A job description is often the first thing a candidate reads about your business. If it is vague, the applications you receive will be vague too.

Start with the work, not the wish list

Describe what the person will actually do in the first six months. Candidates can picture a day of work far more easily than a list of adjectives.

Separate must-haves from nice-to-haves

Keep the required skills to the few that truly matter. A long list of requirements can put off capable people who meet most of them.

  • The core responsibilities, in plain language
  • The two or three skills the role cannot do without
  • The team the person will join and who they report to
  • Where the role is based and how the team works

Be straightforward about the basics

Say whether the role is permanent, where it is located and how the hiring process works. Honest detail saves time on both sides and attracts people who are genuinely interested.

Use language people actually search for

Candidates look for jobs by typing familiar titles into search boxes. A creative internal title may feel on-brand, but if nobody searches for it, nobody finds the advert. Use the common name for the role and add your own flavour in the description.

Show what growth looks like

Most people want to know where a role can lead. You do not need to promise promotions. Describe the kind of learning, responsibility or projects someone can expect over time, and be honest about what is and is not possible.

Read it once as a candidate

Before publishing, read the description as someone who has never heard of your business. Would you understand what the job is, what it needs and what happens next? If a colleague outside the hiring team can summarise the role after one read, the description is doing its job.

Mistakes that put good people off

  • Copying an old description without checking that the role still looks the same
  • Listing every task anyone in the team has ever done
  • Filling the page with internal jargon and acronyms
  • Asking for more years of experience than the tools or the role could possibly allow
  • Using stock phrases like 'fast-paced, dynamic environment' that tell the reader nothing

Make the next step obvious

Tell people how to apply, who will read the application and what happens afterwards. Even a single sentence such as 'We review applications weekly and invite shortlisted candidates to a first conversation' reduces uncertainty and encourages people to apply.

A job description is the start of a conversation, not a contract. Invite questions, and make sure the person who answers them knows the role well.