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How to Write a Job Description for a Business Plan [Sample Template]

Are you in the process of writing the job description section of your business plan? Or you need a sample job description template? Then I advice you read on. Here, you drive home the point that not only do you know what you are doing or where you are going, but that you have the right mix of talent and experience to actually make it all happen.

You will need to highlight key members of your management team ( which may be only you for the time being ) as well as external service providers such as lawyers, accountants, and contract professionals. Also, include your advisors or board members ( if you have any ) as well as the positions you will be looking to hire in the near future.

While planning your business, one of the most important steps that you shouldn’t skip is writing a job description for every position that you are planning to hire an employee for. This may not be important if you have no plans to hire employees.

A job description is an important tool for hiring and managing your employees, as it helps them understand their roles and responsibilities even before they start working with you. It tells them what they need to do, how they need to do it, and what they will be held accountable for as soon as they assume their duties. It also reveal to investors who-is-who in your proposed or established business. In addition, a job description does the following:

4 Benefits of a Job Description in a Business Plan

• It helps you attract the right employees
• It gives a detailed description of an employee’s job or position
• It serves as a basis for outlining performance expectations, career advancement, job training, and job evaluation
• It provides a reference point for compensation decisions as well as unfair hiring practices

Writing a Job Description for a Business Plan – Sample Template

A job description should be clearly written, accurate, and very practical. It must effectively define your needs as well as what you expect from your employees. To write a good job description, you should start by analyzing the important facts about a job, such as:

The individual tasks involved

What are the tasks that the employee must complete on a periodic basis? Outline daily tasks, weekly tasks, monthly tasks, and quarterly tasks required of the employee. To be practical enough, outline the duration and requirements of each task as well.

The methods for completing each task

If the tasks outlined can be handled using more than one method, outline which methods you can afford to provide your employee (but for optimal employee efficiency, make provisions for the best method available).

The purpose and responsibilities of the job

Outline how the role played by the chosen candidate would contribute to the business. Also, outline what the employee would be held accountable for.

The relationship of the job to other jobs

Outline how the chosen employee would work with other employees within the company.

Qualifications needed for the job

Outline the relevant qualifications that each candidate must have. Also state the number of years for which the candidate must have gained working experience in the same position.

The Outline of a Job Description

A job description typically includes the following:

• Job objective or overall purpose statement
• Brief of the general nature and level of the job
• Detailed description of the wide scope of the position
• List of duties or tasks to be performed that are critical to success
• Key functional and relational responsibilities (listed in order of significance)
• Description of the relationships and roles within the company, including the supervisory roles, subordinating roles, and other working relationships

In addition to the above listed, the following items may be added to the job description if deemed necessary:

• Job requirements, standards, and specifications
• Job location where the work will be performed
• Equipments available to be used for the job
• Salary range

5 Tips to Note When Writing a Job Description

• Always use verbs in the present tense.
• For the purpose of clarity and adding meaning, use explanatory sentences telling why, how, where, or how often whenever necessary.
• Delete any unnecessary articles such as “ a ”, “ an ”, “ the ” or other stop words to make the description easy to read and understand.
• Be unbiased in your use of pronouns. Use the “ he/she ” approach or construct your sentences in such a way that you won’t have to use pronouns.
• Avoid the use of adverbs or adjectives that are subject to additional explanation and interpretation; such as some, complex, several, occasional, frequently, etc. Rather than use them, use clear sentences that define your intent.

What to Avoid When Writing a Job Description

Don’t be rigid with your job description, as this may make you miss out on many diligent employees who can become great assets to your business. Jobs are subject to change for personal improvement, organizational development, and evolution of new technologies. A flexible job description encourages employees to grow within their position and contribute over time to the growth and development of your business.

In conclusion , a well-written job description can make all the difference between a successful business that grows over the years and one that remains on the same spot after several years. The right employees, if chosen for your business, can help propel your business to great heights within a short period. Only with a good job description can you hire such.

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Business Plan Template for Job Description

• Great for beginners
• Ready-to-use, fully customizable Subcategory
• Get started in seconds

Finding the right talent for your business is crucial, but creating job descriptions can be a time-consuming task. That's where ClickUp's Business Plan Template for Job Description comes in!

This template is designed to help small to medium-sized businesses and startups streamline the hiring process by providing a structured format for outlining roles, responsibilities, and qualifications. With ClickUp's template, you can:

• Easily create comprehensive job descriptions that attract the right candidates
• Ensure clarity and consistency in defining job expectations
• Streamline the hiring process by having all the necessary information in one place

Don't waste time writing job descriptions from scratch. Use ClickUp's Business Plan Template for Job Description and find the perfect fit for your team today!

