A job description is an advertisement aimed at a specific worker, not a summary of your company. Most warehouse, manufacturing, and trades postings get this backwards: a few paragraphs about company values, then a wall of generic duties, then a single line about pay if it appears at all. The reliable forklift operator or machine operator you want reads dozens of these a week and skips the ones that do not quickly answer three questions: what is the work, what does it pay, and what is the shift.
Getting this right is now both a hiring advantage and a legal requirement. As of 1 January 2026, Ontario employers with 25 or more employees face new obligations for publicly advertised job postings under the Employment Standards Act, and several of those rules line up exactly with what makes a posting work. The nine fixes below cover both, and they apply to industrial roles across all major Canadian cities, with Ontario’s statutory detail flagged where it bites.
What Ontario’s New Job-Posting Rules Actually Require
A publicly advertised job posting is an external posting you advertise to the general public, for example on a job board, careers page, or social media. It does not include a general help-wanted notice that names no specific position, or an internal posting open only to existing staff. If you have 25 or more employees, postings in that public category now carry several mandatory elements.
In short, you must state the expected pay or a pay range, confirm whether the role is a real existing vacancy, drop any Canadian-experience requirement, and disclose if you use artificial intelligence to screen applicants. You must also tell interviewed candidates the outcome within 45 days. You can read the full set on the Ontario job-posting requirements page and the underlying Employment Standards Act. The fixes below turn each of these from a compliance chore into a posting that performs.
The 9 Fixes That Make an Industrial Job Description Work
1. Lead With the Pay Range
Why it matters. Pay is the first thing an industrial candidate checks, and a missing number is the most common reason a strong applicant skips your posting. Posting it is also now required in Ontario for employers with 25 or more staff, with any range kept within a 50,000 dollar spread.
What to do. State the hourly band and the shift premium plainly, for example 24.50 to 27.00 dollars per hour plus a 1.25 dollar afternoon premium. Wages include the rate, premiums, and most contractual allowances, but not tips, discretionary bonuses, or benefit contributions. If a candidate has to apply just to learn the pay, most of the good ones will not bother.
In practice. The strongest postings put the number in the first line: General Labourer, Afternoons, 24.50 to 27.00 dollars per hour plus premium, with the city. A worker scanning a job board on their phone decides in seconds, and a visible, competitive rate is what earns the tap. Treating pay as the headline rather than the fine print is the single highest-return change most employers can make to a posting.
2. Use a Specific Job Title, Not Warehouse Associate
Why it matters. Candidates search and self-select by the exact role they do. Warehouse associate could mean picking, packing, shipping, reach truck, or cleaning, so a generic title hides your posting from the very person you want, who is searching reach truck operator.
What to do. Name the role, the main equipment, and the shift in the title itself: Order Picker (Voice-Pick), Nights; CNC Machine Operator, Continental Shift; Shipper-Receiver, Day Shift. Keep the company name out of the title, since it adds nothing the candidate is searching for and pushes the useful words past where the job board cuts the line off.
In practice. The title is the only part of your posting most candidates ever read, because it is what shows in the search results before they click. A specific Order Picker, Nights stops the right person mid-scroll, while a generic Warehouse Associate is skimmed past by everyone searching for what they actually do. You are not describing the job to your HR system; you are competing for a glance.
3. State the Shift, Hours, and Start Date Up Front
Why it matters. Shift and schedule are the most common reason an industrial worker declines a role. Hiding the shift until the interview fills your pipeline with people who withdraw the moment they learn it, inflating your time to fill. The market is tight enough that clarity pays: Statistics Canada’s Job Vacancy and Wage Survey put the vacancy rate in transportation and warehousing at about 2.9 percent in early 2025, so the workers you want are choosing between many postings.
What to do. Put the pattern in plain words near the top: days of the week, start and end times, whether it rotates, and when the role starts. Monday to Friday, 3:00 pm to 11:30 pm, starting the week of 14 July tells the right person to apply and the wrong person to move on. That is a feature, not a loss.
In practice. Spell out the rotation if there is one, because experienced workers know a Continental or DuPont schedule is not for everyone and will screen themselves accordingly. A line as plain as two-on two-off, twelve-hour days and nights respects the reader’s time and yours, and it keeps your interview slots for people who can actually work the pattern rather than people who discover it and withdraw.
4. Describe the Physical Demands Honestly
Why it matters. Most first-week quits in industrial work are not about pay; they happen when the reality of lifting, standing, cold, or pace does not match what the candidate pictured. A posting that hides the hard parts wins the application and loses the worker, the most expensive outcome of all.
