Most HR teams spend more time arguing about what goes into a job description than actually writing one. The hiring manager wants fifteen requirements. The recruiter wants five. Legal wants three disclaimers. By the time everyone agrees, what gets posted is a compromise that nobody is fully happy with and candidates find genuinely confusing.
That is not how this should work.
A job description is not a legal document or a wish list. It is a communication tool. It tells a real person whether this role is worth their time — and it tells your recruiting process what to filter for. Get it wrong and everything downstream suffers. Get it right and sourcing, screening and interviewing all move faster.
Below is a practical guide — what is a job description, how to write one, and seven actual templates HR teams can use in 2026.
What Is a Job Description — And Why Most Get It Wrong
A job description is a written summary of what a role involves, what kind of person it requires, and what the organization offers in return. Simple in theory. Consistently butchered in practice.
The most common failure: treating job description and responsibilities as the same thing. Responsibilities are one section of a job description — not the whole thing. A strong job description also covers the role's purpose, the reporting structure, the qualifications that actually matter, and compensation. Leave any of those out and candidates are guessing.
The second failure: copying last time's job description sample without checking whether the role still looks the same. Roles evolve. If nobody updated the description when the scope changed, the posting is already inaccurate before it goes live.
Nearly 30 percent of employees quit within the first 90 days. Of those, 41 percent say the role was not what they expected. That gap almost always traces back to a job description that was vague, outdated, or optimistic about what the position actually involved.
Teams using Leelu AI feel this directly. Leelu AI sources candidates across LinkedIn via direct API, plus Indeed, Monster, CareerBuilder, and ten-plus other platforms simultaneously — scoring candidates automatically against role requirements. Vague descriptions produce vague matches. Specific ones produce shortlists worth looking at. The quality of what goes in determines the quality of what comes out.
How to Write a Job Description That Actually Works
Before getting to the templates — a quick note on how to write a job description that does its job.
Start with the role's purpose, not its tasks. Why does this position exist? What problem does it solve? One or two sentences answering that question are worth more than eight bullet points listing vague responsibilities.
Be honest about requirements. Separate what is genuinely required from what would be nice to have. Combining them filters out strong candidates who meet every real requirement but miss something optional. That is a self-inflicted wound.
Write job responsibilities in plain language. Start each one with an action verb. Be specific enough that the person reading it could describe their day after their first week. If a responsibility could appear on any job description in your industry, rewrite it.
Include compensation. Candidates expect it. Not including it wastes time on both sides.
Now — the templates.
Template 1 — HR Generalist
Job Details [Company name] is looking for an HR Generalist to support the VP of Human Resources across day-to-day people operations. This person is the first call for employee questions, the one keeping HR systems accurate, and the backbone of how onboarding and compliance actually run.
About the Company [Company name] is a [industry] company based in [city] with [X] employees. Founded in [year]. Culture description in one honest sentence.
Role
- Support the VP of HR across recruiting, onboarding, and employee relations
- First point of contact for employee questions on benefits and HR policies
- Maintain accurate employee records across all HR platforms
- Coordinate new hire onboarding — paperwork, access, first-week schedule
- Assist with performance review cycles and keep managers on track
- Update company policies and employee handbook as needed
- Support conflict resolution and corrective action alongside management
Benefits
- Health, vision, dental
- 401(k) with match
- PTO plus [X] holidays
- Professional development budget
Qualifications
- Bachelor's in HR or related field
- Minimum 1 year HR experience — 3 preferred
- Comfortable with HRIS platforms and Microsoft Office
- PHR or SHRM-CP a plus
Template 2 — Senior HR Manager
Job Details [Company name] needs a Senior HR Manager who has actually built a people function before — not just maintained one. Reports to the CPO. Owns HR for [X] employees across [locations].
About the Company [Company name] is a [industry] company at [X] employees and growing. The HR function needs to scale with the business and this hire leads that.
Role
- Own hiring, onboarding, performance management, and offboarding
- Build policies that get used, not filed away
- Lead performance cycles including reviews, promotions, and PIPs
- Partner with department heads on headcount planning
- Run annual compensation benchmarking
- Manage and grow a small HR team
- Keep the company compliant across all applicable employment law
Benefits
- Full health, vision, dental
- 401(k) up to 5% match
- Unlimited PTO — actually used
- Leadership development budget
Qualifications
- 6+ years in HR, 2+ managing a team
- Has built HR infrastructure during company growth — not just maintained it
- SHRM-SCP or SPHR preferred
- Strong federal and state employment law knowledge
Template 3 — Talent Acquisition Specialist
Job Details [Company name] is hiring a Talent Acquisition Specialist to own end-to-end recruiting for [X] roles. Works directly with hiring managers — defining what they actually need, not just what they wrote down — from first sourcing search to offer letter.