Business Plan Template for Job Description Benefits

Creating a solid business plan template for job descriptions can offer numerous benefits to your organization, including:

• Streamlining the hiring process by clearly outlining the roles, responsibilities, and qualifications required for each position
• Ensuring consistency and uniformity in job descriptions across the organization, promoting clarity and reducing ambiguity
• Facilitating effective communication between hiring managers and potential candidates by providing a comprehensive overview of job expectations
• Supporting strategic workforce planning by identifying skill gaps and future hiring needs based on the job descriptions
• Promoting fairness and transparency in the hiring process by providing a standardized framework for evaluating candidates.

Main Elements of Job Description Business Plan Template

When it comes to creating job descriptions for your business, ClickUp’s Business Plan Template has got you covered. Here are the key elements of this template:

• Custom Statuses: Keep track of the progress of each job description with statuses like Complete, In Progress, Needs Revision, and To Do.
• Custom Fields: Add important details to each job description using custom fields like Reference, Approved, and Section, making it easy to organize and filter your job descriptions.
• Custom Views: Access different views to manage your job descriptions effectively. Use the Topics view to focus on specific areas, the Status view to track the progress, the Timeline view to visualize the timeline of each job description, the Business Plan view to see the big picture, and the Getting Started Guide to quickly onboard new team members.

With ClickUp's Business Plan Template, creating and managing job descriptions has never been easier. Stay organized and streamline your hiring process with these powerful features.

How To Use Business Plan Template for Job Description

When it comes to creating a job description for your business plan, using a template can save you time and ensure that you cover all the necessary details. Here are six steps to help you effectively use the Business Plan Template for Job Description in ClickUp:

1. Understand the role

Before you start writing the job description, take the time to fully understand the role you are hiring for. Consider the specific responsibilities, skills, qualifications, and experience required for the position. This will help you create a targeted and accurate job description.

Use a Doc in ClickUp to outline the key responsibilities, skills, and qualifications for the role.

2. Start with a strong introduction

Begin the job description with an engaging introduction that provides an overview of the position and your company. This will capture the attention of potential candidates and give them a sense of what to expect.

Use custom fields in ClickUp to include key details about your company, such as mission, values, and culture.

3. Outline the responsibilities

Clearly outline the main responsibilities and tasks that the candidate will be responsible for. Be specific and provide enough detail to give candidates a clear understanding of what the role entails.

Create tasks in ClickUp to list and prioritize the responsibilities for the position.

4. Define the required qualifications

Next, list the qualifications, skills, and experience necessary for the role. This can include educational requirements, certifications, specific technical skills, and any other relevant qualifications that are essential for success in the position.

Use custom fields in ClickUp to track the required qualifications and make sure they are clearly communicated.

5. Highlight the benefits and perks

To attract top talent, it's important to showcase the benefits and perks of working for your company. This can include competitive salary, flexible work hours, professional development opportunities, and any other unique benefits your company offers.

Use a Table view in ClickUp to create a visually appealing list of benefits and perks.

6. Include application instructions

Finally, provide clear instructions on how to apply for the position. This can include details on submitting a resume, cover letter, and any other required application materials. Also, specify the deadline for applications and any additional steps in the hiring process.

Use a Doc in ClickUp to provide step-by-step application instructions and include any relevant links or contact information.

By following these six steps and using the Business Plan Template for Job Description in ClickUp, you'll be on your way to creating a comprehensive and compelling job description that attracts the right candidates for your business.

Get Started with ClickUp’s Business Plan Template for Job Description

Small to medium-sized businesses and startups can use the Business Plan Template for Job Description in ClickUp to streamline the hiring process and create clear job expectations.

First, hit “Add Template” to sign up for ClickUp and add the template to your Workspace. Make sure you designate which Space or location in your Workspace you’d like this template applied.

Next, invite relevant members or guests to your Workspace to start collaborating.

Now you can take advantage of the full potential of this template to create comprehensive job descriptions:

• Use the Topics View to organize job descriptions by department or position
• The Status View will help you track the progress of each job description, with statuses like Complete, In Progress, Needs Revision, and To Do
• The Timeline View allows you to visualize the hiring process and set realistic deadlines for each job description
• The Business Plan View provides an overview of all job descriptions and their alignment with the company's goals
• The Getting Started Guide View offers a step-by-step guide on how to use the template effectively
• Customize the Reference, Approved, and Section custom fields to add relevant information and streamline the hiring process
• Update statuses and custom fields as you progress through each job description to keep the team informed and ensure a smooth hiring process
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18 of My Favorite Sample Business Plans & Examples For Your Inspiration

Updated: July 01, 2024

Published: November 08, 2018

I believe that reading sample business plans is essential when writing your own.

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As you explore business plan examples from real companies and brands, it’s easier for you to learn how to write a good one.

So what does a good business plan look like? And how do you write one that’s both viable and convincing? I’ll walk you through the ideal business plan format along with some examples to help you get started.

Table of Contents

Business Plan Types

Business plan format, sample business plan: section by section, sample business plan templates, top business plan examples.

Ultimately, the format of your business plan will vary based on your goals for that plan. I’ve added this quick review of different business plan types that achieve differing goals.

