Most small business job descriptions are copied from a competitor, padded with “fast-paced environment,” and then quietly blamed when the wrong people apply. The description is doing exactly what it was written to do — attract anyone.
A good job description does three jobs: it filters out people who would be unhappy in the role, it tells the right person why this job is better than their current one, and it gives you a defensible record of what you hired for. The templates below do all three.
Copy them, replace the bracketed sections, and delete anything you cannot honestly defend in an interview.
The Structure That Works
Every template here follows the same six-part shape, because it maps to the order candidates actually read in.
- Role in one sentence — what this person does and why it matters
- What you will actually do — concrete, in priority order
- What we need — genuine requirements only
- What helps but is not required — the nice-to-haves, clearly separated
- Practicalities — pay range, location, hours, reporting line
- How to apply — and what happens next
The separation of point 3 from point 4 is the most important structural choice. Research on hiring consistently finds that candidates from under-represented groups are more likely to self-select out when they do not meet every listed requirement. Splitting must-haves from nice-to-haves widens your pool at no cost.
Template 1: General Small Business Role
[JOB TITLE]
[LOCATION / REMOTE / HYBRID] · [FULL-TIME / PART-TIME] · [SALARY RANGE]The role
We are looking for a [TITLE] to [PRIMARY OUTCOME]. You will report to [MANAGER TITLE] and work closely with [TEAM].What you will do
- [Task that is ~40% of the job]
- [Task that is ~25% of the job]
- [Task that is ~20% of the job]
- [Remaining responsibilities]
What we need
- [Non-negotiable skill or experience]
- [Non-negotiable skill or experience]
- [Legal requirement, e.g. right to work in COUNTRY]
Helpful but not required
- [Nice-to-have]
- [Nice-to-have]
What we offer
[SALARY RANGE]. [Holiday]. [Pension / retirement]. [Anything genuinely distinctive.]How to apply
Send [WHAT] to [WHERE] by [DATE]. We reply to every applicant within [TIMEFRAME]. The process is [STEP 1], then [STEP 2].
Template 2: First Sales Hire
The hardest small business hire, because you are asking someone to sell a product with no established playbook.
[SALES ROLE TITLE]
[LOCATION] · [BASE SALARY RANGE] plus [COMMISSION STRUCTURE]The role
You will be our [first / second] dedicated salesperson. Today [WHO SELLS NOW] handles sales alongside [THEIR OTHER JOB]. You will own [SPECIFIC SEGMENT OR MOTION] and help us work out what repeatable looks like.What you will do
- Own the full cycle from [FIRST TOUCH] to [CLOSE]
- Build on our existing [LEAD SOURCE], which currently produces roughly [VOLUME] per month
- Document what works so the next hire ramps faster
- Feed what you hear from prospects back to [PRODUCT / OWNER]
Being straight with you
[Honest constraint — e.g. “Our CRM is a spreadsheet. Fixing that is part of the job.” or “We have no case studies yet. You will help create the first ones.”]What we need
- [X] years selling [PRODUCT TYPE] to [BUYER TYPE]
- Comfort with an unstructured environment
Compensation
[BASE] plus [COMMISSION]. On-target earnings of [OTE], based on [HOW THE TARGET WAS SET].
The “being straight with you” section is unusual and it works. Candidates who are put off by the honesty would have left in month three anyway.
Template 3: Operations / Admin
[OPERATIONS TITLE]
[LOCATION] · [HOURS] · [SALARY RANGE]The role
We need someone to take [SPECIFIC MESS] off [WHOSE] plate so they can focus on [WHAT]. This is a role for someone who likes turning chaos into a process.What you will do
- [Recurring weekly responsibility]
- [Recurring monthly responsibility]
- Own [SYSTEM OR TOOL] and keep it accurate
- Improve how we do [PROCESS] — you will have real latitude here
What we need
- Experience running [PROCESS TYPE] in a small organisation
- Comfortable with [SPECIFIC TOOLS]
- Able to work without close supervision
What we offer
[SALARY RANGE]. [FLEXIBILITY DETAIL]. A role where improvements you suggest actually get made, because there is no committee.
