Crafting Job Descriptions That Attract Top Talent: A Complete Guide

Most hiring managers are writing job descriptions wrong...

If you want to know how to write a job description that actually attracts the right candidates, this episode is your blueprint.

I’ll unpack why some roles get flooded with qualified applicants while others barely get a glance. Spoiler: it’s not just the job itself—it’s how you talk about it. In this episode, I break down the strategy behind writing job descriptions that convert, treating them like the powerful marketing assets they are.

You’ll learn the seven must-have elements every effective job post should include, from crafting a compelling title and writing a strong intro, to using action-driven language and clearly separating must-haves from nice-to-haves. 

I’ll also dig into why transparency about salary, location, and culture can massively boost your applicant pool.

Forget the legalese and buzzwords, great job descriptions feel like invitations. I’ll show you how to ditch the corporate fluff and speak directly to the type of person you actually want to hire.

Additional Resources:

1. AI-Powered Job Description Generator 
2. Library of 500+ Sample Job Description Templates
3. How to Write a Job Description That Attracts Top Candidates
4. Best Practices for Writing Clear and Compelling Job Postings

🧠 WANT TO LEARN MORE? Be sure to subscribe and check out 4 Corner Resources at https://www.4cornerresources.com/

👋 FOLLOW PETE NEWSOME ONLINE:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petenewsome/
Blog Articles: https://www.4cornerresources.com/blog/

Episode Transcript

Pete Newsome (00:00):
You're listening to the Hire Calling Podcast,
your source for all thingshiring, staffing and recruiting.
I'm Pete Newsome, and ontoday's episode, I'm going to
cover a foundational, yet oftenoverlooked aspect of the hiring
process, and that is jobdescriptions, specifically, how
to write a job description thatwill attract the best candidates

(00:20):
.
Now, most hiring managers treatjob descriptions as a formality
, a painful exercise that theydon't want to spend time on.
I get it, but if you want toattract the best talent, fill
your positions fast and buildgreat teams, your job
description has to do a lot morethan simply describe the role.
It needs to sell it, and that'swhat I'm going to break down

(00:42):
today.
So we'll talk about what agreat job description looks like
mistakes to avoid and then I'llgive you some actionable tips
to help increase your resultsimmediately.
How great is that?
And even a new AI tool that youcan use.
So let's kick off things withwhat is the first and maybe the
most important part of this,which is that job descriptions

(01:03):
matter a lot more than nearlyeveryone thinks.
It's not just about checkingboxes.
It's about putting a messagetogether that candidates will
find compelling and interestingand want to apply to.
It's a marketing tool.
It serves as a reflection ofyour company's culture and
values, and the truth is, mostjob seekers are scrolling

(01:27):
through dozens, if not hundreds,of listings at any given time.
They're going to be picky andif your job description doesn't
stand out, it's probably goingto be passed over.
Look, that ad is your firstopportunity to make a personal
connection, so you just can'tafford to blow it.
So let's explore how to make itcount.
There's seven essential elementsthat go into a job description,

(01:51):
and if you get these right,you're going to have great
results.
The first one no surprise isthe job title.
Use clear, industry standardtitles.
You want to avoid internaljargon that might confuse job
seekers.
For example, use seniorsoftware engineer, not code
wizard level three.
This isn't a time to be cute.

(02:11):
This is a time to stay in thecenter lane, so do that.
The next section is a summary orposition overview, and here's
where you want to provide aconcise introduction to the role
, its purpose and how it willfit within your company.
Highlight unique aspects of theposition, such as innovative
projects, or if they get to workin a collaborative team

(02:34):
environment.
Those things count.
The next is position duties andresponsibilities.
Here's where you want to listthe position's main tasks with
strong action verbs like designs, manages or analyzes.
Be specific when painting aclear picture of the day-to-day
activities associated with theposition.
Next is the requiredqualifications and skills.

(02:57):
Here's where you want to detailthe necessary education,
experience and certificationsfor the role.
Differentiate betweenmust-haves and nice-to-haves.
That'll really help broadenyour candidate pool.
Number five work environment andlocation.
Specify if the role is hybrid,on-site or remote.
Note any physical demands ortravel requirements.

(03:21):
Kids really want to see clarityhere about the specific work
environment.
Now more than ever, we knowwhat the world is like
post-COVID, with so manycandidates wanting to work
remotely or at least hybrid, soit's a great opportunity to sell
them on that if those arethings you offer or if you don't
.
This is where it's important torule out candidates who won't

(03:44):
be a good fit by letting themknow it's in the office every
day if that's the case.
So clarity is key.
The next is the salary range andbenefits, where transparency is
what matters most compensationdetails and then highlight your
perks, like insurance, 401k,matches, paid time off,

(04:07):
especially if these are thingsthat are differentiators for you
and are strengths.
But, most importantly,transparency in this area will
absolutely increase yourapplication rates.
And the last thing you want toinclude is information about
your company Share, yourcompany's mission, your values,
your culture.
More details the better.