For a more detailed exploration of business plan types, you can check out this post .

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1. Startups

Startup business plans are for proposing new business ideas. If you’re planning to start a small business, preparing a business plan is crucial. The plan should include all the major factors of your business.

You can check out this guide for more detailed business plan inspiration .

2. Feasibility Studies

Feasibility business plans focus on that business's product or service. Feasibility plans are sometimes added to startup business plans. They can also be a new business plan for an already thriving organization.

3. Internal Use

You can use internal business plans to share goals, strategies, or performance updates with stakeholders. In my opinion, internal business plans are useful for alignment and building support for ambitious goals.

4. Strategic Initiatives

A strategic business plan is another business plan that's often shared internally. This plan covers long-term business objectives that might not have been included in the startup business plan.

5. Business Acquisition or Repositioning

When a business is moving forward with an acquisition or repositioning, it may need extra structure and support. These types of business plans expand on a company's acquisition or repositioning strategy.

Growth sometimes just happens as a business continues operations. But more often, a business needs to create a structure with specific targets to meet set goals for expansion. This business plan type can help a business focus on short-term growth goals and align resources with those goals.

I’m going to focus on a startup business plan that needs to be detailed and research-backed as well as compelling enough to convince investors to offer funding. In my experience, the most comprehensive and convincing business plans contain the following sections.

Executive Summary

This all-important introduction to your business plan sets the tone and includes the company description as well as what you will be exchanging for money — whether that’s product lines, services, or product-service hybrids.

Market Opportunity

Information about gaps in your industry’s market and how you plan to fill them, focused on demand and potential for growth.

Competitive Landscape Analysis

An overview of your competitors that includes consideration of their strengths and how you’ll manage them, their weaknesses and how you’ll capitalize on them, and how you can differentiate your offerings in the industry.

Target Audience

Descriptions of your ideal customers, their various problems that you can solve, and your customer acquisition strategy.

Marketing Strategy

This section details how you will market your brand to achieve specific goals, the channels and tactics you’ll utilize to reach those goals, and the metrics you’ll be using to measure your progress.

Key Features and Benefits

This is where you’ll use plain language to emphasize the value of your product/service, how it solves the problems of your target audiences, and how you’ll scale up over time.

Pricing and Revenue

This section describes your pricing strategy and plans for building revenue streams that fit your audiences while achieving your business goals.

This is the final section, communicating with investors that your business idea is worth investing in via profit/loss statements, cash flow statements, and balance sheets to prove viability.

Okay, so now that we have a format established, I’ll give you more specific details about each section along with examples. Truthfully, I wish I’d had this resource to help me flesh out those first business plans long ago.

1. Executive Summary

I’d say the executive summary is the most important section of the entire business plan. It is essentially an overview of and introduction to your entire project.

Write this in such a way that it grabs your readers' attention and guides them through the rest of the business plan. This is important because a business plan can be dozens or hundreds of pages long.

There are two main elements I’d recommend including in your executive summary: your company description and your products and services.

Company Description

This is the perfect space to highlight your company’s mission statement and goals, a brief overview of your history and leadership, and your top accomplishments as a business.

Tell potential investors who you are and why what you do matters. Naturally, they’re going to want to know who they’re getting into business with up front. This is a great opportunity to showcase your impact.

Need some extra help firming up your business goals? I’d recommend HubSpot Academy’s free course to help you set meaningful goals that matter most for your business.

Products and Services

Here, you will incorporate an overview of your offerings. This doesn’t have to be extensive, as it is just a chance to introduce your industry and overall purpose as a business. I recommend including snippets of information about your financial projections and competitive advantage here as well.

Keep in mind that you'll cover many of these topics in more detail later on in the business plan. The executive summary should be clear and brief, only including the most important takeaways.

Executive Summary Business Plan Examples

This example was created with HubSpot’s business plan template . What makes this executive summary good is that it tells potential investors a short story while still covering all of the most important details.

Our Mission

Maria’s Gluten Free Bagels offers gluten-free bagels, along with various toppings, other gluten-free breakfast sandwich items, and coffee. The facility is entirely gluten free. Our team expects to catch the interest of gluten-free, celiac, or health-conscious community members who are seeking an enjoyable cafe to socialize. Due to a lack of gluten-free bagel products in the food industry currently, we expect mild competition and are confident we will be able to build a strong market position.

The Company and Management

Maria’s Gluten Free Bagels was founded in 2010 by Maria Jones, who first began selling her gluten-free bagels online from her home, using social media to spread the word. In 2012 she bought a retail location in Hamilton, MA, which now employs four full-time employees and six part-time employees. Prior to her bagel shop, Maria was a chef in New York and has extensive experience in the food industry.

Along with Maria Jones, Gluten Free Bagel Shop has a board of advisors. The advisors are:

• Jeni King, partner at Winding Communications, Ltd.
• Henry Wilson, president of Blue Robin, LLP.

