BEP 403 - Recruiting 2: Developing the Job Description

Hello and welcome back to Business English Pod for the second in our two-part
series on recruiting. Today we’re going to focus on developing the job description.

In the current business climate, the competition for talent is fierce. People looking
for work have an array of choices. And because company loyalty isn’t what it once
was, people are apt to change jobs every few years. For these reasons, companies
have to stay sharp when it comes to recruiting, not to mention retention.

So how can you find the “right” person for a job? Well, that begins with
understanding the job itself. In our last lesson we looked at how to identify needs
and changes to a role. Once you’ve done that, you’ll be able to develop a suitable
job description, and progress on to the hiring phase of the recruiting process.

Developing the job description will require you to outline duties and responsibilities
as well as key qualifications for the role. You’ll also have to describe the required
experience and personality fit. And in the modern workplace, you’ll likely find
yourself discussing in-person versus virtual modes of working.

In today’s dialog, we’ll rejoin Steph, an HR manager, and Maya, a recruiter, as they
talk with Josh. Josh is a marketing manager who’s looking to hire a new brand
manager. They’ve discussed the role’s changing needs, and now they’re putting
together a job description.

As you listen to the dialog, try to answer the following questions:

1. What are the minimum qualifications for the role as far as education?
2. How many years of management experience is required for a successful
candidate?
3. In terms of personality fit, what two characteristics does Josh say are desirable?

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Vocabulary

Campaign: A coordinated series of marketing activities and strategies. "Our new

advertising campaign includes social media posts, newsletters, and a special
promotion to attract more customers."

To monitor: The act of observing, tracking, and assessing ongoing processes,

activities, or data. "As a project manager, it's essential to monitor the team's
progress regularly to make sure we stay on schedule and within budget."

Trend: A general direction of development or popular changes in culture. "The

current trend in the tech industry is a shift towards more sustainable and eco-
friendly practices."

Forecasting: The process of making predictions or estimates about future trends,

outcomes, or developments. "Based on our sales forecasting, we expect a
significant increase in demand for our product during the holiday season."

KPI: Key Performance Indicator, or a measure used to evaluate the success or

effectiveness of a business. "Our key performance indicators for this quarter include
customer satisfaction, sales growth, and the number of new leads generated."

JD: Job description, or a detailed document outlining the responsibilities,

qualifications, and expectations for a specific job position within an organization.
"Before applying for the position, make sure to carefully read the job description to
understand the required skills and responsibilities."

Qualifications: The skills, knowledge, education, and experience required for a

person to be considered suitable for a particular job or role. "The candidate's
qualifications include a bachelor's degree in marketing and three years of
experience in digital advertising."

Bachelor’s: An undergraduate academic degree typically obtained after completing

a three or four-year program at a college or university. "She recently earned her
bachelor's degree in finance and is now looking for entry-level positions in the
banking sector."

MBA: Master of Business Administration, or a postgraduate degree that focuses on

advanced business and management skills. "After completing her MBA, Sarah was
promoted to a managerial position within the company."

Extensive: Having a large reach or range. "The job requires extensive knowledge of
project management and a proven track record of successful implementations."

Proficiency: A high level of competence or skill in a particular task, subject, or area

of expertise. "Candidates for the position should demonstrate proficiency in using
industry-standard software and tools."

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Marketing suite: A collection of tools, software, or resources designed to automate
or analyze marketing activities. "Our marketing team utilizes a comprehensive
marketing suite that includes tools for social media management, email marketing,
and data analysis."

HubSpot / Bitrix24: Examples of customer relationship management (CRM) and

business management platforms commonly used for marketing, sales, and
customer service purposes. "We recently implemented HubSpot to streamline our
customer interactions and improve our lead generation process."

SEO: Search Engine Optimization, or the practice of optimizing online content and
websites to improve their visibility and ranking on search engine results pages. "To
increase our website's visibility, we need to focus on SEO strategies like using
relevant keywords and improving the site's overall structure."

