Writing Job Descriptions That Don't Drive Away Good Candidates

Job descriptions are marketing documents. They're the first thing a candidate reads, and they determine whether someone who would be great at the role ever applies. Yet most are written as internal compliance documents - lists of requirements drafted by HR based on a previous version of the job, with qualifications inflated to cover every possible edge case.

The result: qualified candidates self-select out because the job sounds like it requires ten years of experience they don't have, while unqualified candidates apply anyway because they ignore the requirements. You get a big pile of wrong applications and a small pile of right ones.

Most job descriptions lead with a boilerplate company description, then list responsibilities, then requirements, with compensation mentioned last - if at all. Invert this. Lead with what makes this opportunity compelling: the problem the team is solving, why it's meaningful, and what the candidate will actually be doing week-to-week.

Compensation transparency dramatically increases application quality and reduces wasted time on both sides. Candidates who would never accept the salary stop applying. Candidates who would thrive at that compensation level apply with appropriate expectations. If you can't include a salary range, include enough context about the role level that a candidate can estimate it accurately.

Go through your requirements list and ask for each item: have we ever hired someone who lacked this and still excelled? If yes, it's probably a preference, not a requirement. Separate 'required' from 'nice to have' explicitly - and keep the required list short. Research consistently shows that women are less likely than men to apply unless they meet nearly all listed requirements, so every unnecessary requirement disproportionately narrows your diversity pool.

Remove years-of-experience requirements wherever possible. 'Five years of experience in X' is a proxy for skill level that often doesn't reflect actual skill level. Describe what you need the person to be able to do and test for it directly in the interview process.

Candidates want to know what they're signing up for. Describe the interview process: how many stages, what format each stage takes, and approximately how long it will take. This signals respect for their time and reduces dropout during the process.

Proofread and have someone who doesn't know the role well review it for clarity. If they have questions after reading, candidates will too. A confusing job description doesn't make you look exclusive - it makes you look disorganized.