Our Product

We offer gluten-free products ranging from bagels and cream cheese to blueberry muffins, coffee, and pastries. Our customers are health-conscious, community-oriented people who enjoy gluten-free products. We will create a welcoming, warm environment with opportunities for open mic nights, poetry readings, and other community functions. We will focus on creating an environment in which someone feels comfortable meeting a friend for lunch, or working remotely.

Our Competitive Advantages

While there are other coffee shops and cafes in the North Shore region, there are none that offer purely gluten-free options. This restricts those suffering from gluten-free illnesses or simply those with a gluten-free preference. This will be our primary selling point. Additionally, our market research [see Section 3] has shown a demand for a community-oriented coffee and bagel shop in the town of Hamilton, MA.

Financial Considerations

Our sales projections for the first year are $400,000. We project a 15% growth rate over the next two years. By year three, we project 61% gross margins.

We will have four full-time employees. The salary for each employee will be $50,000.

Start-up Financing Requirements

We are seeking to raise $125,000 in startup to finance year one. The owner has invested $50,000 to meet working capital requirements, and will use a loan of $100,000 to supplement the rest.

Example 2 :

Marianne and Keith Bean have been involved with the food industry for several years. They opened their first restaurant in Antlers, Oklahoma in 1981, and their second in Hugo in 1988. Although praised for the quality of many of the items on their menu, they have attained a special notoriety for their desserts. After years of requests for their flavored whipped cream toppings, they have decided to pursue marketing these products separately from the restaurants.

Marianne and Keith Bean have developed several recipes for flavored whipped cream topping. They include chocolate, raspberry, cinnamon almond, and strawberry. These flavored dessert toppings have been used in the setting of their two restaurants over the past 18 years, and have been produced in large quantities. The estimated shelf life of the product is 21 days at refrigeration temperatures and up to six months when frozen. The Beans intend to market this product in its frozen state in 8 and 12-ounce plastic tubs. They also intend to have the products available in six ounce pressurized cans. Special attention has been given to developing an attractive label that will stress the gourmet/specialty nature of the products.

Distribution of Fancy's Foods Whipped Dream product will begin in the local southeastern Oklahoma area. The Beans have an established name and reputation in this area, and product introduction should encounter little resistance.

Financial analyses show that the company will have both a positive cash flow and profit in the first year. The expected return on equity in the first year is 10.88%

Tips for Writing Your Executive Summary

• Start with a strong introduction of your company that showcases your mission and impact, then outline the products and services you provide.
• Clearly define a problem, explain how your product solves that problem, and show why the market needs your business.
• Be sure to highlight your value proposition, market opportunity, and growth potential.
• Keep it concise and support ideas with data.
• Customize your summary to your audience. For example, you might emphasize finances and return on investment for venture capitalists, whereas you might emphasize community benefits and minimal environmental impact for progressive nonprofits.

For more guidance, check out our tips for writing an effective executive summary .

2. Market Opportunity

This is where you'll detail the opportunity in the market. Ask and answer: Where is the gap in the current industry, and how will my product fill that gap?

To get a thorough understanding of the market opportunity, you'll want to conduct a TAM, SAM, SOM analysis , a SWOT analysis , and perform market research on your industry to get some insights for this section. More specifically, here’s what I’d include.

• The size of the market
• Current or potential market share
• Trends in the industry and consumer behavior
• Where the gap is
• What caused the gap
• How you intend to fill it

Market Opportunity Business Plan Example

I like this example because it uses critical data to underline the size of the potential market and what part of that market this service hopes to capture.

Example: The market for Doggie Pause is all of the dog owners in the metropolitan area and surrounding areas of the city. We believe that this is going to be 2/3 of the population, and we have a goal of gaining a 50% market share. We have a target of a 20% yearly profit increase as the business continues.

Tips for Writing Your Market Opportunity Section

• Focus on demand and potential for growth.
• Use market research, surveys, and industry trend data to support your market forecast and projections.
• Add a review of regulation shifts, tech advances, and consumer behavior changes.
• Refer to reliable sources.
• Showcase how your business can make the most of this opportunity.

3. Competitive Landscape Analysis

Since we’re already speaking of market share, you‘ll also need to create a section that shares details on who the top competitors are. After all, your customers likely have more than one brand to choose from, and you’ll want to understand exactly why they might choose one over another.

My favorite part of performing a competitive analysis is that it can help you uncover the following:

• Industry trends that other brands may not be utilizing.
• Strengths in your competition that may be obstacles to handle.
• Weaknesses in your competition that may help you develop selling points.
• The unique proposition you bring to the market that may resonate with customers.

Competitive Landscape Business Plan Example

I like how the competitive landscape section of this business plan shows a clear outline of who the top competitors are. It also highlights specific industry knowledge and the importance of location. This demonstrates useful experience in the industry, helping to build trust in your ability to execute your business plan.