Analytics: The use of data and statistics to understand website performance and
user behavior. "By regularly reviewing website analytics, we can identify which
marketing strategies are most effective in driving traffic to our online store."

Verbiage: The specific language or wording used in written or verbal

communication. "Let's simplify the verbiage in our product descriptions to make
them more accessible and engaging for our customers."

Versus: Used to indicate a comparison or contrast between two things or options.

"Let's discuss the pros and cons of hiring an in-house team versus outsourcing this
project."

Hybrid: A combination of things or approaches; often used to refer to a mix of in-

person and virtual work environments. "Our company is transitioning to a hybrid
work model, allowing employees to work both from the office and remotely."

To tighten up: To improve efficiency of a process or operation. "We need to tighten

up our project timelines to meet the client's deadline and ensure a successful
product launch."

Gutsy: Courageous or bold. "It was a gutsy move to enter a new market, but it paid
off with increased brand recognition and higher sales."

Fit: The suitability of a person, product, or strategy within a specific context or

environment. "The new software solution is a perfect fit for our team's needs,
improving efficiency and collaboration."

Team player: A person who cooperates well with others and works towards shared
goals within a team setting. "We value team players who can contribute their ideas
and skills to achieve our common objectives."

Empathetic: Understanding and sensitive to the feelings, perspectives, and

experiences of others. "An empathetic leader is essential for maintaining a positive
and supportive work environment."

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Dialog

Steph: All right we’ve got some responsibilities listed… anything to add?

Josh: Let’s see… team management, strategic campaign development,

monitoring industry trends and forecasting… and… yeah, we’ll need to add
tracking KPIs… and internal reporting.

Steph: Standard stuff… I’ve got some language on that we can pull from another
JD. So does that take care of the overall areas of responsibility?

Josh: I believe so.

Maya: Perfect. And what were you thinking in terms of qualifications?

Josh: Bachelor’s at minimum, MBA would be a plus. Extensive knowledge of

marketing strategy. Along with analytical and problem-solving skills.

Steph: Okay… this is good. And experience? What are we looking at here?

Maya: I think for similar roles we’ve said a minimum of seven years, with at least
three in a management position. That work Josh?

Josh: For the basics, yes... I’d also like to see some specifics around software and
such. As in proficiency with standard marketing suites. Maybe give some
examples, like HubSpot, or… Bitrix24.

Steph: And does that cover the digital experience you mentioned, or is there more
to it than software?

Josh: Well, there’s also the whole SEO and analytics aspect… I can send you some
verbiage on that.

Maya: Great, and… just because we’re on the digital side of things, I meant to ask:
what’s the current in-person versus virtual requirement? It’s a bit different team to
team, right?

Josh: Yeah… pretty mixed. We’ve had a hybrid thing going on, but I’d like to
tighten up on that and have everyone in the office at least three days a week. And
I was thinking the manager should be four days.

Maya: That’s not going to be easy, from the recruiting side. Just saying.

Josh: Well we’ll have to see, but that’s not the only thing. In terms of fit, I think
we need a strong leader. Gutsy. Not sure if you can put that in a JD or not, but… a
real team player. And empathetic, because working with a younger team these
days demands that.

Steph: Yeah, that’s a whole other conversation… but good point. I’ll be sure to
highlight that.

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Debrief

Now let’s go through the dialog again and look at the language and techniques our
three colleagues used to discuss the job description. We rejoin the conversation as
Steph digs deeper into the main responsibilities of the role.

Steph: All right we’ve got some responsibilities listed… anything to add?

Josh: Let’s see… team management, strategic campaign development,

monitoring industry trends and forecasting… and… yeah, we’ll need to add
tracking KPIs… and internal reporting.

Every job description will have an outline of the responsibilities and duties, or the
main tasks, the employee will have to do. You’ll notice in Josh’s list that most of the
duties include a verb, such as “monitoring,” “tracking,” or “reporting.” Even when a
verb isn’t used, the responsibility will indicate an activity like “development.”

What are some of the other ways we can outline duties and responsibilities? Let’s
try some more examples, and notice how each one involves an action or activity.

