how to write job descriptions that attract talent

A great job description is a marketing document for your company. It should attract the right candidates while filtering out poor fits. Most job descriptions fail at both.

why job descriptions matter

Candidates judge your company by your job descriptions. A poorly written JD signals a poorly run company. Great JDs attract more and better applicants.

the ideal structure

1. Job title (clear, searchable) 2. Hook (why this role is exciting) 3. About the company (brief, compelling) 4. Responsibilities (what they'll do) 5. Requirements (must-haves vs nice-to-haves) 6. Benefits (compensation, perks, culture) 7. How to apply (clear next steps)

writing compelling job titles

Skip internal jargon. Use titles candidates actually search for: - "Marketing Manager" not "Growth Ninja" - "Software Engineer" not "Code Wizard" - "Sales Representative" not "Revenue Generator"

Include level when relevant (Senior, Junior, Lead).

the opening hook

Start with why someone should care: - Impact they'll have - Interesting challenges they'll solve - Growth opportunities

Skip: "We are looking for a..." Try: "Shape the future of [industry] by..."

responsibilities section

• Start with the most exciting responsibilities
• Use action verbs (lead, build, create, drive)
• Be specific about scope and impact
• Keep it to 6-8 bullet points

requirements: be realistic

The requirements section is where most companies go wrong: - Separate must-haves from nice-to-haves - Don't require 10 years for a mid-level role - Research shows women apply when meeting 100% of requirements, men at 60% - Overblown requirements shrink your candidate pool

salary transparency

Include salary ranges. Job posts with salary information get significantly more applicants. It also saves everyone time by filtering budget mismatches early.

show your culture

Let your company personality come through: - Use your authentic voice - Mention real perks, not ping pong tables - Include information about team dynamics - Be honest about challenges

inclusive language

Avoid gendered language and corporate jargon: - "You'll manage a team" not "He/she will manage" - Remove aggressive language ("crush it", "dominate") - Use tools to check for bias in your language

common mistakes

• Listing 20+ requirements
• Copy-pasting competitor JDs
• Boring, corporate-speak tone
• Hiding compensation details
• Unclear or confusing job titles
• No information about the actual team

format for readability

• Use bullet points
• Break up text with headers
• Keep paragraphs short
• Bold key information

A job description is often a candidate's first impression of your company. Make it count.