Near's job description guide

The Ultimate Guide to Job Descriptions for Remote Talent

Write effective remote worker job descriptions with our ultimate guide. Get tips to create job listings that attract quality talent. 

The Ultimate Guide to Job Descriptions for Remote Talent

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If you’ve ever been unemployed, you know that poorly written remote worker job descriptions can be the bane of your existence. It’s hard enough to look for work, but understanding what employers are looking for when it comes to remote talent can seem downright impossible. 

According to Upwork’s Great Resignation Survey, as of 2022, 10 million professionals were considering going freelance if not given a remote work option. With numbers like these, it’s clear why having an effective job description is crucial when trying to attract the best talent available, wherever they may be.

That’s why we’ve put together this helpful guide to writing job descriptions for remote talent. In this article, you’ll find all the tips and tricks you need to craft a clear, concise job description that will attract top-notch candidates from around the world, both offshore and nearshore.

By taking these steps, not only will you be able to hire more qualified workers at a lower cost, but you may even discover hidden gems in unexpected places. Read on for our ultimate guide to remote worker job descriptions—and learn how to hire the right people for the right job.

Why Do You Need Good Job Descriptions?

A well-written job description is like a recipe. It not only tells you what ingredients you need for the final product but the quantity of each necessary for success. Yet according to MY Choice, nearly half of all job descriptions are not good representations of the requirements needed. A good job description can:

  • Help save you valuable time.
  • Attract highly qualified candidates.
  • Find people who fit your company culture.
  • Foster employee loyalty.
  • Increase worker retention.
The importance of well written job descriptions
Source: Vervoe

Writing the Job Description

There are some essential things to consider while you write your remote job description. Using effective strategies will ensure you captivate and attract the best remote talent for your organization.

Let’s break down the writing process into the following six easy-to-follow strategies.

1. Keep it short, sweet, and clear

• At the beginning of your description, summarize these key points:

  • Position name: What the role is called and how it fits into the organization.
  • Key responsibilities: A brief overview of the duties associated with this position. 
  • Relevance to business goals: Why this role is important for achieving organizational objectives.

• Make it captivating to draw in potential remote talent. 

• Clearly outline the essential duties, goals, and expectations. 

• Include both non-negotiable and negotiable criteria for the role. 

• Keep it concise to make a solid first impression.

2. Define the job title carefully

Consider how you will frame the position and the title you use.

Job titles are important steps in a professional’s career journey. They provide evidence of the skills and expertise acquired, as well as the level of competence and responsibilities taken on in their chosen field. 

To entice top professionals, you’ll need to craft job titles that accurately reflect their experience and qualifications. Remember to:

  • Specify the position precisely. 
  • Stay within standard job titles to make it easier for potential applicants to discover your listing. 
  • Include applicable remote keywords, like remote, work from home, telecommuting, distributed working, virtual workers, full-time/part-time/project-based jobs, etc.
Ways to create an inclusive hiring process
Source: CareerPlug

3. Always remember the principles of inclusiveness in your search

Once you’ve solidified the perfect job title, you need to ensure you are up to date with best practices, like inclusivity.

The spotlight on equality has never been more pronounced, with three out of four job seekers more likely to apply for positions at organizations that strive to dismantle any limitations preventing them from working. 

Be sure to incorporate these practices when drafting your ad:

  • Utilize a language that is both inviting and uses gender-neutral language.
  • Aim to appeal to a broad and diverse range of potential employees. 
  • Consider the possibility and advantages of having a diverse workforce, including people from varied backgrounds, origins, and cultures, like Latin America (LatAm).

4. Authenticity is key for hiring qualified remote talent

Transparency about your company and job requirements is essential if you want to find the best people for the job. 

Honesty is a two-way street, and writing accurate and honest job descriptions helps ensure that the right candidate is hired and fosters trust between employers and employees. To do this, you need to:

  • Include any potential roadblocks for job seekers. These may include certifications, skills, or specific expertise needed for the position.
  • Provide a definite salary range. 
  • Explain the degree of remote work involved—is it purely online, or are regular visits to the brick-and-mortar office/site expected? Is the setup temporary or permanent? 
  • Specify working hours, including what having flexible hours actually implies. Do they need to be available during certain times? 
  • Outline which locations and countries you hire from, particularly when hiring an employee (not a contractor), to meet tax and employment legislation. 
  • State where candidates can work from, especially if handling confidential information is part of their job. Is public Wi-Fi allowed? Must they be in a quiet place? 
  • Be clear about any equipment needed, such as the type of computer specs, internet speed, and applications required, and whether you will provide support for these or expect remote workers to cover the cost themselves.

