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/

Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction to Job Description Importance
• 1:47 Seven Essential Elements of Effective Descriptions
• 5:18 Common Mistakes to Avoid
• 7:16 Writing Tips for Impactful Results
• 8:40 Resources and AI Tools
• 9:30 Final Takeaways and Contact Info

Transcript

Pete Newsome: 0:00

You're listening to the Hire Calling Podcast, your source for all things hiring, staffing and recruiting. I'm Pete Newsome, and on today's episode, I'm going to cover a foundational, yet often overlooked aspect of the hiring process, and that is job descriptions, specifically, how to write a job description that will attract the best candidates. Now, most hiring managers treat job descriptions as a formality, a painful exercise that they don't want to spend time on. I get it, but if you want to attract the best talent, fill your positions fast and build great teams, your job description has to do a lot more than simply describe the role. It needs to sell it, and that's what I'm going to break down today. So we'll talk about what a great job description looks like mistakes to avoid and then I'll give you some actionable tips to help increase your results immediately. How great is that? And even a new AI tool that you can use.

Pete Newsome: 0:54

So let's kick off things with what is the first and maybe the most important part of this, which is that job descriptions matter a lot more than nearly everyone thinks. It's not just about checking boxes. It's about putting a message together that candidates will find compelling and interesting and want to apply to. It's a marketing tool. It serves as a reflection of your company's culture and values, and the truth is, most job seekers are scrolling through dozens, if not hundreds, of listings at any given time. They're going to be picky and if your job description doesn't stand out, it's probably going to be passed over. Look, that ad is your first opportunity to make a personal connection, so you just can't afford to blow it. So let's explore how to make it count.

Pete Newsome: 1:47

There's seven essential elements that go into a job description, and if you get these right, you're going to have great results. The first one no surprise is the job title. Use clear, industry standard titles. You want to avoid internal jargon that might confuse job seekers. For example, use senior software engineer, not code wizard level three. This isn't a time to be cute. This is a time to stay in the center lane, so do that.

Pete Newsome: 2:15

The next section is a summary or position overview, and here's where you want to provide a concise introduction to the role, its purpose and how it will fit within your company. Highlight unique aspects of the position, such as innovative projects, or if they get to work in a collaborative team environment. Those things count. The next is position duties and responsibilities. Here's where you want to list the position's main tasks with strong action verbs like designs, manages or analyzes. Be specific when painting a clear picture of the day-to-day activities associated with the position. Next is the required qualifications and skills. Here's where you want to detail the necessary education, experience and certifications for the role. Differentiate between must-haves and nice-to-haves. That'll really help broaden your candidate pool.

Pete Newsome: 3:09

Number five work environment and location. Specify if the role is hybrid, on-site or remote. Note any physical demands or travel requirements. Kids really want to see clarity here about the specific work environment. Now more than ever, we know what the world is like post-COVID, with so many candidates wanting to work remotely or at least hybrid, so it's a great opportunity to sell them on that if those are things you offer or if you don't. This is where it's important to rule out candidates who won't be a good fit by letting them know it's in the office every day if that's the case. So clarity is key.

Pete Newsome: 3:52

The next is the salary range and benefits, where transparency is what matters most compensation details and then highlight your perks, like insurance, 401k, matches, paid time off, especially if these are things that are differentiators for you and are strengths. But, most importantly, transparency in this area will absolutely increase your application rates. And the last thing you want to include is information about your company Share, your company's mission, your values, your culture. More details the better. Providing these insights about your environment will help candidates self-select and determine whether they're a good fit, and that's what you want. You want candidates to know as much going in, and so if they're not going to be a good fit, if it's not a right position for them, then you want them to make that choice before they ever get to you. That's awesome, that's a win. So it's not about having as many candidates apply as possible, it's having the right candidates apply, and the more clarity and detail you share on the 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 all about clarity and it's all about transparency. So if you follow those steps, you'll be in great shape.

Pete Newsome: 5:18

The next thing I want to talk about are some easy mistakes to avoid, but unfortunately they happen way too often. The first is using overly formal language. Avoid corporate jargon and buzzwords that can make your job description feel impersonal, and they will so try to be warm as much as you can. Having a laundry list of requirements is the next thing you want to avoid. Don't be excessive with that. A couple of reasons. One nobody is going to read a book, so if you've written it that way, cancel, glaze right over it. And then if you have too many requirements and you're really describing what is a unicorn or a unique candidate so unique they probably don't exist in the real world then you're going to miss out on otherwise really strong candidates who you would like to see. So don't list excessive requirements.

Pete Newsome: 6:12

The next is a mistake that I see where job descriptions lack any kind of personality. You want to show that culture like we talked about, and your values as much as you can, so don't be dismissive of that. I guess that's really the message there. You want to provide that warmth that I mentioned earlier, and too often job descriptions are just cold and candidates are very emotional these days, more so than ever before in my professional life, and probably anyone's listening. So play on that Right, use it to your advantage. Don't. Don't be too cold in your job descriptions. So the truth is, most of them read like legal documents, but the great ones will read like an invitation. So let that be your goal when writing yours. So here's a simple tip that you can consider that will potentially transform your job ads Write to your ideal candidate.

Pete Newsome: 7:16

Visualize that person you want to hire. What are they motivated by? What problems are they excited to solve? What would make this job a great next step for them in their career? Think of all those things and then write directly to that person that's in your mind. Use a conversational tone and make the descriptions in bullet points right. Think headlines, clear headings. Don't make anyone struggle to understand what it is you're trying to say. So usually the fewer words the better. When it comes to being descriptive, so thorough but not overkill. As I always say and I probably already said in this podcast already nobody wants to read a book, so don't ask them to, because they won't do it anyway. Don't just think about your own internal words and phrases that you're used to using. You really have to put yourself in the shoes of prospective applicants and then think what are they going to use in their search terms, not just how you talk about the job internally. So always pause before you hit send on that job posting to consider whether you're using acronyms that know they're not going to resonate, or words and phrases that really aren't commonly used outside of your organization.

Pete Newsome: 8:30

So, with all that said, seven elements that you should definitely include in your job description, a few things to avoid If you want help with where to start. There's two things that I want to share. One is the job description that we already have on fourcornerresourcescom. We have over 500 job titles with samples for each. I'll put the link in the show notes. And then the second thing is a new AI tool we just created two weeks ago. It's a GPT that we created on OpenAI through ChatGPT, where it'll walk you through a series of questions and you provide answers, and then it will build a job description for whatever title you want, incorporating all of the elements that we've described here and the best practices for creating a winning job description. So I'll put that link in the show notes as well. So no excuses not to have a great job description going forward.

Pete Newsome: 9:30

So, look, the big takeaway from this is that it's not just about filling space on a job board or checking boxes when you create this job description. It's about making a connection to the right people that will attract the most qualified candidates, making your company look great and making your your job look really interesting to anyone who um is considering applying to it and um and being really clear about what the expectations are and what and what the role will be like for whoever you end up hiring, and it will greatly increase your chance of success. So thank you for listening. I love feedback. Email us at higher calling at four fourcornerresourcescom. My team and I will monitor any requests. If you want to hear about a specific topic, go ahead and ask there. Share your feedback. I'd love if you rated this five star if you've gotten this far, and thank you for listening and have a great rest of your day and happy hunting while you're out there in the recruiting world. Thanks for listening. Talk soon.