(04:28):
Providing these insights aboutyour environment will help
candidates self-select anddetermine whether they're a good
fit, and that's what you want.
You want candidates to know asmuch going in, and so if they're
not going to be a good fit, ifit's not a right position for
them, then you want them to makethat choice before they ever

(04:48):
get to you.
That's awesome, that's a win.
So it's not about having asmany candidates apply as
possible, it's having the rightcandidates apply, and the more
clarity and detail you share onthe front end, the less your
turnover will be over time,because even though your
interview process may be great,candidates can and will slip
through the cracks.
So in everything I just covered, it's all about details, it's

(05:12):
all about clarity and it's allabout transparency.
So if you follow those steps,you'll be in great shape.
The next thing I want to talkabout are some easy mistakes to
avoid, but unfortunately theyhappen way too often.
The first is using overlyformal language.
Avoid corporate jargon andbuzzwords that can make your job
description feel impersonal,and they will so try to be warm

(05:36):
as much as you can.
Having a laundry list ofrequirements is the next thing
you want to avoid.
Don't be excessive with that.
A couple of reasons.
One nobody is going to read abook, so if you've written it
that way, cancel, glaze rightover it.
And then if you have too manyrequirements and you're really
describing what is a unicorn ora unique candidate so unique

(06:00):
they probably don't exist in thereal world then you're going to
miss out on otherwise reallystrong candidates who you would
like to see.
So don't list excessiverequirements.
The next is a mistake that I seewhere job descriptions lack any
kind of personality.
You want to show that culturelike we talked about, and your

(06:25):
values as much as you can, sodon't be dismissive of that.
I guess that's really themessage there.
You want to provide that warmththat I mentioned earlier, and
too often job descriptions arejust cold and candidates are
very emotional these days, moreso than ever before in my

(06:46):
professional life, and probablyanyone's listening.
So play on that Right, use itto your advantage.
Don't.
Don't be too cold in your jobdescriptions.
So the truth is, most of themread like legal documents, but
the great ones will read like aninvitation.
So let that be your goal whenwriting yours.
So here's a simple tip that youcan consider that will

(07:10):
potentially transform your jobads Write to your ideal
candidate.
Visualize that person you wantto hire.
What are they motivated by?
What problems are they excitedto solve?
What would make this job agreat next step for them in
their career?
Think of all those things andthen write directly to that
person that's in your mind.

(07:30):
Use a conversational tone andmake the descriptions in bullet
points right.
Think headlines, clear headings.
Don't make anyone struggle tounderstand what it is you're
trying to say.
So usually the fewer words thebetter.
When it comes to beingdescriptive, so thorough but not
overkill.
As I always say and I probablyalready said in this podcast

(07:54):
already nobody wants to read abook, so don't ask them to,
because they won't do it anyway.
Don't just think about your owninternal words and phrases that
you're used to using.
You really have to put yourselfin the shoes of prospective
applicants and then think whatare they going to use in their
search terms, not just how youtalk about the job internally.

(08:14):
So always pause before you hitsend on that job posting to
consider whether you're usingacronyms that know they're not
going to resonate, or words andphrases that really aren't
commonly used outside of yourorganization.
So, with all that said, sevenelements that you should

(08:35):
definitely include in your jobdescription, a few things to
avoid If you want help withwhere to start.
There's two things that I wantto share.
One is the job description thatwe already have on
fourcornerresourcescom.
We have over 500 job titleswith samples for each.
I'll put the link in the shownotes.

(08:56):
And then the second thing is anew AI tool we just created two
weeks ago.
It's a GPT that we created onOpenAI through ChatGPT, where
it'll walk you through a seriesof questions and you provide
answers, and then it will builda job description for whatever
title you want, incorporatingall of the elements that we've

(09:18):
described here and the bestpractices for creating a winning
job description.
So I'll put that link in theshow notes as well.
So no excuses not to have agreat job description going
forward.
So, look, the big takeaway fromthis is that it's not just about
filling space on a job board orchecking boxes when you create

(09:39):
this job description.
It's about making a connectionto the right people that will
attract the most qualifiedcandidates, making your company
look great and making your yourjob look really interesting to
anyone who um is consideringapplying to it and um and being
really clear about what theexpectations are and what and
what the role will be like forwhoever you end up hiring, and

(10:02):
it will greatly increase yourchance of success.
So thank you for listening.
I love feedback.
Email us at higher calling atfour fourcornerresourcescom.
My team and I will monitor anyrequests.
If you want to hear about aspecific topic, go ahead and ask
there.
Share your feedback.

(10:22):
I'd love if you rated this fivestar if you've gotten this far,
and thank you for listening andhave a great rest of your day
and happy hunting while you'reout there in the recruiting
world.
Thanks for listening.
Talk soon.