Template 4: Part-Time or Contract
[TITLE] — [X] hours per week, [DURATION]
[LOCATION / REMOTE] · [RATE]The work
[DESCRIBE THE PROJECT OR ONGOING NEED]. This is [FIXED-TERM until DATE / ongoing part-time].Deliverables
- [Concrete output with a date]
- [Concrete output with a date]
How we will work together
[MEETING CADENCE]. [TOOLS]. [WHO APPROVES WORK]. We expect roughly [HOURS] per week, flexible across [CONSTRAINTS].Rate and terms
[RATE] per [UNIT], invoiced [FREQUENCY], paid within [DAYS].
Words to Delete
These appear in most small business job ads and none of them attract anyone.
- “Fast-paced environment” — reads as understaffed and disorganised
- “Wear many hats” — reads as an undefined role
- “Rockstar / ninja / guru” — narrows your applicant pool and dates the ad
- “Work hard, play hard” — reads as long hours
- “Like a family” — reads as poor boundaries
- “Competitive salary” — meaningless, and in several jurisdictions now a legal problem
- “Must be able to lift 25 lbs” on a desk job — copied boilerplate that creates disability-discrimination exposure
Post the Salary Range
Pay transparency laws now require salary ranges in job postings in a growing number of jurisdictions, including several US states such as Colorado, California, New York and Washington, and the EU Pay Transparency Directive extends related obligations across member states as it is implemented nationally.
Requirements differ by jurisdiction, and by where the candidate is located rather than only where you are, so confirm your own obligations before posting.
Beyond compliance, posting a range saves everyone time. Candidates who would decline your offer never apply, and you stop running four interviews to discover a mismatch you could have disclosed in line one.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Listing every skill you can imagine. A ten-item requirements list means the only people who apply are those who read requirements loosely. That is a selection effect, not a filter.
- Describing the ideal person instead of the actual job. Candidates need to know what they will do on a Tuesday.
- Copying a large company’s description. Their role is narrow and specialised. Yours is not, and pretending otherwise causes early attrition.
- Hiding the pay. Increasingly unlawful, and always a time-waster.
- Omitting the process. Telling candidates the steps and timeline is free and dramatically improves how your business is perceived.
- Never updating it. The description becomes the basis of probation reviews and performance conversations. Revise it when the job changes.
- Using degree requirements as a proxy. Unless the role genuinely requires it, a degree filter removes capable candidates for no gain.
FAQs
How long should a job description be?
Long enough to be specific, short enough to read — usually 400 to 700 words. Length is not the problem; vagueness is. Four concrete responsibilities beat twelve generic ones.
Do I legally have to include a salary range?
It depends on where you and the candidate are located. Several US states and a growing number of jurisdictions require it, and the EU Pay Transparency Directive expands obligations as member states implement it. Check your specific jurisdiction — the rules are changing quickly.
Should requirements be separated from nice-to-haves?
Yes. It is the single highest-value change you can make. Candidates who do not meet every listed requirement often do not apply at all, and that effect is stronger among under-represented groups. Separating the two widens your pool for free.
Can I reuse a job description for a similar role?
Use it as a starting structure, but rewrite the responsibilities. Two roles with the same title in the same small business are rarely the same job.
What is the difference between a job description and a job advert?
The advert is what you post to attract applicants. The description is the internal document defining the role, used for onboarding, probation and performance reviews. These templates work as both, which is why they are worth keeping accurate.
Should I mention company culture?
Only with specifics. “We are collaborative” tells a candidate nothing. “We do a 30-minute standup on Mondays and nobody schedules meetings on Fridays” tells them exactly what to expect.
Key Takeaways
- Separate genuine requirements from nice-to-haves — it widens your pool at no cost.
- Describe what the person does on a Tuesday, not the ideal candidate.
- Post the salary range. Increasingly required, and always saves time.
- Delete “fast-paced,” “many hats,” and “like a family” — none of them attract anyone.
- Say what the hiring process is and how long it takes.
Using These
Take the template closest to your role, fill it in, then read it as if you were a strong candidate currently employed somewhere decent. If nothing in it would make you consider leaving, the job is not the problem — the description is.
For the systems side of hiring, our guides to project management software and e-signature software cover the tools most small teams need once an offer is accepted.