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Develop the Full and Short Job Description

PRIOR STEPS: Add a New Requisition (Setup and Details)

KEY TOPICS:

  • Choose a Method for Developing the Job Description
    • Use an Existing Job Description
    • Create (or Edit) the Job Description by Section
    • Select Save Options for the Job Description
  • Should the Short Description also be Developed?

NEXT STEP: Determine Approvals


Display the Job's Requirements to Job Seekers

As the third step in the Add New Requisition process, the Job Description task area is accessible from the side navigation menu, displaying two tabs:

  • Long Description (Required to post a job opening on line)
  • Short Description (Provides a teaser on the Job Posting page, if the Grid Style is in place)

The article below describes how to select (and modify) a previously saved Job Description, or develop a new one, while creating a new Requisition.

Choose a Method for Developing the Job Description

For client organizations having prior Job Descriptions in balanceTRAK, the wizard will prompt you to choose a relevant Job Description, based on Job Code (and Location Code, if applicable). This suggested Job Description may have originated in another Requisition or come from the default library.^ At the same time, an individual Requisition creator can develop a unique Job Description for just the single job opening, either from scratch or by modifying one that was brought in.

^ Cross-references: An Administrator can import and save Job Descriptions, by one of two methods —

  • A single document may be imported, within an existing Requisition: Import a Job Description.
  • One or more Job Descriptions can be stored as system defaults, by Job Title/Code: Job Code Table.

Use an Existing Job Description

If a prior or default Job Description is chosen in response to system prompts, the content will load for you, organized by Section. In this case, simply review the content and, if necessary:

  • Make revisions, per the instructions that immediately follow.
  • AND

  • [Save] the Job Description, as described below at: Select Save Options for the Job Description.

Create (or Edit) the Job Description by Section

First, navigate to the Short Description or Long Description tab, as necessary.

Then, hover the mouse over a Section field (e.g., Description/Job Summary, Required Skills), and click in the blank field (or within the existing text) to enable editing. A word processing toolbar will appear. By again hovering your mouse over icons in the toolbar, a caption describes each word processing or formatting tool.

Quick Tip: The most popular and easiest method for developing the Job Description is to prepare content in Microsoft Word. Then in balanceTRAK, take advantage of the toolbar's Paste from Word button, by Section.

Enter the appropriate text in the text editor and format the text for each Section, using the available word processing tools. Then, [Save] the Job Description, as described below at: Select Save Options for the Job Description.

Quick Tip: Although letters or words can be selected in the editing field after they are typed and formatted (e.g., italic), the quickest method for formatting the entire field is to select the formatting prior to entering text.

Select Save Options for the Job Description

Save Job Description Changes to:

  • This requisition only — The saved changes will be limited to the current Job Description.
  • This requisition and the default job description for [Job Code] — (Default setting) Any updates saved locally will also be applied to the default Job Description (as stored with the Job Code Reference table). This means the updated Job Description will be available for selection when a new Requisition is created.
  • OR

  • This requisition, the default job description and all open or pending requisitions that use this Job Code — In addition to being saved locally, the updates will apply to the default Job Description and any Open or Pending Requisitions for the same Job Code.

Should the Short Description also be Developed?

Your Job Posting page may benefit from displaying a "teaser," or Short Description, to Job Seekers, in efforts to spark their interest in viewing the Long Job Description.

However, the Short Description only displays when the Grid Style is applied to the Job Posting page.

An Administrator can turn on this layout, by visiting the Job Posting page, under Settings. In an existing Requisition, the Job Posting page preview can be accessed via the SummarySummary tab link.


When the Job Description is complete, proceed to Approval Process, which is the [Next Step].