About the Company [Company name] is a [industry] company with [X] employees, growing at [X]% year over year. Recruiting is a top operational priority right now.
Role
- Own full-cycle recruiting — job brief through signed offer
- Push back when requirements are vague or unrealistic
- Source across LinkedIn, job boards, and internal pipelines
- Run initial screens and coordinate interview panels
- Keep candidates informed throughout — no ghosting
- Track pipeline metrics and flag bottlenecks before they become problems
Benefits
- Health, vision, dental
- Remote or hybrid flexibility
- Learning and development stipend
- Recruiting tools provided
Qualifications
- 2–4 years full-cycle recruiting experience
- Actually sourced candidates — not just processed inbound
- Proficient with Greenhouse, Lever, or similar ATS
- Can manage multiple open roles without losing track of any
Template 4 — Sales Development Representative
Job Details [Company name] is hiring an SDR for an outbound role — prospecting, qualifying, booking meetings for the Account Executive team. Real coaching, clear path to AE for someone who delivers.
About the Company [Company name] sells [product/service] to [customer]. Sales team is [X] people. [X]% of current AEs started as SDRs here.
Role
- Prospect outbound leads via cold calls, email sequences, LinkedIn
- Identify decision-makers at target accounts
- Book qualified meetings for the AE team
- Hit monthly quota of [X] qualified opportunities
- Keep CRM records clean and up to date
Benefits
- OTE $70,000–$85,000 uncapped
- Health, vision, dental
- Clear AE promotion path within 12–18 months
Qualifications
- 0–2 years experience — genuinely entry level
- Writes cold emails that don't sound like cold emails
- Comfortable on the phone
- Coachable — actually does something with feedback
Template 5 — Operations Manager
Job Details [Company name] needs an Operations Manager who enjoys finding what is broken and fixing it. Things are growing here. Some processes need rebuilding from scratch. Real ownership of how the business runs day to day.
About the Company [Company name] is a [industry] business in [location] with [X] employees. Operations touches almost every function.
Role
- Own day-to-day operations across [departments]
- Identify inefficiencies and fix them with documentation that actually gets used
- Build and maintain SOPs for recurring processes
- Manage vendor relationships and contracts
- Track operational KPIs weekly — not just when something breaks
- Lead cross-functional projects start to finish
Benefits
- Health, vision, dental
- 401(k) with match
- Performance bonus on operational KPIs
Qualifications
- 4–6 years operations experience, 1+ year managing a team
- Built processes from scratch — not just inherited and maintained them
- Calm when multiple things go wrong at the same time
Template 6 — Marketing Manager
Job Details [Company name] is hiring a Marketing Manager who builds things rather than delegates everything. Owns demand generation, content, and brand for a [B2B/B2C] audience. Real accountability over real outcomes.
About the Company [Company name] is a [industry] company with [X] customers. Marketing needs to become a growth engine here — not support.
Role
- Own the marketing calendar across email, content, social, and paid
- Run acquisition channels with focus on what is actually driving pipeline
- Manage external agencies without losing quality control
- Work with sales on lead quality and messaging
- Own the marketing budget and report monthly on results
Benefits
- Health, vision, dental
- Remote or hybrid flexibility
- Marketing tools budget provided
Qualifications
- 4+ years in marketing — B2B or SaaS preferred
- Strong writer — not just someone who manages writers
- Makes decisions on data, not gut feeling alone
Template 7 — Entry-Level Customer Success Associate
Job Details [Company name] is hiring a Customer Success Associate — entry level, built for someone who wants real ownership of customer relationships and a genuine path to a senior role within two years.
About the Company [Company name] serves [X] customers across [X] industries. CS sits at the center of retention and account growth here. We have promoted [X] CS Associates internally in the last [X] years.
Role
- Onboard new customers and get them to value quickly
- Own a portfolio of [X] accounts as primary contact
- Flag churn risk early — don't wait for it to become obvious
- Respond to customer questions same day where possible
- Bring customer feedback patterns back to the product team
Benefits
- Health, vision, dental
- 401(k)
- Mentorship from senior CS team
- Path to CS Manager within 18–24 months
Qualifications
- No specific degree required
- Good written communicator — most of this job is email
- Any customer-facing experience counts — retail, support, hospitality
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is a job description in plain terms?
A written summary of what a role involves, what it requires, and what the company offers. Not a task list — a full picture.
What should every job description example include?
Role purpose, responsibilities, required versus preferred qualifications, reporting structure, and compensation.
How do you write job responsibilities that actually work?
Start each one with an action verb. Be specific. If it could appear on any job posting in your industry unchanged, rewrite it.
How often should a job description sample be updated?
Every time the role changes — and at minimum once a year. Copying last year's version without checking it is how inaccurate postings happen.
Why do most job description templates fail?
They mix required and preferred qualifications, skip compensation, and list responsibilities so vague they could mean anything.