5. Highlight the perks of the position

Don’t forget about the perks and bonuses offered along with the position because we can guarantee your potential new hires will be asking about them.

In the current job market, offering competitive and attractive perks and benefits can make all the difference in attracting top remote talent. Here’s some advice to help you highlight the perks you’re offering at your company.

  • Highlight standout benefits such as medical insurance, 401k contributions, dental coverage, and stock options.
  • Discuss annual gatherings, vacation days, and learning and development opportunities. 
  • Outline any potential career path progression for remote roles if those exist.
  • Get creative with your benefits and consider those aimed at improving your worker’s work-life balance and lifestyle.

Once you’ve covered the fine details, it’s time to pull back and give your potential new employees a snapshot of your company.

How to attract candidates with your company culture
Source: Indeed

6. Offer insights into your company culture and goals

As the world continues to grapple with the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly 70% of American employees are reprioritizing their lives and recognizing the importance of having a job that aligns with their values. 

Companies need to highlight their culture and goals in job descriptions for remote talent so potential applicants can determine if it is a good fit for them. Here are some ways to do that:

  • Offer insight into your company culture. 
  • Share how your values are applied to a remote working environment. 
  • Present the atmosphere of your workplace. 
  • Illustrate how you foster collaboration from afar. 
  • Highlight what makes your organization unique.
  • Call attention to your “About Us” or “Company Mission Statement” if you have them.

Following these six strategies will streamline your hiring process and help you find the best fit for your organization. 

And don’t forget to consider widening your search to remote workers from LatAm. With a culture and language similar to the US, these talented professionals can easily align with and even enhance your company culture. And let’s not forget they can do this with lower salaries due to a decreased cost of living than their US counterparts, so you’ll both be financially satisfied. 

The benefits of hiring ultra-qualified remote workers have never been clearer. Let’s take our advice so far and provide some practical examples of effective (and attractive) job descriptions.

Ideal Job Description Examples

1. Job title: Staff accountant ($2,000–$2,500/month)

Summary: The Staff Accountant will perform various accounting tasks, including maintaining financial records, preparing and analyzing financial statements, and reconciling bank statements. The Staff Accountant will work closely with the accounting team to ensure that all financial records are accurate and up to date.

Key Responsibilities: 

  • Recording bank and credit card transactions utilizing QuickBooks online
  • Reconciling bank and credit card statements
  • Entering and processing vendor bills
  • Preparing US individual and business tax returns 
  • Communicating with the manager to ensure that all financial records are accurate
  • Assisting with ad-hoc projects as needed

Qualifications:

  • Bachelor’s degree in accounting
  • Minimum of 3 years of relevant experience
  • US individual and business tax returns—both federal and state tax returns 
  • Experience using the tax preparation software Ultratax or equivalent
  • Experience using Quickbooks online
  • Experience with retail e-commerce businesses 
  • Experience with inventory management
  • Experience using and reconciling data from bill.com, Shopify, and PayPal
  • Preparing Form 1099
  • Experience using Netsuite would be great but not required
  • Strong attention to detail and ability to work independently
  • Ability to work well under pressure and meet deadlines
  • Strong communication and interpersonal skills

Perks and Benefits

Our comprehensive package includes the following: 

  • Competitive salary 
  • Generous paid vacation time 
  • Comprehensive health and wellness packages
  • Flexible working hours for enhanced work-life balance 
  • Free movie tickets and discounts on local restaurants

Work Schedule: Remote work and flex hours available—typically 9–5 in any US time zone.

About Us: At ABC Accounting, we strive to be a leader in the accounting world. Our core values involve fostering an inclusive environment and providing quality service to our clients. We value integrity, trustworthiness, and respect for all employees and customers alike. 

Our mission is to provide comprehensive financial solutions that help our clients reach their goals while upholding the highest standards of excellence.

Sales Development Representative SDR working on his computer

2. Job title: Sales development representative ($2,500–$3,500/month)

Summary: As a Sales Development Representative, you will be instrumental in fueling our growth through outbound and inbound calls and relentlessly following up with top-of-funnel prospects via phone conversations and emails. You will also set meetings for the Account Executives by asking qualifying questions.

