How to Write a Job Description

“We’re a family here!”

“Great benefits!”

“Work-life balance!”

Don’t worry - you’re not trapped in a LinkedIn article. You’ve probably seen variations of these phrases hundreds of times in job descriptions. Pretty soon, they all start sounding the same.

It takes time to write a compelling job description that’s not only accurate but also competes with other employers. The alternative could hurt your brand and limit interest from qualified talent.

When you’re hiring globally, you need to know how to write a good job description that speaks to your desired candidates and aligns with your needs as a global employer. What employees want varies by country, but nearly all employees want good pay and benefits, no matter where they live. Benefits, respect for cultural norms, and flexibility are also high on the list.

Fitting all that information and more into a job description that also sparks interest can be tough. This guide will walk you through how to write job descriptions that are clear, compliant, and compelling so that you can find the right people for the job anywhere in the world.

Why job descriptions matter

Think of a job description as your company’s first real conversation with a candidate. It’s how you set the tone for workplace culture, outline expectations, and list responsibilities.

For global companies, an effective job description needs to do even more: it must show that your company can work across borders consistently and fairly. They want to know your company has the experience to address the complexities that come with leading multicultural, distributed teams.

As your team prepares to write a job description, remember what matters most:

• You want to attract the best talent. Job descriptions should help filter for qualified candidates while giving them a positive first impression of your company.
• Avoid confusion or miscommunication. Set clear expectations, clarify responsibilities, discuss growth potential, and outline basic benefits in an organized way.
• Be compliant to protect your company and employees. Avoid bias or potentially discriminatory language and ensure details about the role align with local labor laws.
• Establish brand identity. This is a candidate’s first look at your company, so the tone, wording, and format must align with your brand while speaking to the types of candidates you want to attract.

Key elements of an effective job description

All candidates, regardless of location, want to know certain information before applying. Minimal information may deter great candidates. Including too much information may overwhelm them. Striking the balance with the right amount and type of information is key. Include these seven key elements:

• Job title. Keep it simple and searchable. Avoid buzzwords and jargon that may confuse people, especially if you’re trying to attract global talent. Opt for standard titles that candidates might search for and that align with industry norms.
• Job summary. Write a brief description of the role in two or three sentences that explains its purpose and impact. This is the candidate’s first impression of the job, so make it clear and engaging to keep them reading.
• Key responsibilities. Lay out what the role actually does. List 5-7 job duties that outline specific tasks and goals. Use action-oriented language, like “Partner with regional teams to create content for new markets.”
• Required qualifications. List what the candidate must have, at a minimum, to be considered for the job. This gives candidates clarity and helps filter for the most qualified talent. Include requirements like:
  • Certifications
  • Education
  • Specific training
  • Years of experience
  • Experience with certain tools or software
• Desired skills and attributes. Soft skills, like communication styles and adaptability, are just as important as technical skills, especially on distributed teams that require more intentional communication and collaboration. When considering how to write a good job description for the role, include soft skills that align with your company’s values and culture, like:
  • Ability to work across time zones
  • Comfortable working with cross-cultural teams
  • Self-starter
  • Adaptable to a remote work environment
  • Enjoys collaborating with team members
• Compensation and benefits. Many job seekers want to know a salary range before applying. Providing this information offers a level of company transparency that candidates may appreciate. Additionally, list any perks and benefits to attract global candidates, like remote flexibility, paid leave, and health insurance.
• Equal opportunity statement. As a global company, it’s crucial to demonstrate your respect for all employees and commitment to fostering an inclusive, safe work environment. Ensure your statement follows the rules in every country where you recruit—U.S. language often falls short of EU requirements, and each market has its own standards.

