A job description is an internal HR document that defines a role's title, reporting structure, primary responsibilities, required qualifications, performance expectations, and compensation range. It serves as the foundation for recruiting, performance management, compensation benchmarking, and legal compliance, and should reflect the actual work rather than aspirational or inflated requirements.
A complete job description covers job title and level, department and reporting line, a concise role summary of two to three sentences, a prioritized list of core responsibilities using action verbs, required qualifications separated from preferred ones, any physical or technical requirements, the compensation band or range, work location and schedule expectations, and a brief description of the team or function. Separating required from preferred qualifications is particularly important: inflated requirements disproportionately discourage qualified candidates, especially women and underrepresented groups, from applying.
A well-maintained job description documents the essential functions of a role, which is required for compliance with disability accommodation law in many countries. It establishes the legitimate business requirements that must underpin hiring, promotion, and termination decisions. Outdated descriptions that no longer reflect actual duties create legal exposure because decisions made against criteria that do not reflect real job requirements are harder to defend. Annual reviews tied to performance cycles are a simple way to keep descriptions accurate.
A job description is an internal operational document. A job posting is the externally published version adapted for candidate attraction. The posting selectively draws from the description but is written in the second person, emphasizes employee value proposition, minimizes jargon, leads with candidate-facing benefits, and is optimized for the platform and audience where it will appear. The description and posting should be consistent in requirements but serve entirely different purposes and audiences.
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