§ This position will need to support the operations manager and do all scheduling.
§ The role involves marketing strategy and campaign management.
§ Major duties include software development and technical support.
§ The main responsibilities will be developing and delivering training programs.

Now let’s hear how Steph responds to Josh’s list, and Maya asks about another
essential component of a “JD,” or job description.

Steph: Standard stuff… I’ve got some language on that we can pull from another
JD. So does that take care of the overall areas of responsibility?

Josh: I believe so.

Maya: Perfect. And what were you thinking in terms of qualifications?

Josh: Bachelor’s at minimum, MBA would be a plus. Extensive knowledge of

marketing strategy. Along with analytical and problem-solving skills.

Maya’s question is about “qualifications,” which are qualities, skills, or achievements

– especially educational ones – that people need for a job. Josh describes the
education required by naming several types of degree: a “Bachelor’s,” which is a
basic four-year degree, and an “MBA,” or Master of Business Administration, a more
advanced degree focused on management.

Josh also names some key areas of knowledge and skills that the brand manager
would need. Of course, there might be many qualifications that would be beneficial,
but at this point they’re identifying what is required of the position.

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Let’s run through some more ways of listing key qualifications for a position.

§ Candidates will require a business degree and software skills.

§ Qualifications for the job include strong relationship skills, an MBA, and
management experience.
§ Successful applicants need training in accounting software and a desire to work
in a fast-paced environment.
§ What we’ll need is a first aid certificate and a commercial driver’s license.

There’s another key element that every job description will identify. Let’s hear Maya
explain what this is.

Steph: Okay… this is good. And experience? What are we looking at here?

Maya: I think for similar roles we’ve said a minimum of seven years, with at least
three in a management position. That work Josh?

As you can hear, this particular aspect of the job description is “experience.”
Specifically, this refers to work experience. When we talk about experience, we
frequently talk about a couple of different things. For one, we might mention an
area or type of work. Secondly, we often identify the number of years that a person
needs in a certain field or position.

In Maya’s description, you can hear that she identifies both the amount of
experience required in the industry overall and how much of that time should have
been in a management role. Let’s try some more ways of explaining the required
experience for a role:

§ We’ll need at least five years in a leadership position.

§ The successful candidate should have experience in retail marketing.
§ This position requires seven years in sales and at least three supervising a team.
§ Experience with web-based bookkeeping systems is a must.

Maya has focused on the length of experience, but as we can hear Josh would like
to see certain technical experience as well.

Josh: For the basics, yes... I’d also like to see some specifics around software and
such. As in proficiency with standard marketing suites. Maybe give some
examples, like HubSpot, or… Bitrix24.

Steph: And does that cover the digital experience you mentioned, or is there more
to it than software?

Josh: Well, there’s also the whole SEO and analytics aspect… I can send you some
verbiage on that.

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Josh explains that the position will require very specific experience with things like
“marketing suites,” or collections of software. Josh also mentions “SEO,” or search
engine optimization, and “analytics,” or data on user activity.

The job description they are developing will include both the number of years that
Maya described, and the technical skills described by Josh. But that’s not all. Often
the job description will also identify how and where the activity will take place. Let’s
listen.

Maya: Great, and… just because we’re on the digital side of things, I meant to ask:
what’s the current in-person versus virtual requirement? It’s a bit different team to
team, right?

Josh: Yeah… pretty mixed. We’ve had a hybrid thing going on, but I’d like to
tighten up on that and have everyone in the office at least three days a week. And
I was thinking the manager should be four days.

The pandemic fundamentally changed how many workplaces operate. The biggest
shift is toward virtual, or online, work, whether that’s completely online or a
“hybrid” situation with part of the time spent in the office.

Maya’s question about current in-person versus virtual requirements is an important

one. With virtual work, we might have a broader range of candidates. That said,
there are many people looking for the mentorship and relationships that can benefit
from being in-person.

As you can hear from Josh’s response, these requirements are changing and he’s
asking people to be in-person more than previously. What are some other ways we
can describe in-person versus virtual requirements? Let’s try some more examples.

