence of what the essential functions are.
How long should a job description be?
Usually one to two pages. Long enough to describe the real job clearly, short enough that a manager and an applicant will actually read it.
This article is general guidance on business documents, not legal, tax or accounting advice. A template is a starting point, not a document drafted for your situation. Before you sign, send or rely on anything with legal or financial consequences, have it reviewed by an attorney or accountant licensed in your state.