Best practices for writing job descriptions

Writing job descriptions for a global audience vs. a domestic one takes extra skill and awareness about your audience. You must be culturally aware and knowledgeable about the expectations of a global audience. Use the following best practices to help you write an effective job description:

• Use clear, direct language. Unless your brand calls for it, aim for clarity over cleverness. Your goal is to find the best candidates, so an informative job description without acronyms and jargon will avoid confusion with a global audience.
• Respect the diversity of the talent pool. As a global employer, you want to attract people from different countries. Focus on what people will accomplish, not who they are. Instead of seeking a “digital native,” describe the tech skills the role needs. Rather than demanding “strong English speakers,” specify “comfortable writing and speaking English for client presentations.” These small shifts eliminate bias while clarifying what success looks like. Plus, candidates get a clearer picture of the work in practical terms—and your company comes across as somewhere everyone can belong.
• Format the description for easy reading. Use bulleted lists and short paragraphs so people can easily follow along and get the information they need. Bold copy that’s important or signals a new section of the job description.
• Consider localizing job descriptions. If you’re hiring in a specific country or region, knowing how to write a job description that culturally aligns may get more applicants. Use a conversational tone for a U.S. audience or add details about the company hierarchy in countries where those matters. Partnering with an Employer of Record (EOR) can streamline the process of writing and reviewing job descriptions before they’re published.
• Regularly update job descriptions to reflect changing roles. Stay on top of available positions and old descriptions to attract the right candidates. If you’re hiring in a new country, consider updating the wording to provide cultural context where necessary.

Common mistakes to avoid

The last thing you want to do is discourage great candidates. Check out these common mistakes and avoid them to ensure a pipeline of quality candidates.

• Don’t overload with information and requirements. Some candidates may get turned off by a long list of requirements, unrealistic qualifications, and too much information. Keep it simple and clearly highlight the job requirements vs. the soft skills.
• Don’t leave out compensation details. This is particularly important if these details are legally required. Candidates often want to know a salary range before applying and may see your company as more transparent if you share compensation.
• Don’t use biased or exclusionary language. The more inclusive the wording, the more candidates you’ll attract.
• Avoid generic job description templates. Your job descriptions should sound like you, not like everyone else in your industry. If you’re a fintech startup that values speed over perfection, let that show. If you’re a healthcare company where accuracy matters more than anything, make that clear. Generic templates produce generic candidates—and nobody wins when the wrong people apply. Take the extra time to write descriptions that reflect how your company works and what makes your culture different.

Compliance tips for employers

Labor laws, privacy regulations, and language are critical in job descriptions and can be especially tricky to navigate for global employers. Inaccurate information or wording that doesn’t meet local regulations could result in penalties. Here are a few tips for writing a job description that maintains compliance:

• Know the local laws. This includes laws related to immigration, equal opportunity employment, and compensation. Some countries (like France or Japan) require formal written descriptions for every role. Others (like the U.S.) are more flexible but still require information about equal opportunity and pay transparency.
• Be clear about eligibility and location. If candidates need work authorization or must live in a certain time zone, state that clearly. Know immigration and labor laws to make sure you’re hiring eligible employees or contractors and paying them accordingly.
• Avoid language that shows an age, gender, or cultural bias. Some jurisdictions are stricter about the wording used in job descriptions, so it’s best to avoid anything potentially sensitive.
• Handle data responsibly. The hiring process includes data collection, so make sure you comply with local privacy laws like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
• Align job description with HR policies and labor contracts. Consistency is key for both your internal records and staying compliant with labor laws. All job descriptions should accurately communicate information that aligns with your company’s policies and local laws.

Roll out the welcome mat with Pebl

You’ve crafted the perfect job description. Now comes the hard part—actually finding and hiring that person when they might be anywhere in the world.

That’s where the complexity kicks in. Different time zones for interviews. Employment laws you’ve never heard of. Contracts in languages you don’t speak. Benefits packages that need to make sense in Mumbai and Montreal. Most companies spend months trying to figure this out. Or they settle for local talent when the perfect person was actually in Prague.

Pebl changes that equation. We’re not just another recruiting firm—we offer complete global hiring services. We find the talent, handle the legal complexity, manage payroll and benefits, and get your new team member working productively fast. No entity setup. No compliance nightmares. Just the ability to hire the best person for the job, wherever they happen to live.

If you’re ready build your global team, there’s no better partner than Pebl. Contact us today and let’s talk about your next hire.

This information does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal or tax advice and is for general informational purposes only. The intent of this document is solely to provide general and preliminary information for private use. Do not rely on it as an alternative to legal, financial, taxation, or accountancy advice from an appropriately qualified professional. The content in this guide is provided “as is,” and no representations are made that the content is error-free.

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