A good remote job description should tell candidates what the job is, what will be expected of them, and whether the position fits their circumstances. It should also give them enough information to decide if they want to apply.
That sounds simple, but many job postings leave important details unclear.
Start With a Clear Job Title
The job title is one of the first things a candidate sees. It also affects how the position appears in job searches.
A company might use an internal title such as “Growth Ninja” or “Customer Happiness Hero,” but those names are unlikely to be what candidates type into a search box.
Someone looking for a support role is much more likely to search for “Customer Support Specialist” than “Customer Happiness Hero.”
Better: Remote Customer Support Specialist
Less useful: Customer Happiness Hero
Keep the title recognizable and specific. If the job is remote, say so, but don’t let the word “remote” replace the actual job title.
Put the Important Details Near the Top
Candidates usually do not read a job posting from beginning to end before deciding whether it interests them.
According to LinkedIn Talent Solutions, candidates spend around 14 seconds reviewing a job post before deciding whether to continue. That makes the first part of the listing particularly important.
The opening section should quickly answer basic questions about the opportunity:
- What is the position?
- Is it fully remote or hybrid?
- Where can the employee be located?
- What type of employment is offered?
- What are the main responsibilities?
- What qualifications are required?
- What is the salary or compensation range?
There is nothing wrong with introducing the company, but candidates should not have to read several paragraphs of corporate background before finding out what the job involves.
Be Clear About Where the Job Can Be Done
“Remote” can mean different things from one company to another.
Some employers hire internationally. Others only accept candidates who live in a particular country, state, or time zone. A company may also require employees to be available during certain hours.
Spell this out in the posting.
For example:
- Location: United States
- Work arrangement: Fully remote
- Required availability: 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Eastern Time
- Travel: Occasional company meetings
This can save time for both sides. A candidate who cannot work within the required time zone can rule out the position before submitting an application.
Describe the Actual Work
The responsibilities section should give candidates a realistic idea of what they will be doing.
Compare these two examples:
Responsible for supporting company growth.
and:
- Manage paid search campaigns across Google and Bing.
- Review campaign performance and prepare monthly reports.
- Work with the content team on landing-page improvements.
- Test new acquisition channels and report results to the marketing manager.
The second version gives the candidate something concrete to evaluate. It also helps people with relevant experience recognize themselves in the posting.
Don’t Turn Every Skill Into a Requirement
Job descriptions often become unnecessarily long because employers list every skill that might be useful.
It is better to separate genuine requirements from preferences.
Required:
- 3+ years of B2B sales experience
- Strong written and verbal communication
- Experience with a CRM
Preferred:
- SaaS sales experience
- Familiarity with HubSpot
- Previous experience working remotely
This distinction matters. A candidate who meets every essential requirement should not assume they are unqualified simply because they have not used one particular software platform before.
The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), a professional association for HR and workplace professionals, recommends making the essential functions and requirements of a position clear in the job description.
Include a Salary Range
Compensation is one of the first things many candidates want to know.
If the company can publish a range, it is more useful than saying that the salary is “competitive.”
For example:
Salary: $60,000–$75,000 per year, depending on experience.
If there is a commission, bonus, equity package, or another variable component, explain it. Remote employers should also mention whether pay depends on where the employee lives.
A candidate should not have to go through several interview rounds before discovering that the salary is outside their expectations.
Explain How the Remote Team Actually Works
Two companies can both advertise a position as “fully remote” while offering very different working environments.
Candidates may want to know:
- When is the team expected to be online?
- How often are meetings held?
- Which communication tools are used?
- How much overlap is required with other time zones?
- Does the company provide a laptop or other equipment?
- How are performance and goals managed?
- What does onboarding look like?
For example, “remote-friendly culture” tells a candidate very little.
“Employees can work from anywhere in the US and should be available for team meetings between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. ET” is much more useful.
Replace Vague Language With Specifics
Words such as “dynamic,” “fast-paced,” “flexible,” and “innovative” appear in thousands of job postings. On their own, they do not tell candidates much.
If flexibility is important, explain what it means.
Instead of:
We offer a flexible remote working environment.