§ This job involves a minimum of three days in the office per week.
§ This is a fully remote position, working with an international team online.
§ We allow employees to work from home up to two days a week.
§ We’ve moved back to five days a week in the office since September.

What does Maya think of Josh’s move to more in-person work?

Maya: That’s not going to be easy, from the recruiting side. Just saying.

Josh: Well we’ll have to see, but that’s not the only thing. In terms of fit, I think
we need a strong leader. Gutsy. Not sure if you can put that in a JD or not, but… a
real team player. And empathetic, because working with a younger team these
days demands that.

At this point, Josh is moving on to discuss not just requirements, but aspects of
what we call “fit.” Someone who “fits” a job is suitable, not just because they have
the right experience and training, but in terms of personality and outlook.

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Josh uses words like “gutsy” – or courageous – and “empathetic,” meaning
someone who can understand how others feel. As he says, not all of these aspects
of “fit” might belong in a job description, but they’re important to consider
nonetheless.

Let’s run through some other ways to discuss personality fit when creating a job
description.

§ We really need a salesperson who’s outgoing and results oriented.

§ A great applicant will have a lot of energy and like to work quickly.
§ It’s important we find a person who believes in our core values.
§ The position requires a positive attitude and the ability to work well with others.

Now let’s hear Steph’s final comment on the idea of personality fit.

Steph: Yeah, that’s a whole other conversation… but good point. I’ll be sure to
highlight that.

As Steph says, fit could be an entire conversation on its own. And that speaks to
the simple fact that it’s not just about duties and qualifications. The right person
doesn’t just have a good resume; they’ve also got the right personality, attitude,
and way of relating to people. Some of that might appear in a job description, but
some of it might be discussed later, when you’re interviewing candidates.

Now let’s practice some of the language we learned in today’s lesson. Imagine you are a
manager in a large company. You’re working with your HR director to create a job
description for a person to hire and train salespeople. You’ll hear a cue by the HR
director, then I’ll give you a suggestion for what you can say in response. We’ll guide you
through each step in the practice and provide an example answer for each response.

Ready? Let’s give it a go.

Cue 1: Could you just describe for me the primary duties and responsibilities of the role?
Start by saying the job involves managing hiring and training for the sales team.
Answer:

Cue 2: Okay… and can you identify any qualifications for this position?
Now say that you will require knowledge of business-to-business sales and current
approaches to training.
Answer:

Cue 3: And what are you thinking in terms of required experience?

Next, say that the right candidate will have a minimum of five years’ experience in sales.
Answer:

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Cue 4: That makes sense. And does this require the person to be in the office five
days a week?
Next, say no but they will need to be in the office at least three days a week.
Answer:

Cue 5: Alright, and is there anything in terms of personality that you’d like to emphasize?
Finally, say that you’re looking for someone who’s energetic and good working with a team.
Answer:

Answer 1: Sure, the job will involve managing hiring and training for the sales team.
Answer 2: Yes, we will require knowledge of business-to-business sales and
current approaches to training.
Answer 3: Well, the right candidate will have a minimum of five years’ experience in sales.
Answer 4: No, but they’ll need to be in the office at least three days a week.
Answer 5: Yeah, we need someone who’s energetic and good working with a team.

Now let’s practice some of the vocabulary we’ve covered in this lesson. In a
moment, you’ll hear a series of sentences with a word replaced with a beep. Repeat
each sentence, including the missing word.

For example, if you hear:

Example Cue: I think my colleagues will agree that I’m a strong team <beep>.

You can say:

Example Answer: I think my colleagues will agree that I’m a strong team player.

After each response, we’ll provide the correct answer. Let’s begin.

Cue 1: After my first degree, I went to business school to study for an <beep>.
Answer:

Cue 2: Our marketing team is launching a new TV and radio ad <beep> this month.
Answer:

Cue 3: We have had to make changes to my <beep> based on how my job has changed.
Answer:

Cue 4: I read a lot of news and blogs to stay up-to-date on the latest <beep>.
Answer:

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Answer 1: After my first degree, I went to business school to study for an MBA.
Answer 2: Our marketing team is launching a new TV and radio ad campaign this month.
Answer 3: We have had to make changes to my JD based on how my job has changed.
Answer 4: I read a lot of news and blogs to stay up-to-date on the latest trends.

