Crafting Job Descriptions

Today's job descriptions are awful. They drive away top talent and waste everyone's time. Here are 8 things every great job description should include: 1. A Realistic Salary Range Sorry, but $0 - $400,000 isn’t a real range. You’re not fooling anyone with this. You’re just telling candidates that you think pay transparency isn’t something you’re serious about. 2. Location Transparency Remote means remote. Fully in office is fully in office. Saying a position is “remote” only to mention it’s hybrid or in office at the bottom doesn’t help anyone. 3. Clear, Realistic Qualifications Listing every platform, skill, and qualification imaginable in an industry isn’t realistic. Get clear on your needs and goals, research the specific skills this hire needs, and include them by name. 4. Who Will Excel in This Role Outline the ideal hire for this role, including: - Traits - Tendencies - Work Style - Cultural Fit Be specific and share examples! 5. Who Isn’t a Fit for This Role Outline who wouldn’t be a good fit for this role, including: - Expectations - Tendencies - Work Style - Cultural Fit Be specific and share examples here too. 6. Describe What Success Looks Like Describe what success will look like for this hire, including: - Tangible Goals - How Goals Are Calculated - How Goals Are Monitored - How Employees Are Supported In Reaching Goals 7. Describe the Team Culture Culture is key for both employers and employees. Describe yours including: - Work Style - Boundaries - Values - Expectations 8. Outline the Hiring Process Include a step-by-step timeline of the hiring process, including: - How many rounds - Stakeholders involved - Estimated response times Then stick to it. What did I miss?

Hiring managers, stop blaming the talent pool - maybe your job descriptions are the real problem. How often do we hear companies struggle to find the right talent?  What if the issue isn’t a lack of skilled professionals, but a lack of clarity in job descriptions? Take the Project Manager role, for example. Too often, job descriptions are filled with vague phrases like “strong communicator,” “problem solver,” or “ability to multitask,” which don’t explain what’s truly needed day-to-day. A clear job description goes beyond just listing soft skills. It should be specific about the actual tasks and responsibilities the role will involve, such as: 1. Managing 3-5 projects simultaneously, leading cross-functional teams (design, engineering, marketing) to deliver on-time with 95%+ completion rate. Creating and managing project timelines, ensuring 90% of milestones are met on schedule, with delays not exceeding 5% of the total timeline. 2. Coordinating with 5+ stakeholders and clients, managing scope changes, and achieving a 90% satisfaction rate in client feedback surveys. 3. Tracking and managing project budgets, maintaining expenses within 3-5% of the original budget, and identifying cost-saving opportunities worth 10% of the total budget. When you take the time to clearly define these tasks, you’ll attract candidates who are confident they can succeed in the role, rather than those who are simply guessing what the job entails. Clarity in job descriptions doesn’t just help you find better candidates, it saves everyone time and frustration. The more precise you are about what you need, the easier it is for both candidates and hiring managers to align. How do you ensure your job descriptions reflect what your team actually needs? Let’s discuss!

Your job description has 19 requirements. Most candidates stop reading long before the end. Every extra requirement is a psychological barrier, especially for women and underrepresented candidates. Harvard Business Review has highlighted a consistent pattern in application behavior: • Women tend to apply only when they meet a majority of listed qualifications • Men are more likely to apply when they meet fewer So long requirement lists don’t raise the bar. They shrink the pool. Common patterns in low-response job postings: • Inflated years of experience • Rigid degree requirements • Too many tools, frameworks, and platforms • “Fast-paced environment” and vague soft skills • Leadership and heavy execution in one role • Nice-to-haves disguised as must-haves The result: strong candidates self-select out before they ever apply. A better approach is ruthless prioritization. The 5–7 Requirement Framework Non-negotiables (2–3) The true deal-breakers. Skills you would not compromise on. High-impact skills (2–3) What actually drives success in the role. Growth signal (1) Evidence the person can learn and adapt quickly. Delete the rest. If you wouldn’t reject a strong candidate for missing it, it doesn’t belong as a requirement. The uncomfortable truth: ·     Overstuffed job descriptions don’t signal rigor. ·     They signal confusion about what really matters. ·     Top candidates have options. ·     They don’t decode laundry lists. They move on. Try this: ·     Open your longest job description. ·     Circle only the requirements you’d truly reject someone for lacking. ·     You’ll likely end up with 5–7. Rewrite the role using only those. Post it. Watch what changes. If this was useful, like it so others see it. Repost to help teams hire better. Follow for practical recruiting and leadership insights. What’s the most unnecessary requirement you’ve seen listed as “must-have”? #Recruiting #JobDescriptions #TalentAcquisition #Hiring