Competitive Environment

Currently, there are four primary competitors in the Greater Omaha Area: Pinot’s Palette Lakeside (franchise partner), Village Canvas and Cabernet, The Corky Canvas, and Twisted Vine Collective. The first three competitors are in Omaha and the fourth is located in Papillion.

Despite the competition, all locations have both public and private events. Each location has a few sold-out painting events each month. The Omaha locations are in new, popular retail locations, while the existing Papillion location is in a downtown business district.

There is an opportunity to take advantage of the environment and open a studio in a well-traveled or growing area. Pinot’s Palette La Vista will differentiate itself from its competitors by offering a premium experience in a high-growth, influential location.

Tips for Writing Your Competitive Landscape

• Complete in-depth research, then emphasize your most important findings.
• Compare your unique selling proposition (USP) to your direct and indirect competitors.
• Show a clear and realistic plan for product and brand differentiation.
• Look for specific advantages and barriers in the competitive landscape. Then, highlight how that information could impact your business.
• Outline growth opportunities from a competitive perspective.
• Add customer feedback and insights to support your competitive analysis.

4. Target Audience

Use this section to describe who your customer segments are in detail. What is the demographic and psychographic information of your audience? I’d recommend building a buyer persona to get in the mindset of your ideal customers and be clear about why you're targeting them. Here are some questions I’d ask myself:

• What demographics will most likely need/buy your product or service?
• What are the psychographics of this audience? (Desires, triggering events, etc.)
• Why are your offerings valuable to them?

Target Audience Business Plan Example

I like the example below because it uses in-depth research to draw conclusions about audience priorities. It also analyzes how to create the right content for this audience.

The Audience

Recognize that audiences are often already aware of important issues. Outreach materials should:

• Emphasize a pollution-prevention practice
• Tell audience a little about how to prevent pollution
• Tell audience where they can obtain information about prevention.

Message Content

• Focus the content for outreach materials on cost savings, such as when and where pollution prevention is as cheap as or cheaper than traditional techniques. Include facts and figures.
• Emphasize how easy it is to do the right thing and the impacts of not engaging in pollution prevention.
• Stress benefits such as efficiency or better relations with government, for businesses not primarily concerned with public image.

Tips for Writing Your Target Audience Section

• Include details on the size and growth potential of your target audience.
• Figure out and refine the pain points for your target audience , then show why your product is a useful solution.
• Describe your targeted customer acquisition strategy in detail.
• Share anticipated challenges your business may face in acquiring customers and how you plan to address them.
• Add case studies, testimonials, and other data to support your target audience ideas.
• Remember to consider niche audiences and segments of your target audience in your business plan.

5. Marketing Strategy

Here, you‘ll discuss how you’ll acquire new customers with your marketing strategy. I think it’s helpful to have a marketing plan built out in advance to make this part of your business plan easier. I’d suggest including these details:

• Your brand positioning vision and how you'll cultivate it.
• The goal targets you aim to achieve.
• The metrics you'll use to measure success.
• The channels and distribution tactics you'll use.

Marketing Strategy Business Plan Example

This business plan example includes the marketing strategy for the town of Gawler. In my opinion, it works because it offers a comprehensive picture of how they plan to use digital marketing to promote the community.

Financials Business Plan Example

This balance sheet is a great example of the level of detail you’ll need to include in the financials section of your business plan.

Current Assets

1010 Checking 583,961

1020 Savings 224,600

1030 Petty Cash 89,840

Total Cash - 898,402

1100 Accounts Receivable - 3,593,607

1200 Work in Process - 589,791

1300 Other Current Assets

1310 Prepaid Rent 164,593

1320 Prepaid Liability Insurance 109,728

Total Other Current Assets - 274,321

Total Current Assets - 5,356,121

Tips for Writing Your Financials Section

• Growth potential is important in this section too. Using your data, create a forecast of financial performance in the next three to five years.
• Include any data that supports your projections to assure investors of the credibility of your proposal.
• Add a break-even analysis to show that your business plan is financially practical. This information can also help you pivot quickly as your business grows.
• Consider adding a section that reviews potential risks and how sensitive your plan is to changes in the market.
• Triple-check all financial information in your plan for accuracy.
• Show how any proposed funding needs align with your plans for growth.

Now that you know what‘s included and how to format a business plan, let’s review some of my favorite templates.

1. HubSpot's One-Page Business Plan

You’ll also learn the financial benefits investors can reap from putting money into your venture rather than trying to sell them on how great your product or service is.

This business plan guide focuses less on the individual parts of a business plan, and more on the overarching goal of writing one. For that reason, it’s one of my favorites to supplement any template you choose to use. Harvard Business Review’s guide is instrumental for both new and seasoned business owners.

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How to Write an Effective Job Description

A job description is a useful, plainly written document that explains the tasks, duties, functions, and responsibilities for performing a given job. It details the specific type of work to be performed, how that work is to be completed, who performs the work, the frequency of the work, and the purpose of the work as it relates to the organization’s mission and goals.