We’ve reached the end of this lesson on preparing a job description. We’ve looked
at how to outline duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and required experience.
We’ve also looked at discussing virtual and in-person requirements, as well as the
right personality fit for a job.

Thanks for listening and see you again soon!

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Language Review

A. Review Quiz

For each question, you must choose the sentence that best fulfills the given
language function or purpose.

1. Which of the following illustrates outlining duties and responsibilities?

a) This job will require the right candidate to be in the office three days a week.
b) This role involves overseeing a five-person sales team and developing strategy.
c) The right person for this job will be able to work in a fast-paced team environment.

2. How might you identify key qualifications in a job description?

a) The position requires a clean driving record and experience in delivery or

courier services.
b) The successful candidate will have to work closely with the finance team.
c) Interested applicants should submit a CV and a cover letter by June 3rd.

3. Which of the following focuses on describing the experience required for a job?

a) We’ll need someone with at least a four-year degree in business.

b) Ideally, we’d like someone with over a decade in a leadership position in the oil
and gas industry.
c) We may consider providing training for anyone who doesn’t have the right
experience.

4. How can you describe in-person versus virtual work requirements?

a) The job is open to applicants throughout the state, as it is a work-from-home

position.
b) Although we have branches in three major cities, this position is at our
headquarters in Orlando.
c) We will provide equipment for those who choose to work remotely.

5. How might you describe personality fit for a sales position?

a) We really need someone who has done this kind of work before.
b) The right candidate will be comfortable working some evenings and weekends.
c) This position is perfect for someone who’s highly motivated and good with people.

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B. Vocabulary and Idioms

Fill in the blanks with words from the box below. Be sure to put any verbs in the
right tense.

trend fit versus

extensive monitor proficiency

1. Through some online training courses, I’ve been developing my

_____________ with project management software.
2. We’re seeing an interesting _____________ among younger workers toward
combining part-time positions with gig work.
3. I think I have a good chance of getting the job because I have _____________
experience in hospitality.
4. Brad is a really nice guy, but I just don’t think he’s the right _____________
for a leadership position.
5. What do you think are the advantages of opening a new branch in California
_____________ investing more in our east coast operations?
6. Part of my job involves _____________ our social media accounts and
responding to customer complaints.

Study Strategy

Recruiting is all about attracting suitable qualified candidates into the positions that
you have open. Suitable candidates will have the right qualifications and
experience, but also the right kind of personality for the workplace and the position.

Think about the jobs or positions that you interact with regularly in the course of your
work. Make a list of these positions. Now, think about the necessary qualifications for
those positions. Make a list of education and experience requirements. Next, make
some notes about the type of personality required for the positions.

Now, with a colleague or friend, imagine you’re talking to an HR director about the
positions around you. Your partner can start by asking about a position and its
required qualifications. After you describe the necessary qualifications, your partner
can ask you to describe the personality that would be best matched with the
position. When you’re finished, switch roles.

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Answers

Listening Questions

1. The minimum educational qualification is a Bachelor’s degree.

2. A successful candidate will have at least three years of management
experience.
3. Josh says the right person will be a strong leader, gutsy, a team player, and
empathetic.

A. Review Quiz

1. b; 2. a; 3. b; 4. a; 5. c

B. Vocabulary and Idioms

1. Through some online training courses, I’ve been developing my proficiency

with project management software.
2. We’re seeing an interesting trend among younger workers toward combining
part-time positions with gig work.
3. I think I have a good chance of getting the job because I have extensive
experience in hospitality.
4. Brad is a really nice guy, but I just don’t think he’s the right fit for a leadership
position.
5. What do you think are the advantages of opening a new branch in California
versus investing more in our east coast operations?
6. Part of my job involves monitoring our social media accounts and responding
to customer complaints.

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