The healthcare and pharmaceutical industry in Japan and Asia-Pacific (JPAC) poses a significant recruitment challenge. There is a high demand for top talent, and very few suitable candidates are looking for work. Additionally, executives in the talent pool often seek workplaces aligned with honorable and ethical principles.
Organizations operating in JPAC need to consider the nuances of the culture and industry. A well written job description can be your competitive advantage in attracting quality applicants.
Here are 3 areas that you should consider:
Avoid generic phrases
Most job descriptions look the same. And it is costly when your dream candidate ignores you because of it. Sentences like “think outside the box”, “team player”, or “works well under pressure” are often too generic. A better approach would be to describe what you are actually looking for.
Instead of “think outside the box” you could say “generate and report on multiple ideas in collaboration with the research team”. Or instead of saying “works well under pressure” you could say “lead the weekly sprints and report on their performance”. When you give the candidate more insight into how your company works, you attract the interest of potential applicants.
Avoid slang and industry jargon, as it will confuse applicants. Clear and formal language is best.
Make it future-focused and success-driven
If you are looking to hire top talent, they will want a great company to work for. The question your candidates will ask themselves is “Do I have a future here?”.
When you communicate a clear career path you can attract top talent and retain them for a long time. Employees want to be proud of their place of work and will envision themselves in your organization years down the road.
Focusing solely on past qualifications may not garner a lot of interest. But if you paint an exciting future and tell a compelling story you are setting yourself apart from other offers they might receive.
Getting it right
Having a job description that speaks to your desired candidate will help you greatly in your search. Below is a table comparing traditional and results-driven descriptions for a Managing Director of Strategy.
| Traditional |
Results-Driven |
| Business leadership experience |
Conduct analysis of commercial and business development functions, formulate a 3-year plan, and present it to the executive team. |
| Leadership in operations including organizational change management |
Lead a 4-member team, assess individual strengths and weaknesses, and craft an 18-month organizational development plan. |
| Strong proficiency in planning and executing strategies |
Demonstrate a track record of writing and executing strategic business plans with quantifiable performance outcomes in previous roles. |
| Ability to work well within a team |
Diagnose business problems and prescribe effective strategies, collaborating cross-functionally with business leaders. |
| Research and execute business growth opportunities |
Investigate customer needs, develop a comprehensive solution, and create a detailed execution plan to enhance opportunities. |
You will see that the traditional examples leave a lot of room for interpretation. On the other hand the results-driven job descriptions give candidates a clearer picture about what work at your organization could look like.
At Morunda we understand the pressure recruiters and hiring managers are under. We have helped them since 2011. Our team has a proven record in writing job descriptions for job-seekers in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industry. We will help you get this right, book a discovery session with us today.
