The Future of Job Descriptions: Moving Beyond the Standard Format
How Storytelling, Multimedia, and Creativity Are Transforming the Recruitment Process
Attracting a diverse and highly qualified pool of job seekers is essential in today’s competitive hiring process. Traditional job descriptions often fall short in capturing the attention of the ideal candidate companies are looking for.
To stay ahead, companies are turning to effective job descriptions that go beyond a simple list of requirements. The new wave of job descriptions incorporates storytelling, multimedia, and inclusivity to attract top-tier candidates.
This blog explores how innovative approaches like storytelling and multimedia are reshaping job descriptions and improving recruitment outcomes.
Storytelling: Breathing Life into Job Descriptions
Effective job descriptions do more than just list qualifications. They engage job seekers by telling a story — one that reflects challenges, growth opportunities, and company culture.
A storytelling-based job description goes beyond simply stating “We’re hiring.” Instead, it invites the reader to imagine themselves in the role, contributing meaningfully to the company’s success. Here’s how storytelling can be woven into job descriptions:
The Hero (The Candidate): The candidate is the hero of the story. Speak directly to them and highlight their strengths. For example, instead of saying “We need a Social Media Manager,” try: “Take charge of our digital presence and grow a loyal online community as our new Social Media Manager.”
The Journey (The Role): Paint a picture of what the candidate will experience day-to-day in the role. Highlight the challenges they will face, the teams they’ll collaborate with, and the impact they’ll have. This approach engages candidates far more than a bullet-pointed list of responsibilities.
The Reward (The Company’s Success): Illustrate how the candidate’s contributions will lead to success for them, as well as the company. This helps them understand their place in the company’s long-term mission.
By using storytelling, you’re making the role more attractive and communicating the company culture and values.
Multimedia: Enhancing Job Engagement
Today’s job seekers are used to consuming content across multiple platforms and formats, from videos and graphics to interactive experiences. While traditional text-only job descriptions are still a necessity, this shift in media consumption habits means that job descriptions can evolve to incorporate different forms of media. Multimedia elements like videos, infographics, and interactive features can help smaller companies stand out and attract creative candidates.
1. Videos: Giving Candidates a Firsthand Look
A short, well-produced video can be a great addition to a job description. This could be a message from the hiring manager, a glimpse of the day-to-day activities, or interviews with team members discussing what they enjoy most about working at the company. Videos are an effective way to convey the company’s environment, values, and energy.
For example, a hiring manager could explain the team’s mission and how the candidate would be a vital part of achieving that goal. Candidates get a real sense of what it’s like to work at your company, helping to foster interest and excitement.
2. Infographics: Simplifying Complex Information
Infographics are an excellent way to break down complex information into easily digestible visuals. A long-term career progression chart, for instance, can show candidates the different stages of growth within the company. This is particularly appealing to job seekers who value advancement opportunities.
3. Interactive Features
By adding multimedia, companies can transform their job descriptions into dynamic experiences that give job seekers a richer understanding of the role and the company. A job description that features multimedia elements stands out and draws more qualified candidates on job boards and social media platforms.
Writing Inclusive Job Descriptions
Attracting diverse talent starts with writing inclusive job descriptions. Traditional descriptions can mistakenly use exclusionary language or overlook factors that could appeal to a wider range of candidates. Here are some best practices for making your job listings more inclusive:
1. Use Gender-Neutral Language
Avoid gender-coded language such as "rockstar" or "ninja," which can discourage women and other groups from applying. Instead, use neutral and professional terms like “specialist” or “expert” to appeal to a broader audience.
2. Promote Equal Opportunity
Be clear that your company values diversity and equal opportunity. Explicitly stating that you welcome candidates from all backgrounds, including people with disabilities, caregivers, and veterans, encourages more diverse applicants. Highlight that your hiring process focuses on skills and experience, not just traditional career paths.
3. Emphasize Flexibility
Many candidates, particularly from underrepresented groups, are looking for roles that provide flexibility, whether in terms of location, working hours, or responsibilities. Including information about flexible schedules, remote work options, or the availability of part-time or full-time positions can broaden your candidate pool.
Purple Squirrel Cards: The Next Evolution in Job Descriptions
Remarkable Career draws on all of these innovative approaches — storytelling, multimedia, inclusivity, and engagement. We have taken job descriptions to the next level with our Purple Squirrel Pokémon-style job cards. These cards are designed to capture the imaginations of job seekers while providing them with all the critical information they need about the role.
Rather than using standard bullet points to list qualifications and responsibilities, each job card resembles a collectible Pokémon card. It features the role, salary, and also key abilities, career progression paths, and the job’s “evolution.” For example, a card for a "Clever Content Writer" might list abilities like attention to detail, negotiation skills, and strategic thinking, while showing how the role evolves from a Content Writer to a Senior Liens Negotiation Specialist.
Here’s how our cards stand out:
Clear Path to Growth: Candidates can easily see how their role evolves within the company. By showing career progression in a visual, engaging way, job seekers can understand what their long-term career could look like.
Engaging and Memorable: Our Pokémon-style cards are fun and unique. They make job descriptions memorable, increasing engagement and setting us apart from the competition. This creative format resonates particularly well with candidates who value innovation and creativity in the workplace.
Highlighting the Company Culture: The playful design reflects Remarkable Career’s company culture — creative, innovative, and people-centric. It shows candidates that we are not just another recruitment firm, but a dynamic company that values out-of-the-box thinking.
By integrating storytelling, multimedia, and inclusivity into our job descriptions, Remarkable Career is spearheading the transition to more engaging and effective recruitment methods. These innovative job cards demonstrate that we are not just offering jobs. We are offering careers full of growth, creativity, and opportunity.