How to Write a Job Posting [Free Template]

1. Lead with the job title

This part might seem like a no-brainer, but many job postings drive away applicants because of inaccurate, vague, or confusing job titles.

Use a job title that’s as simple as possible and communicates the seniority of the role. It’s not a place to be funny or clever—pick “Lawn Care Technician” over “Lawn Doctor.”

2. Write a position summary

Use two or three sentences to describe the main duties this position should fulfill. This should help job seekers understand the position at a quick glance. You can get into more detail in the next section.

Use these questions to help you write the position summary:

• Is this a new role?
• Who is it reporting to?
• What kind of work will this person spend most of their time doing?
• What do you want the role to help you achieve over the next 6 to 12 months?
• What created the need for this position?
• How will the person in this position support other roles in the company?

3. Describe your ideal candidate

In a short paragraph, describe the qualities that make a great job candidate. This shows what traits make your employees successful while giving job seekers a glimpse into your company culture.

Give some thought to the following:

• What personality traits are essential for someone to join your team?
• What are qualities that you couldn’t teach this employee through training?
• What traits are so important that you can look past a lack of experience?
• What words would you use to describe your company culture?

4. List the most important job responsibilities

List all the duties involved in the job using bullet points, including day-to-day tasks and larger projects. While you create this list, ask yourself:

• If this is a role for a field worker, like a cleaner, how many jobs will you expect them to complete each day?
• Will the person be responsible for scheduling new jobs, creating quotes, or invoicing? Will they need to use field service software for these tasks?
• Will they be handling customer interactions face to face, or over the phone?
• Do they need to be available on certain days, or during the day, evening, overnight?

Be as descriptive as possible and write specific objectives—with numbers, if possible—to make it clear what you’ll expect of the successful candidate.

5. Highlight essential job qualifications

Outline the experience and skills your candidates need to be considered for the job—again, using bullet points.

You may decide to hire candidates who don’t meet every qualification—and that’s okay. These qualifications should help you attract more candidates who have the skills you’re looking for, but they don’t have to be set in stone.

Depending on the role, your job requirements might include:

• Certifications or training
• Previous leadership experience
• Experience working in a mobile service environment
• Experience with specific equipment or chemicals

If you want to include additional skills that are nice to have but not necessary, make sure it’s clear that these are preferred qualifications.

6. Close with your company overview

A description of your company helps job seekers decide if it’s a place they want to work.

For example, some people decide to only apply to companies of a certain size, whether that’s a small business or a large company with multiple departments.

Here’s some information you might want to include:

• An overview of your company’s service offering
• Your company’s mission statement
• Your company’s size
• A description of the team or department you’re hiring for

Many people are looking for more than a paycheck—they want to work where they feel motivated by purpose and a positive environment. That being said, your job posting should make a strong case for your company.

Try to answer these questions in your company overview:

• Why did you start this business?
• How do you describe your company culture?
• What makes the work fulfilling for your employees? (Ask your employees for input here!)
• What perks do you offer?
• What long-term professional development opportunities do you offer?
• How does your company give back to the community?

You only have to write this overview once—then reuse it in future job postings!

7. Add any additional information the applicant may need

Depending on your business and the job position, you may decide to add:

• A roadmap of the interview and application process
• Any tools or training that you’ll provide
• Whether you conduct any screening or testing pre-employment and during employment (drug tests, driving records, or a criminal background check)

Include instructions for how people should apply, too, like emailing you a resume and cover letter. If your job posting is on an online job board with their own application system, you can probably skip this.

If you’re too busy to call back every single person who applies, you should add that you’ll only be contacting successful applicants.

Job posting best practices

Creating an effective job posting for your home services business is crucial to attracting qualified candidates and ensuring your job opening stands out. Here are some tips and best practices to make your job ad even better:

• Use a friendly, professional tone

The tone of your job posting should reflect your culture. Aim for a balance between professional and approachable. This will give potential candidates a sense of what it’s like to work for you.

• Avoid unnecessary jargon

Use simple, clear language. Avoid industry jargon that might be confusing to those outside your specific field. This helps your posting be more accessible to a wider range of candidates.

• Proofread and edit

A well-written job posting free of typos and grammatical errors looks better for your business. Take the time to proofread and edit your posting before publishing it. Consider having someone else review it as well to catch any mistakes you might have missed.

• Optimize for search

Use relevant keywords throughout your job posting to improve its visibility on job boards and search engines. This will help you reach a larger audience of candidates when your listing appears for their searches.

FAQs

What is a job posting?

A job posting is an advertisement for a job opening that helps employers find job seekers.

Job postings describe what the position looks like, outline what applicants can expect from your company once hired, and give instructions on how to apply.

Think of the job postings you see on Indeed, Craigslist, or other online job boards. They’re usually divided into sections (e.g., responsibilities, qualifications), and they should offer all the information a job seeker needs before applying for the job.

Job description vs job posting: What’s the difference?

Employers use job descriptions internally to outline tasks and responsibilities for their employees. This holds employees accountable to a set of tasks and gives managers a guideline to use when they evaluate performance.

When you write a job posting, you can use an existing job description as a starting point.

A job posting, also called a job advertisement, is what hiring managers use to market a job and attract applicants. Employers share job postings publicly on their company website, their social media pages, and job search websites.

Job postings share information beyond just the job description, including qualifications, information about your company, work hours, salary information, benefits, and anything else that will make people want to work there.

Why do good job postings matter?

Well-written job postings may take a bit of upfront time, but they can make your company look more professional and attract quality applicants. They can also:

1. Save time. Writing a thorough job posting means you answer more potential questions from applicants—that saves you time answering questions and makes the interview process more efficient.

2. Bring out the best in your applicants. If your job posting shows you expect high-quality work, your applicants will want to meet those standards. This will attract more detailed resumes and cover letters. On the flip side, vague and undetailed job posting will attract low-effort applications.   

3. Improve retention. When your job posting makes the job’s duties and goals clear, candidates won’t be surprised about the job once they’re hired. Employees are more likely to stay with you when the job aligns with the expectations they had at the start.

Where should you post your job ad?

Your job posting should be everywhere that your potential job seekers are. Start by posting your job ad on popular job search websites like Indeed, LinkedIn, Monster, and Craigslist.

Consider putting the posting on your website, too, since potential hires might be looking there. Many company websites have a Careers page dedicated to job postings.

You should consider posting job ads on:

• Your business’s social media pages
• Facebook groups
• Community bulletin boards
• Job fairs

READ MORE: Where to find employees for your small business