Employers use job descriptions for a variety of reasons:  

Aiding career planning.

Clarifying missions; this could apply to the mission of the role, the department or the organization overall. 

Conducting performance reviews.

Creating reasonable accommodation controls. 

Determining salary levels.

Establishing titles and pay grades. 

Establishing legal requirements for compliance purposes.

 Recruiting.   

A job description gives an employee a clear and concise job performance guide. It also gives a supervisor a measuring tool to determine if the employee is meeting job expectations. Follow these steps to craft high-quality job descriptions:  

Step 1: Perform a Job Analysis

Here is how to get started:  

If the job is already filled, interview the employee to find out exactly what tasks they are performing.

Observe how they perform the tasks. 

If the description is for a new position, consider asking employees or the position’s manager to complete  questionnaires  or worksheets.

You can collect data on jobs from other resources such as salary surveys and the  Occupational Outlook Handbook from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

The results should be documented and reviewed by the employee currently in the position—if there is one—and/or their supervisor. Their feedback, along with the results, will help you draft key requirements for performing the job that will appear in the final description, including:

Ability : Competence to perform an observable behavior or a behavior that results in an observable product. 

Credentials/experience : The minimum level of education, experience, and certification acceptable for the position. Whereas candidates previously needed a four-year degree for many professional jobs, many companies are moving away from that antiquated requirement as it often does not even apply to a given job. Instead, they are breaking the “paper ceiling” by screening—when appropriate—for applicants with relevant experience or credentials that demonstrate an industry-approved level of skill and expertise.

Environmental factors : Working conditions of the job or workplace (inside or outside the office). 

Knowledge : Comprehension of a body of information acquired by experience or study.

Physical requirements : Physical or mental requirements essential to performing the job. To remain in compliance with the ADA,   avoid including physical or mental demands that are not essential , as they could exclude individuals with disabilities who would be able to perform the job functions with or without reasonable accommodation. 

Skill : A present, observable competence to perform a learned activity.

Step 2: Establish the Essential Functions 

The employer should next establish the functions of the position to define them and establish which are essential and which are marginal. Any “essential function” should be labeled as such and included as part of the job description.  

Defining the essential functions encompasses:

Ensuring the tasks listed as part of the job function are truly necessary or a requirement to perform the job. 

Determining the frequency of performing a task or how much time is spent performing a task.

Determining the consequences of not performing the function and whether this would be detrimental to the employer’s operation or result in severe consequences. 

Determining if the tasks can be redesigned or performed in another manner.

Determining if the tasks can be reassigned to another employee. 

Defining how the job is performed can help your organization if it ever needs to evaluate Americans with Disabilities Act accommodation requests related to the position.

Step 3: Concisely Organize the Data  

The job description structure may vary from company to company; however, all the descriptions within an organization should be standardized. Include the following topics:

Job title : Name of the position. 

Classification : Exempt or nonexempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)—which determines whether it is eligible for overtime.

Salary grade/level/family/range : Compensation levels, groups, or pay ranges into which jobs of the same or similar worth are placed, including minimum and maximum pay bands.   (See How to Establish Salary Ranges)

Reports to : Title of the position the person performing this job reports to. 

Date : When the job description was written or last reviewed.

Summary/objective : Summary and overall objectives of the job. 

Essential functions: How an individual performs tasks and the frequency with which the tasks are performed; the tasks must be part of the job function and truly necessary or required to perform the job.

Competency : Knowledge, skills, and abilities. 

Supervisory responsibilities : Direct reports, if any, and the level of supervision.

Work environment : Temperature, noise level, whether the job is inside or outside, and other factors that will affect the person’s working conditions while performing the job. 

Physical demands : Such as whether the job entails bending, sitting, lifting, or driving.

Position type and expected hours of work : Full-time or part-time, typical work hours and shifts, days of week, and whether overtime is expected. 

Travel : Percentage of travel time expected for the position where the travel occurs—such as locally or in specific countries or states—and whether it is overnight.

Required education and experience : The base level of education, degrees, or years of experience in the same or related field that the employer deems necessary to perform the role.  

Union eligibility : Note if this job is performed by a member of a union.

Contractor : Note if this job is performed by someone the employer considers a contractor and summarize the project’s scope, payment terms, and any employer-provided benefits. See the U.S. Department of Labor’s fact sheet on regulations around the classification of independent contractors per the FLSA. 

Additional eligibility qualifications : Certifications, industry-specific experience, and experience working with certain equipment or programs.

Affirmative action plan/equal employment opportunity (AAP/EEO) statement : Clause(s) that outlines federal contractor requirements and practices and/or equal employer opportunity statement. 

Other duties : Disclaimer, see Step 4.

This job description template from SHRM can serve as a starting point for your organization’s job descriptions.  

