Most companies spend weeks interviewing candidates and minutes writing the job description that attracts them. That’s backwards. A poorly written job description doesn’t just fail to attract great candidates — it actively repels them. Here’s how to get it right.
Stop Leading with Your Company
The most common mistake in job descriptions is spending the first three paragraphs talking about the company. Senior candidates don’t need a history lesson — they need to quickly understand if this role is worth their time. Lead with the role, the opportunity, and what success looks like. Save the company background for the end.
Be Specific About the Problem You’re Solving
The best job descriptions read like a business case. Instead of “we are looking for a VP of Sales to lead our sales team,” try “we are looking for a VP of Sales to build our enterprise sales motion from the ground up — we have strong product-market fit and need someone to take us from $3M to $15M ARR.” That specificity attracts exactly the right person and filters out everyone else.
List Outcomes, Not Just Responsibilities
Responsibilities tell candidates what they’ll do. Outcomes tell them what winning looks like. The difference matters enormously to senior candidates who are evaluating whether they can be successful in the role.
Instead of:
- Manage a team of 8 sales reps
- Own the sales pipeline
Try:
- Build and lead a high-performing sales team of 8, with a goal of reducing ramp time to 90 days
- Own the full sales pipeline with a target of $10M in new ARR in year one
Be Honest About the Challenges
Senior candidates have seen enough to know that every role has challenges. If you pretend the role is perfect you’ll either attract naive candidates or lose credible ones who don’t believe you. Briefly acknowledging the real challenges — “we are rebuilding our CRM infrastructure” or “this is a newly created role with no existing playbook” — builds credibility and attracts candidates who are energized by those challenges rather than surprised by them.
Cut the Buzzwords
“Dynamic,” “passionate,” “rockstar,” “ninja” — these words mean nothing and signal that the job description wasn’t written thoughtfully. Replace them with specific, concrete language that describes what the role actually requires.
Include Compensation
We know — many companies don’t want to show their hand on compensation. But senior candidates are busy and will deprioritize roles without a salary range. Including a range saves everyone time, signals respect for candidates, and is increasingly expected in today’s market.
At Broadreach, we help clients craft job descriptions that attract the right candidates before the search even begins. If you’re struggling to find the right senior hire, sometimes the problem starts with the posting. Let’s talk.