# Jd > Write and improve job descriptions with inclusive language. Activate for: job description, JD, job posting, role description, job advert, vacancy description, job specification, person specification, write a job description, improve job description, inclusive job description, job requirements, role requirements, hiring, recruiting, talent acquisition, position description, role profile, what to put in job description. NOT for: interview questions or scorecards (use interview-prep), offer letters (use draft-offer), compensation benchmarking (use comp-analysis). - Skill: `panaversity/jd` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 5 files) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add panaversity/jd` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/panaversity/jd/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Coding & Dev Tools - License: Apache-2.0 - Author: panaversity (https://skillmd.com/u/panaversity) - Updated: 2026-09-17 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/panaversity/jd --- ## UNIVERSAL RULES (apply to every job description task) - NEVER produce a JD with salary listed as "competitive" -- always include a range; omitting the range deters good candidates - NEVER list more than 5 essential requirements without questioning whether all are genuinely essential - NEVER use "rockstar", "ninja", "guru" or similar -- these are exclusionary and have no descriptive value - NEVER omit the equal opportunities statement - NEVER omit the reasonable adjustments offer -- this is both good practice and a legal requirement in many jurisdictions - NEVER write requirements in terms of years of experience with a specific tool when you mean proficiency at a skill level - ALWAYS apply the inclusive language check automatically to every JD ## BEFORE IMPLEMENTATION | Source | Check | | ----------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Conversation** | Role details (title, department, seniority level), team context, salary range, location and working pattern | | **hr.local.md** | Equal opportunities statement, company description, benefits list, reasonable adjustments wording | | **Prior outputs** | /match output if this JD is succession-driven (use the role requirements already defined) | ## CLARIFICATION QUESTIONS **Required** (ask if not provided): - What is the role title and seniority level? - Which team or department is this role in? - What does this person actually do (the work, not the requirements)? **Optional** (ask if context suggests value): - What is the salary range for this role? - Is this role remote, hybrid, or office-based? - Are there specific technical skills or tools required? **If information is missing**: Use hr.local.md for company description, equal opportunities statement, and benefits. State "salary range not provided — recommend adding before publishing" in the output. ## MANDATORY OUTPUT HEADER Every output must begin with: ``` TASK: Job Description -- [Role Title] DOCUMENT TYPE: Job Description JURISDICTION: [From hr.local.md or user input] CONFIGURATION: [hr.local.md loaded / best practices] SENSITIVITY: ROUTINE ``` ## JOB DESCRIPTION WORKFLOW ### The Four JD Principles PRINCIPLE 1: CANDIDATE'S PERSPECTIVE FIRST Write from the candidate's perspective, not the organisation's. "You will own financial analytics and investor reporting" > "Responsible for financial analytics and investor reporting" The candidate asks: "what will I actually do and why does it matter?" Answer that question first. PRINCIPLE 2: LEAD WITH THE WORK, NOT THE REQUIREMENTS Structure: The work > Impact > Requirements > Offer Most JDs do the opposite: requirements first, work buried at the bottom. Candidates decide whether to apply based on the work, not the requirements. Put the work first. PRINCIPLE 3: CALIBRATE REQUIREMENTS RUTHLESSLY Separate ESSENTIAL from BENEFICIAL with discipline. Rule: An essential requirement is one where the absence of it makes the candidate unable to do the job. Everything else is BENEFICIAL. Most JDs list 15 "essential" requirements. Most have 3-5 genuine ones. Over-specification deters qualified candidates who don't match every item. PRINCIPLE 4: INCLUSIVE LANGUAGE BY DEFAULT Apply the inclusive language check to every JD automatically. Do not wait to be asked. ### Phase 1: Gather Information Collect from user or hr.local.md: - Role title and department - Work description (what this person will actually do) - Essential requirements (genuine must-haves only) - Beneficial requirements (nice-to-haves) - Salary range (mandatory -- not "competitive") - Location and working pattern - Company context (from hr.local.md or user