You write what you think is the perfect medical or pharmaceutical sales job description and post it on an industry job board. You sit back and wait for the applications to roll in but nothing happens. Sure, you get a few candidates, but you’re going to need more than a handful of resumes to fill your open medical or pharma sales jobs in a reasonable amount of time.

The job post could be your problem. You could be leaving out critical information job seekers want before they apply for a position.

Before you publish your job post, check that it has these essential elements:

Detailed medical and pharmaceutical sales job descriptions

It’s no surprise that according to a survey conducted by Jobvite, 77.3 percent of job seekers said the job description was the most useful information in a job posting. Medical sales professionals want to know what they will be doing and what you expect from them. Medical and pharmaceutical sales job descriptions should include:

• Specific responsibilities of the job

• Unique skills needed for the position

• What makes the job different from other sales positions

Readable text

No one wants to read long blocks of text, especially when using a smartphone or other mobile device. We found that 90 percent of medical sales reps surveyed reported they’re using mobile devices in their job searches. Medical and pharmaceutical sales job descriptions should be brief and easy to read:

• Separate information into categories that are easy to scan

• Use bullet points when appropriate

• Give an overview of the position that is specific enough to attract job seekers’ attention and short enough to keep it

• Don’t specify every possible task associated with the role

Accurate information

A survey conducted by CareerBuilder revealed that 43 percent of respondents found out the actual job description did not match what was written in the job ad during their interview. If your job post doesn’t accurately represent the position, you’re wasting everyone’s time.

Before posting:

• Draft a list of the responsibilities of the job

• Review the list and eliminate any irrelevant tasks

• Have a manager or employee in a similar position review the list for accuracy

• Include a list of bullet points of the absolute prerequisites for the position

Compensation details

Salary ranges and benefits details may be considered sensitive information, but if you fail to show medical sales reps the money, they won’t want to apply for the position. Numbers speak louder than words. Add compensation details to boost applications:

• Include the base medical sales salary

• Show the commission range employees can earn

• Be honest with the numbers, but show what the best performers can expect to make

Unique highlights

Your job post needs to stand out. Avoid bland, generic statements like:

• “great company”

• “awesome benefits”

• “fun culture”

• “state-of-the-art environment”

Instead, be specific. Highlight the unique aspects of the position by asking yourself these questions:

• Why would a medical sales rep want to work here?

• What makes the position a good opportunity?

• What sets the job apart from similar ones?

Simple but specific titles

Job titles need to be simple enough for job seekers to find with keywords in a search, but interesting enough to draw their attention. Creative, cutesy titles will turn-off professionals.

Instead, they should include a distinguishing characteristic such as:

• The product the employee will sell

• The target market

• Something special or unique about your brand

Politeness

No one wants to work with rude or abrasive recruiters or hiring managers. When crafting your job post, avoid:

• Using all caps

• Explicitly stating who shouldn’t apply for the job

Simple application steps

Don’t direct candidates to apply on your ATS. Medical sales professionals are busy. They don’t want to spend a half hour creating a login and completing a lengthy application process on your website. Make it simple and easy for candidates:

• Allow applicants to apply with their resume in one click

• Enable candidates to apply with their LinkedIn profiles

• If you think a candidate is good match, follow-up and have them complete the full application

Creating successful medical and pharmaceutical sales job descriptions isn’t rocket science, but it does take some careful planning and attention to detail. Give candidates the information they want and watch your applications grow.