In short: a job description should say what the new hire must achieve in their first 90 days and who they answer to. A list of tasks alone attracts people who match the tasks, not people who can deliver the result.
Most bad hires are made before the first interview. They are made in the job description.
I read a lot of them. Most list the tasks: prepare reports, manage the team, liaise with stakeholders. Few say what the person must achieve, or what they will be held accountable for.
That has a cost.
The strong candidate reads a list of activities and cannot tell what success looks like, so they move on. The person who applies is the one who matches the tasks, not the one who can deliver the result.
Then the hire starts. Nobody has written down what good looks like, so you and they find out at month three, when you disagree. That is when good hires leave, or poor ones stay too long.
Before you brief anyone, answer one question: if the new hire does one thing well in their first 90 days, what is it?
Put that at the top, with who they answer to. Cut the task list to five lines.
What is the one outcome your next hire is accountable for?
If you are hiring, or setting up in a new market, talk to our recruitment team before you brief anyone. Our HR advisory work covers manpower planning and hiring requirements.
What should a job description include?
Why does a job description that only lists tasks lead to bad hires?
PositiveLinks Asia is a recruitment, contracting and HR advisory firm in Southeast Asia, founded in 2010. Recruitment covers Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia. HR advisory serves companies in Southeast Asia, including the Philippines. Contracting is provided from Malaysia. For other countries, PositiveLinks Asia confirms what it can do for each request.