Step 4: Add the Disclaimer

It is a good idea to add a statement indicating that the job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive list of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee. They may change, or new ones may be assigned at any time with or without notice. 

Step 5: Add the Signature Lines

Signatures are an important part of validating the job description. They show that the job description has been approved and that the employee understands the requirements, essential functions, and duties of the position. Signatures should include those of the supervisor and of the employee. 

Step 6: Finalize

Present a draft to upper management and the position supervisor for review and approval. A draft allows a chance to review, add, or subtract any detail before the final job description is approved. 

Finalized job descriptions should be used for job postings, interviews, accommodation requests, compensation reviews, and performance appraisals. Employers may also wish to post them on their intranet.

Whether digital or paper, these final job descriptions should be secured, such as in a password-protected digital file or similarly protected space. 

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How to Write Your First Job Description

Candice Landau

9 min. read

Updated October 25, 2023

Whether you’re hiring your best friend, or someone you’ve never met before, it’s important to make sure you’ve written a job description.

A good job description isn’t simply a list of to-do’s, but rather a guide, something that will benefit both you and the employee.

The best job descriptions benefit both employer and employee.

If you’ve taken the time to think it through and write it well, your employee will have a clear idea of what is expected of them, and will therefore be able to do the best work possible. And you will be able to measure their performance and hold them accountable for work completed.

If you aren’t at the hiring stage yet, take the time now to start thinking about the type of person you may want to hire in the future. Your new employee’s values will have a big impact on your company, especially if you’re small.

It’s all about first impressions

There’s another benefit to spending a good amount of time writing job descriptions: You will have a better chance of enticing the right candidates to apply.

Consider: If you require your employees to have a master’s degree, you’re probably going to cut out a whole chunk of the talent pool. If that’s a must in your line of business, that’s fine.

But, what if you’re looking for a people-person, someone who can answer the phone and troubleshoot customer problems? In that case, a master’s degree probably isn’t going to mean much. You’ll want to hire someone with the right attitude—someone with compassion. Someone who can hop on the phone and do what an introverted computer scientist can’t.

The question is: How do you get all of this across in what is likely to be a single page of text?

• The 3 essential parts of a good job description

The best way to think of writing a job description is like you might a high school or college essay:

• First, you’re going to want to do your research. What should you include in the description? What does your competition include?
• Next you’re going to draft your outline. This is a good time to make a bullet list; include the duties you want the employee to fulfill, required qualifications if you have them, and any performance standards you’d like the employee to meet.
• And last, you’re going to tie it all together. Make sure that your business values are reflected in your tone of voice, that you’ve shared a sense of company culture with your applicants via the style, and that you’ve recorded all the important nitty-gritty details.

Let’s break it down a little further and talk about what you’re going to want to cover:

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• 1. Specific details of the position

A good title: A good title is relevant to your industry and to “the times.” If you’re looking to hire a marketer, should you advertise for a digital marketing executive, a content marketer, or an internet marketing manager? Well, this truly depends on where in the world you’re located, on what is popular at the moment, and on the information you need to convey.

Avoid titles that only have meaning internally; “Business Representative III” doesn’t mean anything to an outsider. It’s better to opt for a title like “Business Development Manager.”

It’s also a good opportunity to get your company culture across. For example, might you convey more or prompt a different audience to apply by hiring a “Happiness Manager” instead of a “Customer Service Representative”?

You may have to do a bit of research first.

A short summary of the job: The keyword here is short. You will want to give potential candidates an overview of the key responsibilities and the purpose of the position. Is this a full-time position? Is it part-time? Is it an internship? Be clear!

A brief overview of the company: In one to three sentences, say who your company is, what your goal is, and what you’ve achieved. You’ll want to strike a balance between honesty and marketing here. Yes, you want to paint a good picture so good applicants will apply; no you do not want to lie about how big your company is, how much you’ve achieved, or what you’ve done.

Skills, qualifications, or certifications required:  Are there any industry, state, or other legal certifications your employee needs? For example, a bartender will need a license in order to serve drinks. List both the required and the preferred qualifications. This will help sort the wheat from the chaff.

Manager and supervisor information:  Who will the new hire be reporting to? What department will they work within? This information isn’t always necessary, but can help to paint a more complete picture, ensuring there are no surprises for the new candidate, and no issues you have to work through.

Location details:  This doesn’t have to be a stand-alone section in its own right, but it’s worth clarifying some of the details to avoid any potential confusion. Where is the position located? Is it remote work? Is it a nine-to-five job? Will any travel be required and if so, does the employee need to have a driver’s license or their own car?

Salary:  It’s ideal to include the salary or the salary range within the job description. This is also a good place to include any benefits. Some employees opt for a slightly lower salary than industry standard, but then have great benefits. If you have space, include the benefits, number of vacation days, and any other perks.

• 2. Duties the candidate will be expected to perform

This section is arguably the most important part of the job description, as the duties detail exactly what the candidate should be able to do, and what they will be doing in this role on a daily basis.