While I was helping a client with their job descriptions, I said something that stopped the conversation. “You don’t have a talent shortage. You have a job description problem.” If your job description looks like an unrealistic wish list, the best candidates may decide not to apply at all. Here’s the tough truth: You’re not searching for excellence. You’re looking for confidence, privilege, and sameness. Let’s get specific about what successful teams are changing: 1. Define outcomes, not credentials ↳ Stop listing too many requirements. ↳ Focus on what success looks like in the first 6–12 months. ↳ Separate must-haves from nice-to-haves. ↳ Only include degree requirements if they are legally needed. 2. Use inclusive, human language ↳ Use neutral titles and simple words. ↳ Use “you” instead of jargon. ↳ Remove masculine or exclusionary terms that suggest “you don’t belong here.” 3. Be clear about access ↳ Include salary range, location expectations, remote or hybrid options, flexible hours, and interview accommodations. ↳ Transparency is essential. 4. Keep requirements tight ↳ Limit must-haves to 5–7. ↳ Focus on skills and evidence of impact, rather than years of experience. 5. Show that everyone belongs ↳ Use structured interviews, provide mentorship, support employee resource groups (ERGs), and accommodate non-linear career paths. ↳ Clearly express your commitment. Now, consider this important question most teams avoid: 👉 What line in your current job description quietly excludes great candidates? Will you rewrite it today? ♻️ Repost to share this with your network.

Your job description is probably why you can't hire anyone! I see it every day! "Must have 10+ years experience" "Bachelor's degree required" "Expert in 15 different technologies" "Rockstar ninja who thrives in fast-paced environments" Here's what A-players see: A company that doesn't know what they actually need. A wish list, not a job. A role that probably doesn't exist. THE REAL PROBLEMS: Problem 1: You're listing every possible skill Instead of the 3-5 that actually matter for success in the role. Problem 2: Years of experience ≠ capability Someone with 3 years of focused experience often outperforms someone with 10 years of going through the motions. Problem 3: You're writing requirements, not selling opportunity A-players have options. They're evaluating YOU as much as you're evaluating them. HERE'S WHAT WORKS: Be honest about what you actually need: "You'll spend 60% of your time doing X, 30% on Y, 10% on Z" Focus on outcomes, not credentials: "You'll need to reduce our response time from 48 hours to 24 hours" Sell the growth, not just the job: "This role is the direct path to department leadership within 18 months" Show the problem they'll solve: "Our customer base doubled. Our support team didn't. You'll build the system that scales with us." I recently helped a client who had a role open 5 months... Their JD was 40+ bullet points long! We rewrote it to 12 lines focusing on: → The actual problem to solve → The impact they'd make → Where the role leads 3 weeks later: 18 qualified candidates. Interviewed their top 5, Hired their perfect candidate. The best job descriptions don't list requirements. They should paint a clear picture of success. Thoughts? Do you agree?

Your job posting reads like it was written in 1995. Just saw a job description for a VP of Product. Requirements: 5+ years experience Required skills: Communication, leadership Must have: BA/BS degree Groundbreaking. Meanwhile, the top candidate in my network wants to know: What broken systems will I fix? What impact can I have in 6-12 months? What roadblocks stand in my way? Your bulleted list of requirements isn't attracting anyone. It's filtering. It's gatekeeping. It's boring. Most job descriptions focus on what companies want. Few focus on what talent needs to see. A startup just rewrote their CRO posting. Old version: Required skills, years of experience, tech stack. New version: The legacy system you'll rebuild. The team culture you'll shape. The technical debt you'll tackle. Applications tripled. Top talent isn't looking for jobs. They're looking for impact. They're looking for challenges. They're looking for meaning. Stop writing job descriptions that read like shopping lists. Start writing invitations to solve meaningful problems. Your job description should make someone think: "This is exactly the challenge I've been looking for." Not: "I guess I check those boxes." #Recruiting #Hiring #JobDescriptions #TalentAcquisition