input) ### Phase 2: Structure the JD SECTION 1: ROLE AND COMPANY (2-3 sentences) One sentence on the company (what it does and why it matters) One sentence on the team context (who they work with; team size) One sentence on why this role matters now SECTION 2: THE WORK (3-5 bullet points) What this person will actually do, day-to-day and longer term. Use active verbs: "Build", "Lead", "Own", "Design", "Analyse" Include: one aspirational element ("you will have the opportunity to...") Avoid: task lists that sound like a job manual SECTION 3: WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR Essential (3-5 items maximum -- enforce this): - [Skill or quality] -- explain why it is essential if not obvious Beneficial (not required): - [Items that would help but are not blockers] Character / ways of working: - [1-2 items about how they work, not what they know] SECTION 4: WHAT WE OFFER Salary: [Range -- always include a range] Benefits: [Key items from hr.local.md] Location and working pattern Growth / development opportunity (if genuine -- do not fabricate) SECTION 5: HOW TO APPLY + EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES Application instructions Equal opportunities statement (load standard from hr.local.md) Reasonable adjustments offer (always include) ### Phase 3: Inclusive Language Check Apply to every JD without being asked: REMOVE these words/phrases: Gender-coded masculine: "rockstar", "ninja", "guru", "dominate", "aggressive growth", "crushing it", "killing it", "hunt" Gender-coded feminine: "nurturing", "collaborative" as the only descriptor Age-coded: "young and dynamic", "recent graduate" (unless required), "digital native", "energetic young team" Unnecessary specificity: "5 years in [specific tool]" (replace with "proficiency in [tool category]"); "degree in [specific subject]" unless genuinely required Requirements that mask experience bias: "culture fit" (too vague; replace with specific behaviours); "startup experience required" unless genuinely relevant FLAG for review: Any requirement listed as essential with a years-of-experience threshold that could be replaced with a skills/competency description. Years of experience predicts tenure, not ability. ALWAYS INCLUDE: Salary range (or "competitive" is not acceptable -- be specific) Reasonable adjustments offer Equal opportunities statement Hybrid/remote flexibility if it exists ### Phase 4: Requirements Calibration Test Before finalising the essential requirements list: For each "essential" item, ask: "Could a highly capable candidate do this job well without this?" If YES -> move to BENEFICIAL If NO -> keep as ESSENTIAL Rule: If your essential list has more than 5 items, at least 2 of them are almost certainly BENEFICIAL masquerading as ESSENTIAL. ## OUTPUT FORMAT ``` TASK: Job Description -- [Role Title] DOCUMENT TYPE: Job Description JURISDICTION: [From hr.local.md or user input] CONFIGURATION: [hr.local.md loaded / best practices] SENSITIVITY: ROUTINE [ROLE TITLE] -- [DEPARTMENT] [Company] | [Location] | [Salary Range] THE WORK [3-5 bullet points, active verbs, candidate perspective] WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR Essential: - [Requirement -- why it is essential if not obvious] Beneficial (not required): - [Item] Character / ways of working: - [1-2 items] WHAT WE OFFER [Salary, benefits, location, growth] HOW TO APPLY [Instructions] [Equal opportunities statement from hr.local.md] [Reasonable adjustments offer] INCLUSIVE LANGUAGE CHECK: [Pass/Fail with specific findings] [Requirements calibration status] ``` ## NEVER DO THESE - NEVER produce a JD with a salary listed as "competitive" -- this is the single most effective way to deter good candidates - NEVER list more than 5 essential requirements without questioning whether all 5 are genuinely essential - NEVER use "rockstar", "ninja", "guru" or similar -- these are exclusionary and have no descriptive value - NEVER omit the equal opportunities statement - NEVER omit the reasonable adjustments offer -- this is both good practice and a legal requirement in many jurisdictions - NEVER write requirements in terms of years of experience with a specific tool when you mean proficiency at a skill level ## AUTHORITATIVE SOURCES - CIPD (cipd.org) — Recruitment and talent planning resources, inclusive recruitment guidance - SHRM (shrm.org) — Job description toolkit, competency-based job analysis resources - EEOC (eeoc.gov) — Pre-employment inquiry guidelines, ADA compliance for job postings - Textio (textio.com) — Research on inclusive language impact in job descriptions ALL OUTPUTS REQUIRE REVIEW BY A QUALIFIED PROFESSIONAL BEFORE USE IN BUSINESS DECISIONS.