They will also reveal more information about the level of responsibility the employee will have, the scope of the work, and its complexity. This should help weed out those who can’t perform all of the duties you require of them.

If you’re as of yet unsure about how to come up with a list of duties, but broadly speaking know the role you need to fill, here are a couple of things you can do to help you think it through:

Exercise 1: Brainstorm a list of all of those duties that are taking up a lot of your time, or taking away from something more important you could be doing. For example, are you answering all the customer phone calls, when really you’d be getting a better ROI going out to meet people? Think of all those things you could delegate. Jot them down. While you may not be able to include all of these duties in one job description, many of them probably can be tied together to fit under one title.

Exercise 2: Go back to your vision or your goals. What things do you need to be able to do competently in order to get you where you want to go? List out those duties. Now, work backward. What role should that person be able to fulfill?

When you’re listing out duties, try to make them as “active” as possible. Instead of writing a broad list of general duties like “customer service,” “writing skills,” and so on, make the duties more descriptive.

This will prompt you to think more deeply about the type of help you need, and will give the candidate a better idea of what you’re looking for.

A more explanatory list of duties might be, “answer incoming telephone calls, liaise with suppliers and order new stock, write press releases, and maintain the company’s social media profiles.” Immediately, you have a better idea of what the job will entail.

You could even frame the duties in a more story-like fashion. Consider going down the route of, “A typical day in the life of [insert job title here] will include [a list of the duties].”

• 3. Performance standards

A job description is often used as a means to an end: to fill an open position.

In reality, it’s a lot more than that. It’s an opportunity for the employer to lay out his or her expectations and is the first document that can be used as a basis from which to measure performance.

Consider: In six months time, when your employee asks you for a raise, how will you know whether or not to give them one?

If they’ve done everything required of them and gone above and beyond, provided there are no financial or cash flow issues, maybe you will want to give them a raise to reward their efforts and to encourage them to keep doing great things.

But, if they’ve not performed well enough, this is a great time to use the job description to explain why you won’t be giving them a raise or promoting them.

Start thinking about the job description as a training tool. What knowledge, skills, and abilities does your employee need to have in order to complete all of their duties to the best of their abilities? If they don’t yet have these skills, the job description will detail what they need to work toward, and will give you something to use when it comes time to evaluate their performance.

For the sake of clarity, separate this section into a list of its own. For example:

Performance standards

• All customer-facing, written communication is expected to be error-free and grammatically correct
• Knowledge of QuickBooks accounting system is essential
• Work well and collaborate with team members

What’s next?

If you’re still not sure about where to start, a great first step is simply to get out there and start reading similar job descriptions for the position you want to fill.

Search LinkedIn, check out popular job sites like Monster and Indeed, and take a peek at competitor’s sites or other similar business sites perhaps in neighboring states. You could even try Glassdoor.com to find out what salaries people in your area are paying for a similar position.

Once you feel you’ve got a good sense of what to include and how to write the description, follow that “essay format” we recommended earlier. Write your skeleton framework, then fill in all the details.

Candice Landau is a marketing consultant with a background in web design and copywriting. She specializes in content strategy, copywriting, website design, and digital marketing for a wide-range of clients including digital marketing agencies and nonprofits.

Table of Contents

• It’s all about first impressions
• What’s next?

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Business Planner Job Description Template

Job overview, business planner responsibilities & duties.

• Conduct market research and analysis to identify business opportunities and threats
• Develop and implement strategic business plans
• Collaborate with department heads to gather data and insights
• Analyze financial reports and performance metrics to make informed decisions
• Identify key performance indicators (KPIs) and track progress
• Prepare detailed business forecasts and budget plans
• Monitor industry trends and competitor activities
• Present strategic recommendations to senior management
• Coordinate with project managers to ensure alignment with business strategies
• Evaluate the effectiveness of business strategies and make necessary adjustments
• Support the development of new business ventures and partnerships
• Lead strategic planning sessions and workshops
• Ensure compliance with industry regulations and standards
• Develop risk mitigation strategies to safeguard business interests
• Provide regular reports and updates on business plan progress

Business Planner Qualifications & Skills

• Master’s degree in Business Administration or related field
• Certification in strategic planning or business analysis
• Experience in a similar strategic planning role
• Proven track record of successful business plan development and implementation
• Advanced proficiency in data analysis and financial modeling
• Familiarity with industry-specific software and tools
• Strong leadership and project management skills
• Excellent communication and presentation skills
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment
• Experience in consulting or advisory roles
• Knowledge of global market trends and international business practices
• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Economics, Finance, or related field
• Strong analytical and critical thinking skills
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, especially Excel and PowerPoint
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Attention to detail and high level of accuracy
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Experience with data analysis tools and software
• Strong organizational and time management skills
• Ability to handle multiple projects and meet deadlines
• Knowledge of business operations and financial principles
• Strong problem-solving skills and strategic mindset

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