A well-written job description will help you find the best candidates for your medical office team. The more detailed a job description, the more candidates with desired skillsets and expertise will be walking through the door. Its benefits are two-fold: 1) It sets clear expectations for applicants searching for medical staff positions and 2) It helps recruit the ideal candidates for the job.

But, writing a rock star job description is no easy feat, and there are many variables to consider in order to get it right. In this article, you’ll learn what to consider when writing a great job description and some writing tips to help you get started. Remember, a job description is much more than recruiting; it’s helping secure your best team!

New Job Description Considerations

Key elements to use in writing an effective job description often include a job title, summary, detailed list of duties and responsibilities, qualifications, and working conditions. If you don’t already have an existing description to work from, don’t worry. You don’t necessarily have to start from scratch.

For inspiration, search similar job roles and descriptions on websites like Indeed. Other job description resources include your medical and specialty societies. Search for the type of position you are advertising and follow their lead. Don’t feel like you must find an exact match of a job description.

Make it your own

Your office’s values and needs should be represented as closely as possible to help draw in the most qualified candidates. Create a bulletized list of job responsibilities and qualifications that you are seeking. Find something that fits your vision at least 70 percent, and add to it, modifying compensation, responsibilities, benefits, etc.

Writing Tips

• Avoid generalizing duties
• Be precise and specific in descriptions
• Include only pertinent information
• Describe all tools and equipment used to complete the job successfully
• Explain work relationships and authority boundaries

Pro tip: Job descriptions can be very detailed. To help a candidate browse through a description with ease, group together all responsibilities pertaining to categories like insurance billing, medical records, front desk responsibilities, etc.

Existing Job Description Considerations

If the position you are trying to fill is an existing role, simply review the job description to ensure the information is up to date. Compensation, benefits, roles, and responsibilities might have changed over time, and you want to ensure you’re distributing accurate information when you post the job description.

Pro tip: It is a good practice to review EEOC guidelines to ensure that all job postings are compliant with Federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination.

Writing Tips

Get input from an employee in a similar role. One of the most effective ways for finessing an existing job description is to sit with the outgoing employee to confirm with them that the list of responsibilities within the description are still accurate. The employee’s role might have changed over time and you want to ensure that description is reflective of the exact role.

If the employee was terminated, get input from his or her colleagues. This is a good opportunity for you to listen to the team and consider restructuring responsibilities.

Recruiting the Best Medical Office Team

Learn more about medical office recruiting and staffing when you enroll in the Certified Medical Office Manager Certification. You’ll learn how to use job descriptions to effectively recruit, choose, train, and cross-train both new and existing employees. Start building a better team when you get certified.