What's Wrong With Job Listings Today?

Your job listing should be written with the same care candidates (are supposed to) take when writing their resume. Both are equally important in the relationship between employer and job seeker.

Writing a job listing is a skill like any other in business today. Some people make their whole careers out of learning what works and advising others on how to do it right (experts like Katrina Kibben come to mind). These folks are worth every penny.

Job seekers may not know what makes for a good job listing but they can spot a bad one from a mile away.

Bad job listings don't just fail at attracting the attention of top candidates, they actively turn the pool of candidates away from your organization, tarnishing your reputation in a job market that requires every edge to stay competitive.

Writing a bad job listing must be easy because so many employers seem to do it. If it's that easy to do it wrong, how difficult is it to do it right?

We've seen our share of bad job listings, but we've also seen some good ones. Gathering our own observations and capturing advice from hiring experts, we've assembled this guide to writing a winning job listing.

Purpose of a Job Listing

Your job listing has a purpose and it's not to attract job seekers in the generic sense. This is not a numbers game and — counterintuitively — having a large volume of candidates isn't necessarily your objective.

You have an open role within your organization, and somewhere out there is the perfect person to fill it. Your job listing's objective is to make that candidate aware of that opening and motivate them to join your team.

The perfect hire is out there and your job listing needs to "speak" to that individual.

Although your listing needs to include various facts and bits of information about the role specifically and your organization in general, it is still in its essence a marketing tool.

A job listing, in its essence, can be thought of as a marketing tool.

You must sell the role (in an honest way!) to that perfect candidate. Here's how.

Write a Winning Job Listing

Write the job description the way you'd describe the opening to someone in person.

Let's say you meet someone at a networking event and after you describe your company, the conversation goes something like this:

"It's nice to meet you! Your company sounds like a cool place to work. Do you have any job openings?"

You can respond in one of two ways. Which sounds more compelling to you?

Response A:

"Yes, as a matter of fact we do. We're currently looking for a leader of our backend development team, someone who's got at least two years of direct team leadership experience with an emphasis on hybrid work."

Response B:

"I'm glad you asked. Our team of backend developers, many of whom work remotely, has an urgent need for someone to lead them and be a catalyst for their success. We need someone who not only understands the technical side of what the teams does, but can bridge the gap between them and the executive team. They need to speak "geek" as well as "business suit" equally well. It's a great opportunity for someone with a technical background but also team leadership chops as well."

Fundamentals of a Great Job Listing

Let's talk basics. A job listing is a marketing document that sells the open role to the ideal candidate. It must resonate with them in a way that makes them motivated to be part of your team.

But that can't happen if the ideal candidate never finds your job listing in the first place.

Pay attention to your job title. If you're trying to be clever by using a catchy but oblique title in the listing, candidates won't find it.

If your job listing is for "Code Monger", software development candidates will never see it.

Some positions are perennial within your organization. Either through growth or turnover (which is it's own kind of employment cancer; that's for another article), you are always hiring for a particular position. Don't be afraid to A/B test different job titles for the same position. Measure not only the number of candidates but the quality of candidates who apply.

Filling an open role is ultimately about quality, not quantity.

Why is Writing So Hard?

Many business leaders struggle with what to write in a job listing, especially in small- to medium-sized companies where they have to wear many different hats. In that case, rely on what you know.

Put yourself in the hypothetical "elevator conversation" scenario where you describe an opening to someone who asks, "What positions are you trying to fill right now?"

How would you describe the opening verbally? Take that as inspiration and write what you'd say. You can always edit it as appropriate and get feedback from others on your team, but use that as a starting point. This helps you get over blank-page syndrome when you don't know where to start.

It's easier to edit than to create, so get something down on paper and then revise it later.

Be Realistic

Remember what we said about A/B testing? This applies to the position itself.

If your job listing is what the job seekers are looking for and the description has that marketing verve but you're not getting applications, consider your job requirements.

Are you asking for a level of experience that is rare for that position? We've seen examples of employers asking for 6+ years of experience in a technology that has only existed for three years.

You don't necessarily have to change the requirements of the role itself, but be honest with yourself about what the candidate absolutely must have on Day One versus what they can gain in a reasonable amount of time after the hire.

Is there a large disconnect between your required level of experience and the relatively low amount you're willing to pay? Don't ask for 3+ years of experience in a job that is listed as entry level.

Do your market research. Surf the job boards yourself and see what other employers in your industry and geographical area (if relevant) are paying. Are you offering less than your competitors?

Answer some hard questions, and be honest.

Why would a job seeker apply to work for you if your competitors will pay them more for the same job?

Message Matters

Do you have implicit biases in your wording? This often goes under the radar, so rely on online listing analyzation tools or even outside experts to review your job listing to look for words or phrases that might be turning away otherwise qualified candidates.

The formatting and length of your job listing can be a turn-off. If you have too many bullet points or an especially long list of requirements, many job seekers will just assume they aren't qualified (even if they are) and move on to other openings.

Be clear about what is a hard requirement for the position and what are nice-to-haves. Don't be afraid to use real language.

"It's great if you have five years or more of team leadership experience, but if you have less than that we still encourage you to apply."

Don't Derail Your Job Listing's Chances of Success

Finally, here are some serious gotchas that will derail your talent acquisition efforts.

It is estimated that 4 out of 10 job postings today are "ghost jobs."

Ghost jobs are openings for positions that either don't exist or are never intended to be filled. They can also be outdated listings that have been filled but haven't been taken down from the job boards.

The fugitive was caught but their wanted poster is still posted all over town.

Reputation is an increasing factor for both employers and job seekers. Employers review the social media profiles of job seekers to find out if they exhibit behavior that might damage the company's reputation. Conversely, job seekers review sites like GlassDoor.com and even customer service forums to find out if the company leadership poorly treats their staff.

When job seekers find out that you have ghost job listings on all the popular job boards, they will discount the ones that are legitimate. (The boy who cried wolf.)

Ghosting carries forward in the hiring process. Just like employers don't like it when candidates "ghost" them by not showing up for interviews, that courtesy goes both ways.

Communicate with candidates throughout the process by letting them know in a timely manner if they've advanced to the next level or not.

Word gets around and if candidates feel like your organization is flakey and doesn't act with integrity, nobody will want to work for you (even your current employees may feel increased compulsion to work elsewhere).

When it comes to your job listings, it helps to get second opinions. If you're hiring for a new team member or team lead, get other members on that team to review the listing.

Don't be afraid to hire outside expertise to review your listings, especially for jobs that are traditionally hard to fill or when you're just not getting any qualified bites.

If spending $100 on an expert opinion can save you $1,000 in headache, it's well worth the expense. Few things can damage your operations more deeply than a bad hire.