Responsibilities:

  • Take inbound sales calls
  • Create qualified appointments for Account Executives by using BANT Qualification
  • Relentless follow-up with prospects on past contacts
  • Present high-level conversations around our differentiators
  • Exclusively work within Salesforce CRM to ensure the accuracy of conversations 
  • Meet and exceed monthly meeting goals
  • Answer inbound calls and chats

Qualifications:

  • 1+ years of relevant experience in SDR
  • College/university degree
  • Technical background preferred but not required
  • Competitive mindset
  • Ability to take on coaching
  • Great English communication skills
  • Comfortable working within an ever-changing environment
  • Passion for learning new technologies
  • Customer focused
  • Target and quota oriented
  • Self-starter

Perks and Benefits

We offer a comprehensive package of benefits and perks to ensure our employees have the best work-life balance possible. These include: 

  • A generous yearly bonus structure 
  • Flexible working hours 
  • Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance plans 
  • Paid vacations and holidays 
  • Access to an on-site gym and wellness classes

Work Schedule: Remote work and flex hours available—typically 9–5 in any US time zone. 

About Us: At 123 Sales & Marketing, our mission is to provide the highest quality sales and marketing services, while also fostering an environment of collaboration and growth. We pride ourselves on having a team-oriented culture that values excellence and innovation in all business areas. 

As a Sales Development Representative, you will have the opportunity to be part of a dynamic work atmosphere where your contributions will make a real impact on the company’s success.

3. Job title: Business development representative ($2,000–$2,500/month)

Overview of the position: Our company seeks a Business Development Representative to join our growing team. The main goal here is to generate new business opportunities by qualifying leads and prospecting through existing and new potential business accounts that will ultimately lead to more sales.

Responsibilities:

  • Create a target list of businesses near each of our locations
  • Cold-call businesses and pitch them on moving their transactions to one of our locations
  • Negotiate rates for monthly contracts
  • Track all calls and conversations in our CRM

Requirements:

  • 1+ years of SDR or sales experience is a must-have 
  • Ability to use a CRM
  • Excellent English communication skills (both verbal and written)
  • Ability to make 50+ calls every day
  • Hunger to succeed
  • Ready to get the job done
  • Tech-savvy

Perks and Benefits

This exciting role offers a competitive salary, excellent career progression, and a range of benefits, including: 

  • Generous health and wellness packages to keep you in tip-top shape 
  • Flexible working hours so you can manage your work/life balance with ease 
  • A generous holiday allowance to help you find the time for rest and relaxation 
  • Subsidized team social activities to help build relationships within the workplace
  • An annual company retreat for employees to unwind, relax, and reconnect

Work Schedule: 9–5 p.m.; any US time zone is ok.

About Us: At XYZ Sales Company, we pride ourselves on empowering our team to drive growth and success through innovation and collaboration. Our mission is to provide solutions that help our customers maximize their potential while maintaining a commitment to ethical business practices. 

We value integrity, hard work, and creativity in all of our employees. So if you’re looking for an opportunity where your skills can be utilized in a challenging but rewarding environment, then this may be the job for you!

woman writing job description

Try Near’s Free Job Description Generator

Writing a job description for remote talent can be a daunting task. Knowing which skills to include (both hard and soft skills), how detailed to make the core responsibilities section, and even what tone of voice you should use can make it challenging to get your job description just right. 

Fortunately, Near’s free Job Description Generator makes it easy to create professional-looking descriptions in no time. Our generator is powered by AI algorithms that allow you to customize every aspect of your job description with ease. 

The tool provides access to thousands of pre-written phrases, so you don’t have to start from scratch each time you post a new role. Plus, it offers a wide range of templates to quickly create job postings in the style and tone that best fits your company. 

If you’re ready to make writing remote talent job descriptions easier than ever before, try Near’s free Job Description Generator today! With its intuitive interface and AI-powered features, you can create professional-looking job descriptions in minutes.

Easily Recruit Top LatAm Talent With Near

Wrapping up, this guide has shown you how to write a job description for remote talent that is both effective and engaging. From creating a well-defined job specification to being authentic in your language and highlighting the perks of working remotely, your goal should be to provide potential candidates with an insight into company culture and expectations. 

When hiring remotely, it’s important to find workers who fit into your team dynamic and have the added benefit of cost savings. By hiring from LatAm, you can save 30–70% compared with comparable US-based talent while still finding highly motivated people who can easily fit into your company culture. 

If you’d like to learn more about hiring remote LatAm talent, with Near you can start interviewing for free. We provide access to a large pool of highly talented LatAm professionals and are always happy to help.

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