Writing a job description that attracts the people you want

The average job description is a list of requirements assembled defensively, and it produces a predictable result: a large volume of unsuitable applications and a small number of the people you actually wanted.

Start with what the person will do in their first six months. Candidates who are good enough to have options are choosing between problems, not between benefit lists.

Separate genuine requirements from preferences, and be honest about which is which. Research consistently shows that long requirement lists disproportionately deter candidates from underrepresented groups, who tend to apply only when they meet nearly all listed criteria. If a skill is teachable in a month, it is not a requirement.

Publish the salary range. Listings with a visible range receive substantially more qualified applications, and the ones you lose were going to be lost at offer stage anyway.

Describe the team honestly, including the parts that are hard. A candidate who joins knowing the codebase has significant legacy debt stays; one who discovers it in week two does not.

Finally, say what your interview process is and how long it takes. It costs nothing and it signals that you respect the candidate’s time.