What to do. State the real demands: typical lifting weight and frequency, hours on your feet, freezer or high-heat exposure, and the expected pace. This also supports your duties under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, because candidates can raise accommodation needs before day one rather than after an injury.
In practice. The honest version reads like this: lifting up to 23 kilograms repeatedly, on your feet for the full shift, in a freezer environment around minus 20 degrees. That sentence loses the candidate who was never going to last and keeps the one who knows exactly what they are signing up for. The discomfort of writing it is far cheaper than the cost of a worker who quits on day two.
5. Name the Equipment, Certifications, and Systems
Why it matters. Listing the specific tools a worker will use signals that you understand the job. A skilled candidate reads experience with reach trucks, RF scanners, and a WMS very differently from must be hardworking and a team player. The first reads as a real role; the second reads as a posting written by someone who has never been on the floor.
What to do. Separate must-haves from nice-to-haves: which licences are required on day one, such as a valid forklift certification, which you will train, and which software or machinery they will run. For trades and technical roles, point to recognised training through resources such as BuildForce Canada so the requirement reads as a standard, not a barrier.
In practice. A short, honest requirements list beats a long wish list. Three real must-haves and two things you will train reads as a job a person can actually get, while a dozen non-negotiables reads as a wall and quietly tells strong, slightly imperfect candidates not to bother. Most employers lose good applicants not by asking for too little but by demanding too much on paper.
6. Confirm the Vacancy Is Real and Open
Why it matters. Experienced workers have learned to distrust evergreen pipeline ads that never lead anywhere, and many ignore them. Ontario now requires postings to state whether the position is for an existing vacancy, which also happens to be exactly the signal a serious candidate is looking for.
What to do. Add one honest line: this is an existing, open vacancy with an immediate start. If you are building a talent pool rather than filling a live role, say that instead. Either way the candidate knows what they are applying to, which is the foundation of trust in your employer brand.
In practice. One line does the work: this is an existing, open role with an immediate start. It costs nothing and it answers the unspoken question every experienced applicant brings to a posting, which is whether this is real or just a net. In a market where workers have choices, the posting that signals a genuine, fast decision gets the serious candidates first.
7. Remove Canadian-Experience Requirements
Why it matters. Canadian-experience requirements are now prohibited in Ontario job postings and application forms. They were always a poor proxy for skill anyway: a machine operator with eight years abroad can run your line as well as anyone, and screening them out on geography shrinks an already tight pool for no operational reason.
What to do. Replace the phrase with the actual capability you need: two years operating a reach truck, able to read a production schedule, comfortable on a fast-paced pick line. Screen for the skill, demonstrated in any country, and you will see more qualified applicants, not fewer.
In practice. The requirement was never measuring what employers thought it was. A machine operator with eight years on the same line abroad is not less capable for having earned it elsewhere, and the clause mostly screened out skilled newcomers who would have stayed and performed. Removing it is not only compliance; it is widening the funnel at exactly the point the labour market is tightest.
8. Disclose Any AI Used to Screen Applicants
Why it matters. If you use artificial intelligence to screen, assess, or select applicants, Ontario now requires you to disclose it in the posting. Many employers do not realise that the resume-ranking and keyword-filtering features inside common applicant tracking systems can meet the broad legal definition of AI, making this an easy and quiet compliance gap.
What to do. Audit how your postings are processed, and where an automated tool ranks or filters candidates, add a short, plain disclosure line. It costs nothing, removes a real legal exposure, and reassures candidates that a human still makes the hiring decision.
In practice. The disclosure can be a single sentence near the bottom of the posting: we use automated tools to help sort applications, and a member of our team reviews every shortlist. It satisfies the rule, sets an honest expectation, and quietly reassures candidates that a person, not a black box, stands behind the decision. The cost is one line; the exposure of staying silent is real.
9. Promise a Response Within 45 Days, and Keep It
Why it matters. Ontario employers must now tell interviewed candidates the outcome within 45 days. Industrial workers talk, and a reputation for interviewing people and then going silent spreads quickly through a local labour market you will need again next season.
What to do. Set the expectation in the posting itself: we respond to every interviewed candidate within 45 days. Then build the simple process to keep it, by email, phone, or your applicant tracking system. Candidates treated well reapply and refer others, lowering your cost to hire on the next role.
In practice. The employers with the best reputations treat the response as a system, not a kindness, sending every interviewed candidate a clear yes or no inside the window. Workers remember being ghosted and they talk, so the local pool you draw from next season is shaped by how you treated the one before. A prompt no costs you nothing and protects the brand you will need again.
