Why is it important to write good job descriptions for construction jobs?

Companies must guarantee they’re employing top calibre staff in order to keep business running smoothly and successfully. Over time, staff may leave and need to be replaced, or a particularly busy period might lead to a rise in employment needs. Without high quality employees, how can a business hope to succeed?

So, here’s the issue; if the standard of staff is so critical, why do such a large portion of construction companies, contractors, consultancies, and more consistently struggle to prepare good quality job descriptions – in some cases, struggling to get round to preparing one at all?  

If so many businesses struggle and still manage to hire people, why does a good job description matter?

A very valid question with a simple answer – they are at risk of hiring people that aren’t the best possible fit! A job description is the heart of the entire recruitment process. It ensures recruiters and construction employer’s understanding of the roles are aligned, so improving the chances of a good candidate match. A poor (or absent) job description, whether due to incorrect, incomplete, or irrelevant information only serves to impede the recruitment process.

One issue companies face is making a decision early on about who is responsible for preparing a job description in the first place. A major advantage of using a construction recruitment agency like Maxim and our experienced recruitment consultants, is that we come equipped with plenty of construction job description writing experience!  We know what needs to be included, how to write it, how to phrase particular sentences, and what key words will provide maximum SEO (search engine optimisation) to ensure what you have carefully prepared will be read by the maximum number of relevant job candidates. Getting help with the detail and quality of job description wording will also free up time for your staff to carry out vital, internal operational job duties that cannot be outsourced.

What needs to be in a construction or engineering job description?

In order to have the best possible chance of securing the ideal construction candidate, it is important to cover not only essential features of a job, but the flexible ones, too. This approach clearly advertises the crucial, non-negotiable skills needed for the job, whilst also encouraging more candidates to apply thanks to the flexibility of other responsibilities. This all equates to more potential applicants, widening the chance of finding the perfect fit.

What are the key features to include? This may look slightly different depending on your companies’ specific needs, but usually comprises of a list of essential and negotiable skills needed, experience, qualifications, and personality characteristics. A key tip to keep in mind when writing a construction job description is to consider if the content concisely represents the needs of the business and job role – as opposed to being there for the sake of it.

An example to illustrate this could be whether being a French speaker in a Quebec Canadian Quantity Surveying construction job is essential or not. If your role is working for a main contractor with the managerial responsibilities of handling local subcontractors, then it likely is. However, if the company works outside of Quebec enough that many clients are likely to primarily liaise in English, speaking French may not be an essential skill. It’s key to consider all possibilities to cover the needs of the company and role. The more particular and specific you are, the smaller the talent pool of people will be.

Knowing the level of specificity to include in your job descriptions is yet another key to success. Now, a lot of recruitment relies on “competences” which can unfortunately mean a lot of candidates are marked as unsuitable when this couldn’t be further from the truth. Not all CVs will explicitly state a candidate has “managerial” experience, as it is implicit in their job titles such as “Project Manager” or “Commercial Director”. Similarly, a job description that states “experience of a major high-rise project” will dissuade many candidates from applying, despite many of them having the necessary transferable skills from other similar projects in the same sector that would be ideal for your needs.

Other essential aspects of a job description

It’s important not to forget the details. Two of these often-forgotten points are a published date and a target start date for the successful candidate. Without a published date it is hard to see how recent or urgent the role is.  A target start date could show both potential applicants and the recruitment consultancy working to find you candidates that the job vacancy is real and has an urgency and priority to it.

Indicators of a successful job description

So you’ve written and published your job description – great. But, what next? How do you know if you’ve succeeded? One obvious sign, of course, is getting quality applicants and being able to shortlist the best fits for interview.

However, it’s entirely possible that even the best job description cannot magic the perfect shortlist of candidates.  In this case, committing time to researching and headhunting for the position is essential. In these situations, contacting a specialist and experienced construction recruiter to fill your construction vacancy as an executive search assignment can save you a lot of valuable time and money.

So, who needs a high-quality job description? - You!

When the job description you have taken the time to accurately prepare, fully explains the skills and experience you need, but also explains why people should want to come and work for your organisation, you can rest assured that you are well on the way to bringing a new high calibre construction employee into your construction team.

To discuss ways in which Maxim Recruitment can help with writing job descriptions & ensuring a successful outcome to your recruitment process, please feel free to get in touch.

Steve Thomas
Construction Recruitment Director, UK & Canada
Maxim Recruitment
LinkedIn

Steve is responsible for Maxim Recruitment in the UK. He is based in the Maxim head office in Leicester, Leicestershire and regularly travels to meet employers, job seekers and to attend construction industry networking events all over the UK. With over 20 years' experience in construction and property recruitment he works with a number of repeat clients and engages in search and headhunting assignments for a range of premium UK and international clients.