Writing Job Advertisements That Stand the Test of Time

What if we made job postings more user-centric? Great products are designed with the customer in mind. Great hiring processes are designed with the candidate in mind. Their goals Their needs Their pain points Most job postings are at a huge disconnect from what job seekers are actually looking for when deciding what to apply for. Too vague Too wordy Too confusing Not enough info Unclear expectations  Filled with buzzwords Stifling qualifications lists Missing details candidates care about All this results in lower quality applicant pools, mismatched expectations, misaligned roles, frustrated candidates, and frustrated hiring teams. Instead of unhelpful jargon, cliched language, and cagey details, The best job postings are ones that share more specifics, not less. Things like:   Salary Benefits Start date Responsibilities Interview process Team and manager  Problems you will solve How performance is measured How you will grow in 3, 6, 12 months Meanwhile, the minimum qualifications should be less specific. Only put what is truly REQUIRED. Lengthy laundry lists of must-haves do no one any favors. (unless you're hiring unicorns and not humans). Hiring teams that take a more intentional, user-centric approach, even at something that seems mundane like writing job postings will see: Higher quality applicant pools Better prepared candidates More engaged employees For job seekers out there: What things do you find MOST helpful in job postings?  What things are LEAST helpful? For hiring managers and recruiters out there: What are some of your go-to best practices for writing job postings? Here's a Venn diagram I made of some of my favorites :)

Job ads are hit or miss, but they work 100X better if you stop posting the legal job description HR created. Unfortunately most contractor's job ads all look the same - despite each company offering very different employment experiences. Here’s the truth: candidates don’t want a checklist. They want a story they can see themselves in. -What does success in the role look like after 90 days? -What kind of projects are they walking into? -How big is the team? Who do they report to? What tools are being used day to day? Do they have dedicated support staff? - What does the company stand for? These are the questions candidates are asking when they scroll through job boards. And they’re not looking for fluff—they’re looking for specifics that help them picture where they’ll be spending 40 hours a week. When we support hiring teams, we push them to go deeper. Not just what the job is, but what it feels like to do that job at your company. Describe the culture. Share the project scope. Highlight growth paths. That’s what turns a passive reader into an engaged applicant. Generic job ads attract generic candidates. But a clear, well-written story? That attracts the ones who actually want to be there!

Why aren’t my job ads working? If you’re brave enough to ask that question, you’re already ahead of 90% of your competition. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: Your copy-pasted, jargon-heavy, “rockstar ninja wanted” job post is sabotaging your whole recruitment campaign. And it’s not your fault—the entire industry is stuck in this rut. This is what most jobs look like because of bad templates or poor use of AI... - Location: “Flexible” (what does that actually mean?) - Salary: “Competitive” (translation: you’ll find out after three interviews) - Duties: 30 bullet points ranging from “answer emails” to “change the world” - Company culture: “We’re a family” Do this instead... - Clear, standard job title (SEO wins) - 3 critical duties, not 15 - Salary range: numbers on the page, no smoke - 2 bullets on real benefits (not ping pong tables) - 3 sentences on culture, grounded in actual employee quotes - Apply in 2 minutes Stopped writing for yourself, and start writing for humans on their phones at 10pm. If your job ad can’t pass this test, you’re not attracting talent. You’re wasting budget. You don’t need longer ads. You need real ones—clear, concise, specific, respectful.

🚨 Your Job Ad Might Be Repelling Top Talent—Here’s Why 🚨 When was the last time you updated your job posting strategy? If your ads still look like a laundry list of responsibilities and requirements, you could be turning away the very candidates you’re trying to attract. 📢 Here’s the truth: A job ad isn’t just an announcement—it’s a first impression, a pitch, and a branding opportunity all rolled into one. And yet, most companies are making critical mistakes that hurt their hiring efforts. ✅ What top-performing job ads do differently: 🔹 Use clear, industry-standard titles (no more “Rockstars” or “Ninjas” 🚫) 🔹 Focus on outcomes & impact instead of vague buzzwords like “detail-oriented” 🔹 Showcase culture & values—because job seekers care about more than a paycheck 🔹 List salary ranges (Yes, transparency matters—ads with salaries see 27% higher application rates!) ❌ What to leave out: ⚠️ Unrealistic requirements (10+ years for an entry-level role? Really?) ⚠️ Generic phrases everyone claims to have (“team player,” “self-starter”) ⚠️ Perks that don’t move the needle (free snacks are great, but what about flexibility?) 🚀 Want to attract the right candidates—without wasting time filtering through the wrong ones? Read the full breakdown of what works, what doesn’t, and why it matters in our latest blog. What’s the worst job ad mistake you’ve seen? Drop it in the comments! ⬇️