Anyone can write a job description. Or can they? When you're looking to hire a consultant for a job, you probably have a rough idea of what you're looking for and what the assignment entails, but actually wording it in a way that hits the mark isn't as easy. That's why we've put together a checklist of points to review in a job description that will help you next time you're looking for a new consultant.
Description
A brief but well-worded description of the assignment and what it entails is the foundation of a good job description. Mention what the assignment is about, and if the person sought is to be part of an existing team - mention the size of the team in such cases. Some candidates thrive in larger groups while others prefer to work solo.
The clearer you are, the greater the likelihood that the right person will notice and apply for the assignment. The more knowledge you present about the company and the assignment itself, the better.
Clarity
It should be easy to understand what is being sought. The person reading the job description must understand what you need help with immediately. Both the assignment itself and your need must therefore be well-defined. A mistake many make in their job descriptions is to clearly define what the company works with overall without really highlighting the need.
Target Audience
Don't forget that the target audience isn't just consultants but also consulting managers. Keep it at a reasonable level and consider not making the description too technically complex. If it's a consulting manager reading, they won't have the same level of detail knowledge as interested consultants.
Scope and duration of the assignment
Define whether it's full-time work or a percentage of work, as well as how long the assignment is expected to last. If it's not determined from your side, be clear about this.
Experience
You should be cautious about describing the number of years of experience the consultant you want to hire should have. It's becoming less relevant today. Many seek overqualified candidates, but this can result in the person feeling insufficiently challenged and motivated in the assignment. Therefore, try to determine the level of the assignment so that both you and the consultant are satisfied. Instead of years of experience, you can be clear that you're looking for someone who has worked on a certain type of project.
Pre-knowledge is of course important, but personal abilities are just as important. It's often more valuable to find someone who learns quickly and is curious than someone with long experience. For example, compare a senior consultant who has worked for 15 years with a junior consultant who has been active for 4 years. Of course, the senior consultant has more years on paper, but the junior consultant might have a more prominent cognitive ability and therefore will learn quickly and be more driven and motivated.
Soft skills
Even if you don't need to go into all the soft values the person you're looking for should have, it's good to give an indication of the most important soft skills the person should have. If it's for a job like project manager, important soft skills are being able to communicate and work towards tight deadlines. In other roles, leadership may be more important to highlight. If you're replacing a person who has performed well in a role, you can mention this and thereby highlight their soft skills.
Don't bite off more than you can chew
The consultant you want to hire should be young, hungry, smart, and at the same time have worked for 40 years. That person will be hard to find. To succeed, you must review and define the direct need, something you can do yourself or get help from a consultant broker to do.
Never reuse an old job description
Using an old job description and just changing a letter here and there is never a good idea. You'll get a much better result if you spend time and energy making sure the job description really sets the tone for the assignment in question.
If you review all of these points, you're well on your way to more effectively search for new talent and hire consultants! One last tip: to further strengthen your chances of getting consultants interested in your company, we recommend that you work consciously with employer branding.