Putting It All Together
Better job descriptions reduce hiring cost without adding headcount. Every wrong applicant your posting screens out before they apply, and every early quit it prevents by being honest, saves recruiter hours, re-advertising fees, and lost production. The nine fixes are a checklist, not a creative exercise. Run through them the next time you open a requisition:
- Pay band and shift premium in the first few lines
- A specific role title with the shift, no company name
- Schedule, hours, and start date stated up front
- Honest physical demands and working conditions
- Required versus preferred equipment, licences, and systems
- A line confirming the vacancy is real and open
- Skills-based requirements with no Canadian-experience clause
- An AI-screening disclosure where applicable, and a 45-day response promise
Hiring for an industrial role and want the posting to do the work? Trimax Employment writes compliant, high-converting job descriptions and sources screened industrial workers across all major Canadian cities. Get in touch with the role, the shift, and the pay, and we will help you fill it faster.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should a job description for a warehouse worker include?
It should include the specific role, the pay range, the shift and hours, the physical demands, and the required equipment or certifications, with pay and shift first. Under Ontario’s job-posting requirements, employers with 25 or more staff must also include expected compensation, confirm the vacancy is real, avoid Canadian-experience requirements, and disclose any AI screening.
Do I have to put salary in a job posting in Ontario?
Yes, if you have 25 or more employees. As of 1 January 2026, publicly advertised postings must state the expected pay or a pay range, and the range cannot span more than 50,000 dollars. The rule does not apply when the top of the range is above 200,000 dollars a year. The details are on the Ontario job-posting requirements page.
How long should an industrial job description be?
For most warehouse and manufacturing roles, roughly 300 to 500 words is enough to cover the role, pay, shift, demands, and requirements clearly. Front-load the details candidates scan for and cut the generic boilerplate, while making sure the posting still carries the content the Ontario Employment Standards Act now requires, such as expected pay.
Why are good workers not applying to my job posts?
Usually because of a missing pay range, a vague title, a hidden shift, or generic requirements that signal you do not understand the role. Strong candidates compare many postings quickly and skip the unclear ones. Posting pay is now also required in Ontario under the ESA job-posting rules, and doing it well usually lifts both volume and fit.
Can I still ask for Canadian experience in a job ad?
No. Ontario prohibits Canadian-experience requirements in publicly advertised job postings and application forms, as set out in the Ontario job-posting requirements. Screen for the actual skill or capability instead, demonstrated in any country, which also widens your qualified pool.
What is the 45-day rule for job interviews in Ontario?
Employers must tell candidates who were interviewed, within 45 days, whether a hiring decision has been made, in person, in writing, or through technology such as email or an applicant tracking system. It is part of the Ontario job-posting rules, and stating it in your posting strengthens your reputation locally.
Should I list pay as a range or an exact number?
Either works, but a tight range is usually best for industrial roles because it covers shift premiums and experience steps while staying specific. If you post a range in Ontario, the Employment Standards Act requires the spread to stay within 50,000 dollars. The key is that the candidate can tell, without applying, whether the job clears the pay they need.
Questions Employers Ask When Evaluating Staffing Agencies
How does a staffing agency work and what does it cost?
A staffing agency recruits, screens, and places workers, and for temporary placements it is usually the employer of record handling payroll, source deductions, and workplace coverage. Pricing is typically a markup on the pay rate for temporary roles, or a one-time fee for permanent hires. Trimax Employment works to a clear rate so you can compare the all-in cost against hiring directly.
What should I look for in a staffing agency in Canada?
Look for relevant industry experience, a real screening process, transparent pricing, and proof of compliance such as a valid licence where one is required. Ask how they verify skills and references and how fast they can fill roles. Trimax Employment serves employers across all major Canadian cities and is happy to walk through its screening and compliance in detail.
What is the difference between a temp agency and a recruitment agency?
A temp agency supplies workers for short-term or flexible assignments and usually stays the employer of record. A recruitment agency finds candidates for permanent roles and hands them to the client, who employs them directly. Many do both. Trimax Employment offers temporary, temp-to-permanent, and direct placement so the arrangement can match the role.
Who is responsible for safety and compliance for temp agency workers?
Responsibility is shared. The agency, as employer of record, handles payroll and many statutory obligations, while the client controls the worksite and must provide a safe environment, training, and supervision under occupational health and safety law. Trimax Employment sets clear expectations with clients on safety and supervision before workers start.
How do I know if a staffing agency places quality candidates?
Ask about the screening process, fill rate, retention of placed workers, and how the agency handles a placement that does not work out. Quality agencies measure these, share them, and back placements with a replacement guarantee. Trimax Employment reports on fill rate and retention and stands behind its placements so you can judge quality directly.