Try:
Employees can work from anywhere in the US and set their own schedule outside the team’s core hours of 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. ET.
The second version gives candidates something they can actually use when deciding whether the role is right for them.
Show What the Employer Offers
The job description should not only explain what the company expects. It should also tell candidates what they receive in return.
Depending on the employer, that might include:
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
- Retirement contributions
- Home-office equipment
- Professional development
- Learning budgets
- Flexible schedules
- Paid parental leave
For remote positions, practical benefits can be especially relevant. A laptop allowance, home-office budget, or coworking allowance may be more meaningful to a remote employee than a generic statement about having a “great workplace culture.”
Make the Application Process Easy to Understand
A candidate should know what happens after clicking “Apply.”
The posting can briefly explain:
- What the applicant needs to submit.
- Whether a resume, portfolio, or work samples are required.
- How many interview stages there are.
- Whether applicants complete a skills test.
- When they can expect an update.
This does not need to be a long section. A few clear sentences can be enough.
Use Search-Friendly Language Without Stuffing Keywords
Job seekers search for specific roles and skills, so employers should use familiar terms in the job title and description.
For a remote data analyst position, for example, relevant terms might include “Data Analyst,” “SQL,” “Excel,” “data visualization,” and the analytics tools used by the company.
There is no need to repeat the same keyword throughout the posting. The description should still sound like it was written for a person rather than a search engine.
Track What Happens After Publication
Publishing the job is not the end of the process.
Employers can look at several numbers to see whether the posting is doing its job:
- Job post views
- Applications
- Qualified applications
- Candidate source
- Candidates reaching the interview stage
- Time to fill
- Candidate drop-off
The numbers can point to different problems.
If a posting gets plenty of views but very few applications, the issue could be the salary, requirements, description, or the way the opportunity is presented.
If applications are high but very few candidates meet the requirements, the job may be attracting the wrong audience.
SHRM’s recruiting resources also emphasize using hiring data and business needs when evaluating recruiting strategies.
In other words, a job description does not have to stay unchanged just because it has already been published.
A Practical Structure to Follow
A remote job posting does not need a complicated format. This structure covers the information most candidates will want:
Job Title
Use a clear, searchable title.
Use a clear, searchable title.
Location and Work Arrangement
State whether the job is fully remote, hybrid, or restricted to particular locations.
State whether the job is fully remote, hybrid, or restricted to particular locations.
About the Role
Explain what the position is responsible for.
Explain what the position is responsible for.
Responsibilities
List the main tasks and expected outcomes.
List the main tasks and expected outcomes.
Required Qualifications
Include the skills and experience that are genuinely necessary.
Include the skills and experience that are genuinely necessary.
Preferred Qualifications
Add useful extras separately.
Add useful extras separately.
Compensation and Benefits
Include salary and the most important benefits.
Include salary and the most important benefits.
How the Team Works
Explain hours, time zones, meetings, and communication.
Explain hours, time zones, meetings, and communication.
Application Process
Tell candidates what they need to submit and what happens next.
Tell candidates what they need to submit and what happens next.
Roman Bukshak, Head of Growth at Online.jobs, says:
“The best job descriptions make it easy for candidates to understand what they are applying for. For remote roles, that means being upfront about the work itself, location requirements, compensation, and how the team operates. Clear information helps employers attract people who are a better match while saving candidates time when a role isn’t right for them.”
About Online.jobs
Online.jobs is a remote job platform connecting professionals with companies offering remote work opportunities across a range of industries and roles.
Sources
SHRM — Beginner's Guide to Clear, Effective Job Descriptions: https://www.shrm.org/topics-tools/news/blogs/beginners-guide-clear-effective-job-description
SHRM — Optimize Your Hiring Strategy With Business-Driven Recruiting: https://www.shrm.org/topics-tools/tools/toolkits/optimize-hiring-strategy-with-business-driven-recruiting
SHRM — Recruiting Benchmarking: https://www.shrm.org/topics-tools/research/recruiting-benchmarking
LinkedIn Talent Solutions — job description and recruiting resources: https://business.linkedin.com/talent-solutions